Elder Fraud in New Hampshire

A 38-year-old Chinese national living in Massachusetts was indicted for operating a scheme that involved stealing gift cards from American victims through romance scams, elder fraud, and hacking, then using those cards to purchase Apple products and electronics in New Hampshire (which has no sales tax) before shipping them to China and Hong Kong. The conspiracy, which defrauded victims of approximately $5 million, coordinated purchases via WeChat and cryptocurrency, with stolen merchandise funneled through a warehouse in Salem. To protect yourself, be cautious about unsolicited romantic advances online, monitor gift card usage, enable two-factor authentication on accounts, and report suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.

A Chinese national was indicted for leading an international gift card fraud conspiracy that victimized Americans through romance scams, elder fraud, and hacking, then used stolen gift cards to purchase electronics that were shipped to China through a New Hampshire warehouse. The defendant and his co-conspirators exploited the lack of sales tax in New Hampshire and used cryptocurrency and encrypted messaging to coordinate their illegal operations, netting millions of dollars. People should be cautious about unsolicited romantic connections and unexpected requests for gift cards, verify requests for money directly with loved ones through independent contact, and monitor their gift card accounts for suspicious activity.

Scammers operating from centers in Myanmar are using artificial intelligence tools from American tech companies to conduct romance fraud at industrial scale, with one trafficked worker impersonating dozens of fake personas to target tens of thousands of victims across the globe in rapid succession. The scheme affects vulnerable people worldwide—from farmers to engineers to soldiers—who are manipulated into sending money to fake romantic interests, with the FTC estimating Americans lost nearly $200 billion to scams in 2024. While tech companies have the technical ability to prevent this abuse, they lack sufficient legal incentives and regulatory pressure to do so, leaving the infrastructure that powers these fraud operations largely unchecked.

Trafficked workers at scam centers in Myanmar are using AI-powered software from American tech companies to run romance scams at massive scale, targeting hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide through fake personas and coordinated messaging campaigns. According to an AP investigation, one trafficked worker alone targeted approximately 50,000 people across at least 17 countries in a single month, exploiting victims' desire for romance to ultimately fleece them of money. While U.S. tech companies have the technical ability to prevent this abuse, regulatory gaps and lack of business incentives mean they're not taking sufficient action against fraud that cost Americans nearly $200 billion in losses in 2024—making it critical for people to be skeptical of online romantic connections, especially with people who quickly ask for money or claim to need financial help.

Romance scammers operating from centers in Myanmar are using AI tools from American tech companies to target victims worldwide at massive scale, with one trafficked worker impersonating a woman to deceive tens of thousands of people across dozens of countries in just one month. The scams cost Americans nearly $200 billion in losses in 2024, exploiting vulnerable individuals like farmers, soldiers, and widows through fake romantic relationships designed to extract money. While American tech companies have the technical ability to prevent this abuse, they lack sufficient legal incentives and regulatory pressure to do so, allowing the infrastructure for these scams to flourish.

Trafficked workers at scam centers in Myanmar are using AI-powered software built by American tech companies to impersonate people and conduct romance scams at an industrial scale, targeting tens of thousands of victims across multiple countries. A whistleblower's records show that in just one month, one scammer targeted approximately 50,000 people—including farmers, soldiers, and everyday professionals—using fake profiles while supervised by armed handlers. Experts say American tech companies have the technical ability to prevent this abuse but lack sufficient legal incentives and regulatory pressure to do so, despite fraud costing Americans nearly $200 billion in losses in 2024; people should be cautious of online romantic connections that develop quickly and verify the identity of anyone asking for money or personal information.

Global scam networks operating from centers in Myanmar are using AI technology from American companies to conduct massive romance scams at industrial scale, with one trafficked worker impersonating a woman to deceive over 50,000 victims across 17 countries in just one month. The victims—ranging from farmers and tailor to soldiers and engineers—are targeted by scammers who exploit US-built AI tools and software to rapidly create fake profiles and automate deceptive conversations. To protect yourself, be cautious of strangers who quickly profess romantic feelings online, verify identities through video calls before financial discussions, and report suspicious accounts to social media platforms.

Older adults in New Hampshire are increasingly falling victim to sophisticated scams including cryptocurrency fraud, investment schemes, romance scams, and government imposter scams, with many victims pressured into secrecy before they can consult family or authorities. These crimes often result in devastating financial losses and eroded sense of security, though many incidents go unreported. Authorities urge immediate reporting of suspected elder fraud and recommend that older adults consult trusted family members and financial institutions before acting on urgent financial requests.

A California man was sentenced to two to four years in prison after attempting to collect $50,000 in cash from a 92-year-old New Hampshire woman as part of a tech-support scam in which fraudsters used fake pop-up alerts to convince her that her bank accounts were compromised. The woman realized something was wrong and contacted police, who set up a controlled operation and arrested the suspect when he arrived at her home. Authorities advise elderly individuals and their families to be suspicious of unsolicited tech alerts, never withdraw large sums of cash based on computer warnings, and to contact local police or the state's Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit if they suspect they've been targeted by scammers.

A California man was convicted of attempted theft by deception after trying to steal $50,000 from a 92-year-old New Hampshire resident through a tech support scam that used a fake computer pop-up alert to convince her that her bank accounts were compromised. The victim was manipulated into believing she needed to pay a supposed bank agent to protect her money, and the suspect traveled to her home to collect the cash. Seniors should be cautious of unsolicited tech support alerts and unexpected requests for payment, and anyone experiencing or witnessing elder fraud should contact local police or New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services at nheasy.nh.gov.

A 41-year-old man was murdered in Derry, New Hampshire in May 2025 during what authorities believe was a coordinated theft operation linked to an international gift card fraud scheme. The victim, Gui Lin, was stabbed while unloading boxes of iPhones and Apple products purchased with stolen gift cards at a warehouse; three men have been arrested in connection with the killing, with the investigation revealing that multiple warehouses across Southern New Hampshire were being targeted for bulk electronics purchases made fraudulently. To protect yourself, be cautious about unsolicited gift cards, monitor your accounts for unauthorized purchases, and report suspicious activity to your bank or payment provider immediately.

Senator Maggie Hassan has pressured four AI voice-cloning companies—ElevenLabs, LOVO, Speechify, and VEED—to explain how they prevent scammers from impersonating people's voices, after the FBI reported $893 million in losses from AI-related scams in 2025. Consumer Reports testing found that four of six voice-cloning products had minimal safeguards against cloning voices without consent, raising serious concerns about identity theft and fraud. To protect yourself, be skeptical of unexpected calls asking for money or sensitive information, verify caller identity through independent contact methods, and report suspected voice-cloning scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Bipartisan leaders are warning Americans about a surge in tax season scams that have affected nearly one in four Americans, with criminals using fake IRS calls, phishing emails, and AI-enhanced tactics to steal personal information and money. Scammers impersonate the IRS through fraudulent websites and calls, but the real IRS won't contact you via social media, demand immediate payment, or threaten law enforcement action. To protect yourself, avoid clicking suspicious links, only use reputable tax services or IRS.gov directly, and verify any tax-related communication independently before sharing personal information.

New Hampshire's Attorney General is offering free scam prevention training sessions in April 2026 specifically designed to help older adults (age 60+) recognize and avoid increasingly common fraud schemes. The 90-minute presentations, part of the "Protect Your Wallet, Protect Yourself" initiative, will be held in Rochester and Manchester and are open to seniors, caregivers, and community members. Anyone interested in attending can register online or simply show up at the no-registration-required sessions to learn practical tools for protecting their personal and financial security.

New Hampshire's Attorney General is offering free scam prevention training sessions in April 2026 for older adults (age 60+) and their families, as part of efforts to combat the rising tide of financial exploitation schemes targeting seniors. The educational programs, held in Rochester and Manchester in partnership with local law enforcement, will teach participants how to recognize, avoid, and respond to common scams. Anyone aware of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults can report it through the New Hampshire Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at nheasy.nh.gov.