Identity Theft

A financial columnist for New York magazine fell victim to an elaborate multi-stage scam in which fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and a CIA investigator convinced her to withdraw $50,000 and hand it to them in cash over the course of a five-hour phone call. The scammers exploited her vulnerability by threatening her family and creating a false sense of urgency, using isolation tactics to prevent her from seeking help or verification. She came forward with her story to highlight that scam victims span all demographics and professions, and that sophisticated scammers are skilled at identifying and exploiting individual vulnerabilities.

Charlotte Kohls, a financial advice columnist for New York Magazine, fell victim to an elaborate scam that began with a fake Amazon call claiming $8,000 in fraudulent charges on a non-existent business account. The scammer then posed as an FTC agent investigating her for money laundering and financial crimes, ultimately convincing her to withdraw and hand over $50,000 in cash to a stranger. Kohls's experience serves as a warning that even financially knowledgeable individuals are vulnerable to sophisticated social engineering scams.

Scams increased 34% year-over-year leading up to tax season, with the Colorado Public Interest Research Group warning consumers to remain vigilant. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics including calls, texts, and impersonation of family members, with an 81% of Americans expressing concern about personal data misuse. Consumer protection experts advise sharing minimal personal information, ignoring unsolicited urgent money requests, and placing credit freezes with the three major credit bureaus to prevent identity theft and fraudulent account creation.

The FBI warned South Carolinians about romance scams after 277 victims lost over $11 million in the previous year, though only 29 cases were reported to the State Department of Consumer Affairs. One victim, Sandra Sheely, was contacted on Facebook by a scammer who developed a fabricated relationship using photos and videos before defrauding her, and she continues working to repay the losses. The FBI emphasized the need for increased reporting of romance and confidence fraud, which are becoming an increasing threat in South Carolina.

This educational piece from the Better Business Bureau discusses phone spoofing scams, where fraudsters manipulate caller ID to display legitimate business numbers (banks, the IRS, Sheriff's Office) to trick recipients into believing they are legitimate callers. The article explains how spoofing works and advises consumers to be cautious when receiving calls from seemingly recognizable numbers, as scammers can now spoof real phone numbers from trusted institutions to increase the likelihood that victims will comply with their requests.

Journalist Deborah Vanin discovered fake obituaries about her death circulating online in an AI-generated death hoax scam. The "pirate obit" scams are designed to serve as clickbait that generates advertising revenue for scammers, and Vanin learned of the fraudulent posts when her father and aunt alerted her after seeing the fake obituary. Multiple friends subsequently contacted her with screenshots of the false reports, which included fabricated details about her career and personal relationships.

A Montgomery County man posing as a federal agent scammed a senior citizen into converting nearly $250,000 in retirement savings into gold bars under the pretense of protecting him from identity theft. Police arrested the suspect (identified as Raingo Maton, a German citizen) as he picked up a box containing $23,000 in gold bars that was actually filled with tools; a vigilant friend's intervention prevented the victim from handing over the full amount.

According to an FBI report, elder fraud targeting people aged 60 and older increased by 14% in 2023, resulting in over $3 billion in losses with an average victim loss of $33,900. The five most common fraud types against seniors include personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, non-payment or non-delivery scams, and investment scams, with non-payment scams being particularly prevalent in the Asheville area, where the police department received 48 elder abuse or fraud cases from Adult Protective Services in the year to date.

Tech support fraud is the most commonly reported scam targeting older Americans, where scammers impersonate tech support to gain access to sensitive information, though investment scams result in the greatest financial losses (over $50 million reported annually). In Pennsylvania specifically, common scams include tech support fraud, personal data breaches, and delivery scams. To protect yourself, avoid unsolicited contacts, never download attachments from unknown sources, refuse to share personal information or money with unverified people, and resist pressure to act quickly, as scammers use urgency to manipulate victims.

Dan Machewski of Makaha lost $34,000 in March to a sophisticated phone scam in which a caller impersonated his bank Fidelity's fraud department. The scammer gained credibility by displaying specific details about Machewski's recent transactions and providing a legitimate-looking caller ID, ultimately convincing him to share a security code that allowed the thieves to transfer funds to fake accounts and cash them out through PayPal within hours. Machewski, who believed he was well-protected against such scams, is sharing his experience to warn others about this particularly convincing fraud scheme.