Elder Fraud in Maryland

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.

**Summary:** Dr. Gary Grajales-Reyes, an assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine, pleaded guilty to embezzling $412,000 by submitting false requisition requests for computer equipment that he then sold on eBay and Amazon for personal use. Over his scheme, Grajales-Reyes submitted 73 fraudulent requisitions for approximately 761 computer parts, which the university purchased and paid for before the equipment was diverted. He faces sentencing on December 4 with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for the three counts of wire fraud.

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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

A new job scam targeting freelancers uses fake checks paired with a plausible excuse to request refunds before the check clears, causing victims to lose their own money. Experienced freelancer Wendy Meyeroff nearly fell victim when a client named "Joan" paid a full project fee upfront, then requested half the payment back due to a "change of plans," asking for a money order to an unfamiliar address. The Better Business Bureau warns this scam affects various side hustles and recommends potential victims verify clients through social media, video calls, and thorough questioning.

Scammers posing as grandchildren are targeting elderly individuals by claiming emergencies (car accidents, arrests, etc.) and requesting urgent money transfers; thirteen Dominican Republic nationals were recently charged with defrauding approximately 400 U.S. grandparents of nearly $5 million across Massachusetts, California, New York, Florida, and Maryland. To protect themselves, grandparents should verify callers' identities through personal questions or video calls, avoid sharing financial information over the phone, and refrain from sending money immediately even if the caller claims to be a distressed family member.

Thirteen Dominican Republic citizens have been charged with operating a sophisticated grandparent scam that defrauded approximately 400 U.S. seniors out of $5 million by posing as their grandchildren in distress and repeatedly extracting money from victims. The victims, averaging 84 years old and located across Massachusetts, California, New York, Florida, and Maryland, were targeted with calls claiming emergencies such as car accidents or arrests, with fraudsters sometimes contacting the same victims multiple times. Nine suspects are in custody while four remain at-large, each facing conspiracy charges for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering with potential sentences up to 20 years in prison.

A transnational elder fraud ring based in the Dominican Republic was disrupted after a two-year investigation resulting in nine arrests and four additional charges, with 13 suspects identified in total. The scheme defrauded over 400 victims (average age 84) of more than $5 million across Massachusetts, Florida, California, Maryland, and New York by using bilingual callers posing as distressed grandchildren in accidents or legal trouble, followed by a "closer" impersonating an attorney, then a "runner" collecting cash via rideshare services. Alleged ringleader Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia and associates face charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering,

The Federal Trade Commission reported a dramatic surge in imposter scams targeting older adults from 2020 to 2024, with losses over $100,000 increasing nearly sevenfold and reported total losses reaching $700 million in 2023 (though estimated real losses may reach $7.1 billion to $61.5 billion when unreported cases are included). Scammers use deceptive tactics like impersonating banks, government agencies, and tech companies to create urgency and convince victims to send money via cryptocurrency (33%), bank transfers (20%), or cash (16%), with bank transfers most common for losses exceeding $100,000. Banks face pressure to enhance fraud prevention

Federal Trade Commission data reveals a more than four-fold increase since 2020 in reports from adults 60 and older losing $10,000 or more to impersonation scams, with combined losses exceeding $100,000 jumping from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024. Common tactics include fraudsters posing as government officials, banks, or tech companies to convince victims to transfer funds via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or courier delivery under false pretenses of account protection or legal issues. The FTC reported $12.5 billion in total scam losses nationally in 2024, with older adults accounting for $2.3 billion an

A Maryland woman and multiple other customers were defrauded by Vehicle Veterans, a used car service, after paying thousands of dollars upfront with little follow-through. Debra Godsey paid $2,800 and eventually received a defective 2012 Chevrolet Traverse with over 167,000 miles and multiple recalls, while another victim lost $10,000 of her inheritance when the company went silent; co-founder Michael Henry allegedly disappeared with customer funds, and the Maryland Attorney General's office has received multiple complaints against the company.

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New Yorkers lost over $540 million to fraud in 2024. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the Stop the Scammers Act to restore Consumer Financial Protection Bureau funding that was reduced by a Republican tax bill, and to authorize the CFPB to reward whistleblowers who report financial crimes and fraud targeting seniors.

**Summary:** A multi-state investigation called Operation Teller-to-Telegram resulted in the arrest of eight individuals, including three Maryland bank employees, who allegedly stole $8.8 million from elderly customers through a coordinated fraud ring. The bank employees Barbara Frazee, Camala Shafer, and Antonio Penn sold senior customers' personal information via the encrypted app Telegram to co-conspirators who used the stolen account details, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth to drain victims' savings accounts. All eight suspects face RICO charges, identity theft felonies, and other serious charges.