The Larigent Fraud Lifecycle
Elder fraud is not a single moment of bad judgment. It is a six-phase process a target is moved through - and every phase has a point where it can still be stopped.
Most fraud-prevention material treats a scam as a single event: the call, the wire, the loss. The Larigent Fraud Lifecycle maps the full sequence instead - from the moment a target is identified through the moment they are approached again. Each phase names what the attacker is looking for, the control that interrupts it, and how the conversation differs depending on who is having it: a professional working from a duty of care, or a family member working from love and proximity.
Most fraud-prevention material treats a scam as a single event: the call, the wire, the loss. The Larigent Fraud Lifecycle maps the full sequence instead - from the moment a target is identified through the moment they are approached again. Each phase names what the attacker is looking for, the control that interrupts it, and how the conversation differs depending on who is having it: a professional working from a duty of care, or a family member working from love and proximity.
Targeting & Exposure
Reconnaissance
Transnational criminal organizations profile victims using data brokers and public records. This is opportunity structure, not victim error - targets are chosen for the absence of a capable guardian, not for gullibility.
Attacker looks for
No trusted contact on file; data-broker exposure; recent loss or isolation.
Named control
The Safeguards Inventory - records what protection is in place, and installs what is missing.
Professional
“We audit every client’s exposure - it’s standard, not a response to suspicion.”
For Families
Set up a trusted contact and a regular check-in routine, as a precaution for any older adult.
Contact & Pretext
The Hook
A pop-up, a call, or an ad opens with a plausible, low-stakes reason for contact. Legitimacy signaling - a familiar brand, a familiar voice - makes the first ask seem reasonable.
Attacker looks for
Answers unsolicited contact; trusts familiar brand names; no verify-first habit.
Named control
Pretext Pattern Recognition + the PACE Framework
Professional
“Tell me more about how that started” - curiosity before alarm.
For Families
Normalize “pause and verify” before urgency ever sets in.
Trust-Building & Isolation
The Fear Override
Grooming, escalating authority, or manufactured urgency - then the isolation instruction that removes the one person capable of intervening.
Attacker looks for
Loneliness or need for validation; lifelong deference to authority; no pre-set safe word.
Named control
The Isolation Flag
Professional
Ask directly: “did someone tell you not to share this with anyone?”
For Families
Stay present without confirming the scammer’s story that family is dangerous.
Extraction
The Ask
Wire transfer, gift cards, crypto, gold, remote access - the point of maximum financial risk, and compliance sustained by fear rather than persuasion.
Attacker looks for
High-liquidity accounts; no transaction holds; unfamiliar with wires, crypto, gift cards.
Named control
The Red Phone Protocol
Professional
“I need to make a call before I process this - that’s standard procedure.”
For Families
Use the family safe word, calmly, as the circuit breaker.
Post-Incident Response
The Golden Hour
The reversal window narrows by the hour. Shame, not lack of information, is what delays reporting.
Attacker looks for
No incident checklist; shame delays disclosure; no judgment-free contact to call first.
Named control
The Golden Hour Protocol (Financial Kill Chain)
Professional
Walk the sequence calmly, in order - no lecture on what should have happened.
For Families
Reassurance before logistics. Watch for the recovery-scam double-dip.
Re-Fortification
The Loop
Confirmed victims are re-targeted at higher rates - the same Capacity Gap persists unless it is deliberately closed.
Attacker looks for
Now a confirmed “payer” on criminal lists; exposure profile unchanged since Phase 1.
Named control
The Re-Fortification Review → loops back to Phase 1
Professional
Frame the review as strengthening infrastructure, not re-litigating.
For Families
Rebuild trust and autonomy - protection and dignity, not a trade-off.
Phase 6 feeds back into Phase 1, because confirmed victims are disproportionately re-targeted. Closing the Capacity Gap is not a one-time intervention - it is infrastructure that has to hold.