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KVUE
· 2024-02-19
Romance scams typically begin online through dating platforms, social media, or messaging apps, with scammers' goal being financial gain. Red flags include declarations of love very quickly, elaborate backstories (such as working in oil/gas or military deployment) to explain communication gaps, and reluctance to video chat; scammers may spend months or even years building trust before requesting money. People should recognize these warning signs early to avoid becoming victims of these prevalent scams.
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CTV News
· 2024-02-28
A Toronto woman lost $340,000 to a cryptocurrency investment scam after seeing a YouTube advertisement promising fast returns. The scammer built trust by showing fake account growth and sending her $5,000 to purchase diamond earrings, convincing her to invest progressively larger amounts ($250, then $100,000, then $240,000), but when she attempted to withdraw funds, she discovered the account was fraudulent and lost her entire investment.
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LastWeekTonight
· 2024-02-29
**Pig Butchering Scams Overview**
"Pig Butchering" is a romance/investment scam that typically begins with unsolicited text messages appearing to be sent to the wrong person, establishing false familiarity and trust. Scammers then gradually build relationships with victims and persuade them to invest money in fraudulent cryptocurrency or trading schemes, often resulting in significant financial losses. The scam gets its name from the process of cultivating ("fattening") victims before extracting ("butchering") their money.
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WION
· 2024-03-10
**Pig Butchering Scam Overview**
Pig butchering scams are a type of cryptocurrency investment fraud that targets victims globally through emotional manipulation and deceptive investment schemes. Scammers pose as romantic interests or long-lost friends on dating platforms to build trust, then convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency trading platforms controlled by the fraudsters, resulting in significant financial losses such as the $450,000 stolen from victim Shrea through an imposter posing as a French wine trader.
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FOX59 News
· 2024-03-12
Americans lost $10 billion to scams in 2023, a $1 billion increase from 2022, with investment scams being the costliest at $4 billion (averaging $7,000 per victim), followed by imposter scams at $2.7 billion and social media scams at $1.4 billion. The FTC is responding with increased enforcement actions, including 180 actions against telemarketers and new rules being drafted against impersonation fraud with tougher penalties. Consumers can protect themselves by guarding personal information, avoiding unsolicited links, and using unique passwords across accounts.
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The Deshbhakt
· 2024-04-02
This video essay discusses political corruption allegations in India, focusing on how the BJP appears to avoid corruption charges while opposition parties face various scams and legal actions. The video then explains the 2G spectrum scam of 2008, where the Indian government allocated mobile spectrum to companies at artificially low prices through administrative allocation rather than auction, resulting in an estimated loss of 1.76 lakh crore to the national treasury—a controversy that contributed to the fall of the UPA government and led the Supreme Court to cancel 112 spectrum licenses in 2012.
**Note:** This is a political commentary/educational piece rather than a scam affecting individual elders, so it falls outside the typical scope of
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ABC11
· 2024-04-04
The FBI in Raleigh warned of a sharp rise in cryptocurrency investment scams across North Carolina, with losses increasing more than 50% year-over-year and totaling nearly $4 billion nationally. Scammers target victims through social media and job networking sites, building trust through shared interests before convincing them to invest and displaying fake profits to encourage continued investment, after which they disappear with the funds. North Carolina residents have lost tens of millions to these schemes, with individual victims losing amounts ranging from $40,000 to over $53,000.
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ABC News
· 2024-04-05
Officials in New York seized nearly two dozen web domains from IP addresses in China used to conduct "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams, which operate across multiple states including California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Scammers use dating apps and group chats to build trust with victims before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes that appear to generate returns, then steal their money; reported losses include $16,000 and $118,000 from individual victims in Brooklyn.
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CBS Evening News
· 2024-04-22
A 57-year-old widowed healthcare executive from Illinois lost $1.5 million in a romance scam after meeting a man posing as a Swedish businessman on Match.com; the scammer used stolen photos of a Chilean doctor and manipulated her emotionally over an extended period. The case, investigated by CBS News, illustrates a growing threat affecting tens of thousands of Americans, with romance scammers defrauding over 64,000 people of more than $1 billion annually. The victim's daughter is seeking answers and working with law enforcement to understand how her mother fell victim to the sophisticated scam.
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CBS News
· 2024-04-23
A 57-year-old retired healthcare executive from Illinois was defrauded of her life savings through a romance scam after meeting a man posing as a Swedish businessman on Match.com; the scammer used stolen photos of a Chilean doctor and manipulated her emotionally over an extended period. The case highlights a growing epidemic of romance scams in the United States, with 64,000 Americans losing over $1 billion to such scams in the previous year—more than double the $500 million lost four years prior. The victim's daughter is seeking answers from law enforcement about the circumstances surrounding her mother's death in connection to the fraud.
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CBS News
· 2024-05-01
A CBS News investigation explored romance scams targeting vulnerable adults on dating platforms. The report featured the case of Laura Coal, a 57-year-old retired hospital executive who fell victim to a scammer posing as "Frank," a Swedish businessman with a fake profile photo on Match.com; within days of initial contact, she professed deep emotional attachment to someone she had never met in person. The story illustrates how lonely individuals seeking companionship can be manipulated by sophisticated scammers who exploit emotional vulnerabilities through online dating platforms.
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10 Tampa Bay News
· 2024-05-06
According to an FBI report, Florida seniors over age 60 lost more than $290 million to fraud in 2023, ranking the state second worst in the nation, with scams targeting this age group increasing 11% from 2022 and averaging nearly $34,000 per victim. The most common fraud schemes include investment scams, fake tech support, online romance scams, and law enforcement impersonation schemes, with many cases going unreported due to victim shame.
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NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-05-07
According to the FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Annual Report, seniors over 60 lost $3.4 billion to fraud and scams in that year, a nearly 11% increase from the previous year, with Ohio seniors alone reporting over $64 million in losses across nearly 3,300 cases. Tech support fraud emerged as the leading scam targeting older Americans, exploiting their increasing use of technology and computers.
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This Morning
· 2024-05-10
Becky Holmes began exposing romance scammers in 2020 after receiving suspicious messages from fake profiles on social media, turning her interactions with catfish into humorous content that gained thousands of followers and led to a published book titled "Kiana Reeves is Not in Love with You." The article features Holmes discussing her anti-scam mission and sharing warning signs to help others identify romance scams.
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The Project
· 2024-05-23
A Melbourne woman lost her entire life savings after entering her details into a fake investment comparison website, which scammers used to steal approximately half a million dollars. The incident is part of a broader Australian fraud trend where fake investment scams have caused over $47 million in losses in the first three months of the year, with victims experiencing severe financial and emotional harm that extends beyond individual losses to impact entire families.
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WGN News
· 2024-05-30
A YouTube content creator known as "Skip" operates a scam-baiting channel with over 3 million followers that exposes online scams targeting vulnerable people. The creator deliberately engages with scammers through fake scenarios (such as fake cryptocurrency and gift card redemption schemes) to waste their time and reveal their tactics, preventing them from targeting actual victims. This educational approach demonstrates common scam methods and how scammers attempt to manipulate people into believing they can easily access free money or cryptocurrency.
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KTSM 9 NEWS
· 2024-06-16
The FBI reports a significant surge in elder fraud cases, with older Americans losing over $1.6 billion to financial scams from January to May 2024—a nearly $300 million increase compared to the same period in 2023. The most common schemes targeting seniors include tech support scams, romance/confidence schemes, investment fraud, and government impersonation scams, with Texas alone reporting $278 million in losses and the nation totaling $3.4 billion in 2023.
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NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-06-25
According to the FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Complaint Center report, seniors over 60 reported approximately $3.4 billion in losses to fraud and scams in the past year. Common scams targeting older adults include tech support fraud, investment scams, and grandparent scams, which continue to exploit the nation's senior population. The article highlights the ongoing problem of elder financial exploitation and emphasizes the need for awareness and prevention strategies to help protect vulnerable seniors from becoming victims.
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FOX23 News Tulsa
· 2024-07-10
A scam targeting seniors uses fake romantic relationships to manipulate victims into making fraudulent investments. According to cybersecurity experts, crimes against seniors increased 11% in the past year, resulting in $3.4 billion in losses, with victims averaging $34,000 lost each; scammers pose as wealthy individuals on dating sites, build trust over time, and eventually pressure victims to invest in fake schemes.
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WREG News Channel 3
· 2024-07-11
This educational piece warns about cryptocurrency scams targeting consumers in Shelby County, Tennessee. The article highlights that scammers increasingly demand cryptocurrency payments for various schemes, and notes that legitimate businesses never require cryptocurrency as the sole payment method—it may be one option among many. According to the Better Business Bureau, over 180 reports of cryptocurrency scams were filed in the past year, with victims losing more than $180,000 combined to fraudsters demanding crypto payments.
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NBC4 Washington
· 2024-07-17
An 82-year-old Montgomery County retiree lost nearly $1 million after clicking on a malicious popup ad that falsely claimed Russian spyware had compromised her computer. The scammers, posing as federal agents, coerced her into purchasing $900,000 in gold bars and handing them to a courier; she was prevented from losing an additional $2 million when she realized she was dealing with criminals rather than government officials. A 19-year-old suspect from Brooklyn was arrested after arriving in Silver Spring to collect the gold, and authorities indicate this scam remains active in the county.
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Central Florida Public Media
· 2024-07-19
Volusia County Sheriff's Office partnered with a free community screening of the film "Thelma"—which depicts a 93-year-old grandmother being scammed—to raise awareness about elder fraud, which costs older Americans billions of dollars annually and significantly affects Central Florida seniors. Law enforcement officers provided prevention advice to attendees, emphasizing strategies such as not answering unknown phone numbers, ignoring unfamiliar text messages, and contacting police or trusted neighbors when uncertain.
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News 5 Cleveland
· 2024-07-31
Strongville United Methodist Church in Ohio became a target of phishing scams when cybercriminals impersonated Reverend Abby Almond in emails sent to congregation members, requesting money and gift cards. Phishing scams have nearly doubled to over 9,000 reports annually in the Better Business Bureau's Northeast Ohio region, ranking as the second-most common scam type locally.
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VICE
· 2024-08-05
A Northern Irish digital marketing entrepreneur discovered that scammers had created dozens of fake profiles impersonating him across multiple social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bumble, Tinder, and others) using his photos and personal information to deceive people. After investigating the fraudulent accounts, he uncovered a larger criminal enterprise operating the identity theft and catfishing scheme, which involved fabricating romantic relationships and divorce scenarios to manipulate victims.
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ABC 7 News - WJLA
· 2024-08-12
Maryland authorities arrested five people for operating a gold bar scam that targeted elderly residents in Montgomery County, with at least 20 victims losing millions of dollars combined. Notable victims include an 81-year-old woman who lost over $900,000 and a 74-year-old man who lost $240,000, with some victims now at risk of losing their homes. Law enforcement believes this organized criminal enterprise has affected many more cases beyond those identified so far.
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WJZ
· 2024-08-12
Five people have been charged in Maryland for operating a "gold bar" scam that tricked senior citizens into converting their assets into gold, with seven identified victims in Montgomery County alone losing over $7 million. Police report that millions of dollars have been lost to this scam nationwide, though their prevention efforts have stopped over $3 million in additional losses. Authorities recommend not answering calls from unknown numbers, avoiding popup ads, and have partnered with local pawn shops to educate merchants on identifying suspicious bulk gold purchases.
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NBC4 Washington
· 2024-08-13
Scammers impersonating law enforcement are targeting seniors in Montgomery County and the DC area, convincing them to convert large sums of money into gold bars and surrender them for "safekeeping." Authorities have charged four men in connection with these scams, which have affected approximately 20 victims ranging from 61 to 94 years old, with losses totaling millions of dollars and a single largest loss of $2.3 million.
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KCENNews
· 2024-08-13
The Better Business Bureau reports that three major scams are currently prevalent and have stolen millions of dollars since the start of the year: employment scams that promise work-from-home jobs with easy money but steal personal information or demand upfront payments; online purchase and rental scams involving unreliable merchants who access credit card data; and cryptocurrency/investment scams that exploit people seeking quick wealth. The BBB offers a Scam Tracker tool to report fraudulent businesses and scams affecting specific areas.
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CNBC
· 2024-08-18
A growing "pig butchering" scam scheme targets victims through dating apps and text messages, with scammers spending weeks building trust before directing them to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms designed to mimic legitimate exchanges. One victim lost $152,000 after being lured through Bumble; the FBI reported $4.5 billion in investment fraud losses in 2023, with 86% involving cryptocurrencies. These scams employ sophisticated social engineering tactics and fake investment apps that have prompted tech companies like Google to take legal action against developers distributing fraudulent apps on their platforms.
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-08-22
Bait-and-switch scams on social media exploit emotional posts about missing children or lost pets by using localized Facebook groups with minimal oversight. Scammers edit these posts to redirect users to sales listings, rental scams, job opportunities, or donation requests, then manipulate victims' social networks when they share the content. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to watch for red flags including urgent emotional language, disabled comments, missing contact information, and newly created profiles, and to report suspected scams to both the BBB Scam Tracker and Facebook directly.
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ABC7 News Bay Area
· 2024-08-24
The FBI launched a "Take a Beat" awareness campaign to educate the public about common fraud and scam tactics that exploit people's emotions through urgent phone calls, texts, and emails requesting money or passwords. The campaign highlights scams such as impersonation of bank fraud departments, with one victim losing $950 after a caller claiming to be from her bank convinced her to transfer funds and disclose banking information.
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60 Minutes Australia
· 2024-08-25
This 60 Minutes Australia segment exposes a large-scale scam operation headquartered in Myanmar where transnational crime bosses traffic approximately 120,000 people and force them to conduct romance scams, phishing schemes, and investment fraud against Western victims. The scammers employ sophisticated AI-powered deepfake technology and brainwashing techniques to deceive victims, while the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has shut down over 7,300 fraudulent websites but scammers continue generating billions in illegal revenue.
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-08-29
The FBI warns that scammers are targeting older adults by posing as police, the FTC, or bank representatives and convincing them to cash out retirement accounts like 401(k)s and convert the funds into gold or bitcoin. From May to December 2023, this scheme resulted in over $55 million in losses, with scammers either claiming to hold the gold for safekeeping or pressuring victims to convert it into cryptocurrency. Authorities advise verifying any urgent financial requests by independently contacting your bank and discussing suspicious calls with trusted family members.
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WGN News
· 2024-08-31
Federal Trade Commission data shows American consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud in 2023, with digital platforms making it easier for scammers to target victims. Common scams include romance/relationship scams on Facebook where perpetrators build trust before requesting money, "pig butchering" investment schemes promising fake returns, and grandparent scams, with reported losses ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Protection strategies include verifying urgent requests by hanging up and calling back the person directly, avoiding quick money transfers, researching websites and investment opportunities, and reporting scams to law enforcement and platforms to help track and recover stolen funds.
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FOX8 WGHP
· 2024-09-03
An elderly woman in Asheboro was defrauded of $25,000 after scammers used fear tactics and impersonation of law enforcement to manipulate her into withdrawing cash and purchasing gift cards. The suspect met the victim at a gas station to collect a large cash withdrawal before fleeing in a white van, and Detective Marcus Pierce is actively investigating the case while advocating for awareness of common red flags like requests for gift card payments.
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WHO13
· 2024-09-08
Congressman Zach Nunn introduced legislation to combat "pig butchering" scams, which target elderly victims into investing in fraudulent opportunities; authorities seized $300 million in stolen funds from these schemes in 2023 alone. The bill would provide federal grant funding to local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate these fraud cases. Iowa's Attorney General's office reported receiving over 13,000 fraud complaints related to these scams.
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Dare County
· 2024-09-09
The Dare County Sheriff's Office presented an educational overview of common scams affecting their community, including an explanation of "pig butchering" scams that operate through dating apps. In this scam type, perpetrators use VPNs to hide their location, create fake glamorous personas, and systematically contact potential victims through dating platforms with the goal of manipulating them into financial schemes. The presentation aims to help community members recognize and avoid falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics.
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13News Now
· 2024-09-11
Elder fraud complaints increased 14% in 2023, with Americans losing $1.6 billion to scams nationally and Virginia residents losing $265 million, according to FBI data. Virginia reported approximately 2,700 elder fraud complaints in 2023, with investment scams being the most common type targeting seniors with regular income by exploiting their loneliness or desire to earn additional money. The FBI emphasizes that scammers are skilled manipulators who deliberately identify and exploit vulnerable elderly individuals.
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WJZ
· 2024-09-12
Cryptocurrency scams cost Maryland residents nearly $94 million in 2023, according to an FBI report, with romance-based schemes being particularly prevalent. Though representing only 10% of financial fraud complaints to the FBI, cryptocurrency scams account for 50% of total money stolen, with approximately 1,400 Maryland complaints among nearly 58,000 nationwide. The scams exploit emotional manipulation and leverage the online nature of cryptocurrency to easily access victims' financial and personal information.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-12
Senator Elizabeth Warren held a hearing examining online dating scams targeting seniors, specifically highlighting romance scams combined with cryptocurrency investment fraud. The typical scheme involves a scammer building trust with an older adult over weeks or months through a dating app, then gradually introducing investment opportunities and encouraging the victim to set up their own trading account—creating a false sense of security and control while the scammer provides "tips" on investments.
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KVUE
· 2024-09-16
A new study shows investment scams are rising, with median losses increasing from $1,000 in 2021 to $6,000 currently, as scammers coerce victims into withdrawing funds from retirement and savings accounts. These scams typically begin on social media or instant messaging platforms, where perpetrators research victims' profiles, establish rapport (sometimes romantic), and pitch fraudulent investment opportunities promising high returns on small initial investments. The Better Business Bureau advises awareness of these tactics to help people avoid falling victim to such schemes.
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Which?
· 2024-09-15
I cannot provide an accurate summary of this article. The text appears to be a garbled or poorly OCR-scanned transcript of a consumer advice program introduction that repeatedly duplicates phrases and lacks coherent content about specific scams or fraud prevention tips. While it mentions that scams are becoming more sophisticated and references a discussion about ticket scams, the actual substantive advice or details about scams are not clearly present in the provided text. A proper summary would require a clearer, complete version of the source material.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-17
Senator Helmy discusses the urgent problem of elder fraud with committee experts, noting that New Jersey seniors reported over $1 million in losses to scams and fraud according to the FBI's IC3 Elder report. He raises concerns about a major data breach at background company National Public Data that exposed approximately 2.9 billion personal records containing names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, which he believes was underreported and could facilitate further fraud targeting vulnerable elderly populations.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-18
The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on romance confidence scams (also called "pig butchering"), examining this multi-billion dollar fraud scheme that targets everyday Americans. The scam operates by building trust with victims over weeks or months before exploiting that confidence to extract money, with text-based contact attempts increasing dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-19
Senator Bob Casey led a Senate Aging Committee hearing on fraud targeting older Americans, during which the committee released its annual "Fighting Fraud" resource book. The hearing addressed multiple scam types affecting seniors including grandparent scams, investment fraud, government impostor schemes, lottery scams, and tech support scams, while noting that scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics over recent years. The committee discussed both fraud prevention strategies and how federal law enforcement agencies respond to fraud reports.
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CBS Evening News
· 2024-09-27
A U.S. man lost $700,000 in an elaborate romance scam orchestrated by criminal syndicates operating from underground "boiler rooms" in Ghana. The scammers pose as romantic partners to gain the trust of elderly Americans and convince them to send money, devastating victims both emotionally and financially. The investigation revealed that unemployed youth in Ghana are recruited into these operations, viewing the scams as an alternative to other forms of theft or crime.
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CBS News
· 2024-10-04
Overseas scammers defrauded a 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles of her life savings by impersonating IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scammers instructed the victim to keep the scheme secret, and despite her daughter's attempts to alert her bank (Charles Schwab) to the suspicious large transactions and wire transfers, the funds were lost. This case exemplifies a widespread epidemic affecting tens of thousands of Americans who fall victim to similar overseas fraud schemes operating through impersonation and deception tactics.
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CBS Evening News
· 2024-10-11
A 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles lost her life savings to overseas scammers who impersonated IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scam involved large wire transfers from her Charles Schwab investment account, and the perpetrators instructed her to keep the scheme secret from her family. This case exemplifies a broader epidemic of multi-million-dollar fraud targeting Americans by overseas criminals operating tech support and investment scams.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted an educational presentation titled "Unmasking Fraud" featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to address senior fraud targeting older adults in Louisiana. The event emphasized that fraud against seniors impacts not only financial security but also causes lasting emotional and psychological harm, and provided practical strategies for protection. AARP directs people to its Fraud Watch Network resource for current scam information and personal data protection guidance.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted a fraud awareness townhall event featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to educate seniors about scams targeting older adults. The event aimed to provide practical protection strategies and highlight how fraud impacts seniors beyond financial loss, including emotional and trust-related consequences. AARP encourages seniors to utilize resources like their FraudWatch Network to stay informed about emerging scams and safeguard personal information.