Elder Fraud in Louisiana

The "Phantom Hacker" scam has stolen over $1 billion from Americans since 2024, primarily targeting seniors age 60+ in Louisiana and nationwide. The sophisticated three-phase operation uses impersonators posing as tech support, bank officials, and government employees to gain access to victims' computers and financial accounts, often resulting in complete loss of retirement and savings accounts. Scammers now employ AI technology to personalize attacks through social media analysis, making their schemes more convincing.

**Summary:** Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to operating a romance scam that defrauded multiple American women of over $405,000 between July 2017 and December 2018. Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created fake social media profiles under the alias "Larry Pham" to build romantic relationships with middle-aged female victims, then solicited money under false pretenses and laundered the proceeds through intermediary accounts. He faces up to 20 years in prison and substantial fines upon sentencing in December 2025.

Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, pled guilty on August 21, 2025, to orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded American victims of over $405,000 between July 2017 and December 2018. Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created fake online dating profiles under the alias "Larry Pham" to build romantic relationships with middle-aged women, then requested money under various pretexts and laundered the proceeds through intermediaries. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of two counts, plus fines and mandatory fees, with sentencing scheduled for December 4,

Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering for operating a romance scam that defrauded American women of over $405,000 between July 2017 and December 2018. Using the fake persona "Larry Pham," Inweregbu and his co-conspirators targeted middle-aged female victims on dating sites and social media, cultivating fake romantic relationships to extract money through various pretexts before laundering the proceeds through intermediaries. He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $

Arizona is projected to lose over $4 billion to financial fraud in 2024, with the state ranking 11th nationally in fraud rates at 1,459 cases per 100,000 residents, according to a Common Sense Institute report. Common fraud types affecting Arizonans include grandparent scams, romance scams, gift card scams, skimming, and forgery, with experts noting that only about 14% of fraud is reported to authorities. Researchers recommend that families help protect older adults—who are at higher risk due to lower technological familiarity—by teaching them to verify sources before sharing financial information online.

A Nigerian citizen, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, pleaded guilty to operating a romance scam between 2017 and 2018 that defrauded multiple American women of over $405,000 using a fake online persona called "Larry Pham." Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created fake dating profiles to build romantic relationships with middle-aged female victims, then manipulated them into sending money and laundered the proceeds through various financial transactions. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of two counts plus fines totaling up to $750,000, with sentencing scheduled for December 4, 2025.

Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, to operating a romance scam that defrauded American victims of over $405,000 between July 2017 and December 2018. Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created fake dating profiles under the alias "Larry Pham" to build romantic relationships with women, then exploited their trust to extract money, which they subsequently laundered through multiple transactions. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the fraud charge and an additional 20 years on money laundering charges, with sentencing scheduled for December 4,

Andrea Estell Cochran, a 51-year-old from Houston, was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud after using forged passports to impersonate account holders and withdraw approximately $11,000 from multiple banks across Washington state and Maine in 2024. She faces up to 30 years in federal prison plus additional state charges, with a plea deal hearing scheduled for August 28, 2025. A separate study by VPNPro found that seniors aged 60 and older across all U.S. states lost significant sums to fraud in 2022, with losses ranging from approximately $3 million to $31 million per state, highlighting the widesprea

Andrea Estell Cochran, a 51-year-old from Houston, was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud after using fake passports to impersonate account holders and withdraw approximately $11,000 from multiple Washington state banks in 2024, with similar attempts in Maine; she faces up to 30 years in prison and state charges across multiple Washington counties. Additionally, a VPNPro study reveals that seniors aged 60 and over across all U.S. states lost substantial sums to fraud in 2022, with per-victim losses ranging from $13,118 to $30,150 depending on the state, highlighting seniors as prime targets for scammers

This article is not about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It concerns immigration enforcement and does not fit the scope of an Elderus fraud research database. The story involves an 18-year-old student detained by ICE following a traffic stop, with no fraud or elder abuse elements present.

Mary Kaphuka and her family of six fell victim to a rental apartment scam in Milwaukee after paying a $1,200 security deposit to a woman named "Ms. Allie" on Facebook who claimed to assist vulnerable mothers find housing; the apartment did not exist and the scammer disappeared, leaving the family homeless. Kaphuka has reported the case to police and plans to file a small claims lawsuit, while the family currently relies on shelters and temporary housing. According to the FTC, real estate scams are prevalent, with the FBI documenting 9,521 complaints in 2023 resulting in over $145 million in damages.

Kirbyjon Caldwell, a prominent Texas pastor and former spiritual adviser to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, returned to preaching at Windsor Village Church nearly a year after his release from prison for a $3.6 million fraud conviction. Caldwell had served part of a six-year sentence for his involvement in a scheme with investment adviser Gregory Alan Smith to defraud 29 investors through the sale of worthless historical Chinese bonds between 2013 and 2014. He has completed full restitution to all victims and was removed as an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church as part of disciplinary measures.

Louisiana residents are warned of a summer surge in scams including vacation rental fraud, AI voice cloning impersonations, toll violation/DMV phishing texts, and jury duty scams. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics—from fake travel listings requiring upfront wire transfers to AI-generated voices claiming relatives are in emergencies—to steal identities and drain bank accounts. Authorities recommend victims verify requests through official channels, resist immediate action, and never provide personal information to unsolicited contacts.

Kenneth Akpieyi, a 44-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, was convicted of operating romance scams that defrauded at least eight women of over $3 million. The scheme involved posing as wealthy figures on social media, building romantic relationships with victims, and requesting money under false pretenses, with funds routed through his auto brokerage company and sent to accounts internationally. Akpieyi faces decades in prison and substantial fines upon sentencing in November 2025.

Emmanuel Ugbaja, a 56-year-old Georgia man, was sentenced to 5 years probation with 2 years home confinement for money laundering in connection with internet scams that defrauded two victims of $60,000 in 2018—one through a romance scam and one through an inheritance scam. Ugbaja received the fraudulent funds into his bank account, kept a portion for himself, and sent the remainder to a maritime broker as a vessel down payment. In addition to probation, he was ordered to pay over $97,000 in restitution to the fraud victims and over $135,000 to the Small Business Administration