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Lunenburg County is offering free safety sessions for seniors at Bridgewater Fire Hall, with the opening session covering common scams targeting older adults including grandparent scams, romance scams, fake bank investigator calls, and advance-fee lottery schemes. Police and safety coordinators advised participants to avoid sharing personal or banking information over the phone, be cautious with unfamiliar links, and verify identities before transferring money. Additional sessions on safe investing, legal information, and other safety topics are scheduled throughout October.

Instagram hosts multiple common scams including romance fraud, fake job offers, investment schemes, lottery scams, and predatory loan offers, which exploit the platform's large audience and users' willingness to share personal information. Scammers use tactics like catfishing, creating fake accounts, and building false trust to extract money, financial information, or personal data from victims. Users can protect themselves by verifying information outside Instagram, avoiding video call-averse contacts, reverse-image searching profiles, and being skeptical of unsolicited money requests or promises of quick financial gains.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird presented information on various fraud schemes affecting Iowans of all ages, including fake job offers, romance scams, imposter scams posing as family or law enforcement, lottery scams, and fake equipment sales in rural areas. The presentation emphasized that scammers exploit Iowans' trusting nature and create false urgency to pressure victims into sending money. Victims are encouraged to report suspected fraud to the Attorney General's Office at 888-777-4590.

Online scams cost Americans an estimated $119 billion annually, with the FBI reporting $20.9 billion in confirmed losses in 2025, a 26% increase from 2024, while 73% of American adults have experienced some form of online scam. Criminals operating from compounds in Southeast Asia and Nigeria use romance and investment schemes—often involving fake cryptocurrency platforms—to defraud victims, with some operations involving human trafficking and coercion of people forced into scamming activities. The FBI advises victims to stop sending money immediately, preserve transaction records, and report incidents at IC3.gov, while recommending people verify unexpected requests through official channels before providing personal information or making payments.

Access Bank launched a financial crime awareness campaign called "Spot the Scam" targeting Nigerian students to educate them on identifying and avoiding fraud schemes, which commonly include fake giveaways, job offers, celebrity impersonation, and investment scams. The campaign, running through December 2026, was prompted by concerns about young Nigerians' involvement in financial crimes, including a December 2024 incident where 792 young people were arrested for romance scams, hacking, and money laundering targeting overseas victims. The initiative includes nationwide financial education and a debate competition for secondary schools in Lagos State to help young people avoid becoming victims or perpetrators of financial crimes.

This article discusses how scam victimization results from both criminal activity ("homicide") and victims' own vulnerabilities ("suicide"), identifying three key factors that make people susceptible to fraud: hardwired behaviors like automatic compliance, curiosity triggered by clickbait, and emotional distortion that clouds judgment. The author recommends combating scams through financial monitoring, software updates, and adopting protective behaviors such as slowing down and questioning requests from unknown sources.

Fraud losses reported to the FTC reached a record $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from the previous year, with investment scams, romance scams, crypto scams, and impostor scams driving the increase. The article outlines 11 protection strategies including questioning unsolicited communications, trusting your instincts, avoiding phishing emails, using credit cards over debit cards, never sharing sensitive information like Social Security numbers or PINs, and being skeptical of spoofed caller IDs. Scammers increasingly use AI-generated fake websites, emails, texts, and videos to make their fraudulent schemes appear legitimate.

Americans lost $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, with investment fraud being the costliest category at $7.9 billion in losses, and adults over 60 reporting significantly larger individual losses including six-figure amounts when victimized. Traditional scams—including penny stock schemes, grandparent impersonations, romance fraud, prize scams, and bank impersonation—have been refined through modern technology like text messaging, AI voice cloning, and social media to target victims more efficiently and at unprecedented scale. The article advises verification of financial advisors, use of family code words, skepticism of unsolicited money requests from strangers, and direct contact with banks using verified phone numbers rather

UK residents are experiencing a surge in scam calls and WhatsApp messages from spoofed mobile numbers offering part-time job opportunities, which security experts say is a "numbers game" where scammers only need a small percentage of victims to fall for the scheme. These recruitment scams typically start as seemingly legitimate job offers but eventually escalate to requests for money, deposits, or personal information, with scammers obtaining phone numbers from data breaches, marketing lists, social media, and old CVs. Security consultants advise blocking and reporting suspicious accounts without clicking links, and note that simply receiving such contacts doesn't indicate a data breach or immediate danger unless personal information or money has been shared.

Data brokers including Epsilon Data Management, KBM Group, Macromark, and Wiland Inc. sold "opportunity seeker" lists—targeting vulnerable older Americans—to fraudsters running sweepstakes, lottery, and other scams, resulting in over $23.7 million in losses to more than 218,000 victims in one scheme alone. The Department of Justice prosecuted multiple employees and companies, securing over $129 million in victim compensation by June 2025, with Troy Murray sentenced to 121 months in prison for selling data on 7 million older Americans to Jamaica-based lottery scammers from 2016-2023.

Inland Counties Legal Services representatives presented information on scams targeting older Americans, noting that seniors lose over $3 billion annually with those over 80 experiencing the highest median losses. The presentation covered multiple scam types including phone fraud, caller ID spoofing, phishing text messages, social media scams (which grew from $19 million in 2019 to $380 million in 2023), and tech support scams that stole $587.8 million from victims over 60 in 2022. Attorneys emphasized that many scams go unreported due to seniors' reluctance to admit victimization, and advised the audience to pause before responding to suspicious contacts, avoid clicking links, and

An 82-year-old woman in Pomona was defrauded of $2,500 in a lottery ticket scam on September 10, 2026, when two suspects convinced her that an undocumented immigrant had a winning $10,000 ticket and needed her help cashing it. The scheme involved multiple perpetrators, including a fake lottery official on the phone claiming a $2,500 processing fee was required, and the suspects drove the victim to her bank to withdraw cash before abandoning her. Authorities are seeking a man and woman who fled in a white 2014-2016 Ford Escape and urge anyone with information to contact the Pomona Police Department.

The Burlington Police Department is warning residents about multiple scam types including fake customer service, jury duty impersonation, malware pop-ups, sweepstakes, romance, and NFC/ghost tapping scams. Police advise residents to verify requests directly with official sources, never provide remote access or banking information to unsolicited callers, and report suspicious activity to avoid becoming victims of these evolving fraud schemes.

Access Bank Plc launched a "Spot The Scam" financial crimes awareness campaign targeting teenagers aged 12-16 in Nigeria, prompted by rising cases of young people becoming victims or perpetrators of fraud including romance scams, hacking, and money laundering. The initiative, running until December 2026, combines financial crime education with a debate competition for secondary schools in Lagos State, teaching youth to recognize manipulation, question suspicious requests, and seek help when encountering fraudulent activities. The campaign addresses common fraud methods targeting young people such as fake giveaways, celebrity impersonation, fake job offers, and investment scams.

Christopher Gibbon, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for his role in a Jamaican lottery scam that defrauded at least four victims of approximately $96,302 between December 2016 and July 2018. The scheme involved co-conspirators in Jamaica calling victims claiming they won the lottery and needed to send taxes and fees to Gibbon before collecting their prizes, with Gibbon keeping 20% of the money before transferring the rest to Jamaica. Gibbon fled St. Louis in 2018 after learning of the investigation and was arrested in Connecticut in 2025, with sentencing scheduled for December 21.

Users reported losing $425 million to WhatsApp scams in 2025, according to FTC data, as scammers exploit the app's intimate nature and direct messaging capabilities to conduct social engineering attacks. Common scams include verification code theft (risking full account takeover), wrong number schemes that build trust before promoting fake investments or cryptocurrency trading, and family emergency impersonations requesting urgent money transfers. Red flags include suspicious links, requests for verification codes or personal information, and unsolicited messages from unknown contacts claiming urgent situations or investment opportunities.

Approximately 73% of U.S. adults have been targeted by online scams, with email phishing being a primary attack method, according to Pew Research Center data. Common email scam tactics include impersonating government agencies or legitimate companies, using suspicious sender addresses, creating artificial urgency, requesting personal or financial information, and employing spelling errors or AI-generated text that appears robotic or overly formal. The FTC and CISA recommend carefully scrutinizing unexpected emails for red flags such as generic greetings, requests to claim prizes or refunds, and threats of account closure or action consequences.

Reports of online fraud in Jersey have tripled over three years, with artificial intelligence enabling scammers to create increasingly sophisticated and convincing frauds including deepfake videos impersonating politicians and fake investment platforms. The Jersey Financial Services Commission warns that fraudsters are using AI and subtle impersonation tactics to manipulate victims into making quick financial decisions, with Revolut scams alone accounting for £180,000 in losses across 75% of scam crime reports last month.

This transcript is not about elder fraud or scams. It covers President Trump's visit to Ireland for meetings with Irish leaders and attendance at a golf event. While the transcript mentions "Nigerians Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges in Romance Scams" in the headline, the actual content provided does not include details about that story. I cannot summarize elder fraud content that is not present in the provided text.

A Nigerian man, Oluwasegun Baiyewu, was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for laundering over $3.1 million obtained through fraud schemes targeting U.S. people and businesses, including romance scams, unemployment insurance fraud, and business email compromises. Between May 2020 and October 2021, Baiyewu worked with at least six others to convert stolen funds into used vehicles that were exported to Nigeria, with one notable transaction involving a Puerto Rican renewable energy company losing $280,000 through a business email compromise scam. The group used encrypted messaging services to coordinate the movement of fraud proceeds and coordinate purchases made with the stolen money.

In 2024, Australians aged 65 and over reported losing almost $100 million to scams—the highest losses of any age group—as criminals use increasingly sophisticated tactics including impersonation of banks, government agencies, and aged care providers. Scammers are leveraging artificial intelligence to create convincing deepfakes and clone voices of family members to manipulate seniors into sending money or divulging personal information. The article recommends victims follow a "stop, check, protect" approach: stop and resist urgency, independently verify requests through official channels, and report incidents immediately to banks, Scamwatch, and police.

Cochise County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about multiple aggressive scams including fake FBI agents threatening victims into buying cash cards, fraudulent sweepstakes claiming $6 million prizes, and romance scams targeting older adults for wedding money. The scams use impersonation, fake credentials, and emotional manipulation to defraud vulnerable community members, with amounts ranging from personal savings to thousands of dollars.

Arlington County police warn of multiple recurring scams including spoofed bank calls claiming accounts are hacked, text message frauds requesting clicks or personal information (fake account lockouts, package delivery problems, prize notifications, toll demands, and fake job offers), and impersonation calls from scammers posing as law enforcement demanding payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency for alleged unpaid jury duty fines. Police advise hanging up and calling back using official numbers, never providing credentials to incoming callers, and reporting suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM), noting that legitimate agencies never collect debts through these methods.

The FBI Nashville Field Office is warning older Americans about common financial scams including romance scams, tech-support scams, grandparent scams, and government impersonation schemes that disproportionately target seniors who have accumulated savings. The FBI recommends independently verifying the identity of unexpected callers, avoiding pressure to act quickly, and never sending money, gift cards, or personal information to unverified individuals. Victims or those who suspect fraud should report incidents to IC3.gov and consult trusted family members before responding to suspicious requests.

TrustGH identified over 6,000 suspicious phone numbers linked to fraud in Ghana, with TikTok being the primary platform used by scammers to initiate contact before moving conversations to WhatsApp, SMS, or phone calls to execute fraud. Over 90% of reported cases involved attempts to obtain Mobile Money payments or unauthorized account access, with scammers impersonating bank officials, government representatives, and other authority figures to establish trust. The scam verification platform is collaborating with Ghana's Cybersecurity Authority and Police Cyber Crime Unit to investigate the flagged numbers.

Oluwasegun Baiyewu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national residing in Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 95 months in prison for laundering over $3.1 million in fraud proceeds through a conspiracy involving business email compromise, romance scams, and unemployment insurance fraud between May 2020 and October 2021. Baiyewu led a network of at least six co-conspirators across the U.S. and Nigeria who used encrypted messaging to coordinate the purchase of used and salvaged vehicles in America, which were then exported to Nigeria to convert the illicit proceeds into physical assets. The scheme included laundering approximately $280,000 stolen from a Puerto R

Oluwasegun Baiyewu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national based in Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 95 months in prison for laundering over $3.1 million in proceeds from business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance fraud schemes targeting US citizens between May 2020 and October 2021. Working with at least six co-conspirators in the US and Nigeria, Baiyewu used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate the purchase and shipment of salvaged vehicles to Nigeria, including laundering $280,000 stolen from a Puerto Rican renewable energy company through a business email compromise scam.

Summer travelers face multiple fraud risks including vacation rental scams where fake property listings collect deposits through peer-to-peer payment apps, "free trip" offers that require unexpected fees, nonexistent charter flights, and counterfeit concert tickets sold on social media. Scammers exploit unfamiliar travel situations by pressuring victims to move transactions off official platforms to avoid fraud protections and refund guarantees. To protect themselves, travelers should book only through official platforms, verify providers through government databases, and avoid peer-to-peer payment methods that cannot be reversed.

Oluwasegun Baiyewu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national from Houston, was sentenced to 95 months in prison for laundering over $3.1 million in fraud proceeds from business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance scams targeting U.S. citizens between May 2020 and October 2021. Baiyewu led a conspiracy with six co-conspirators to convert the illicit funds into used cars and ship them to West Africa, including in one instance laundering approximately $280,000 stolen from a Puerto Rican renewable energy company through a business email compromise scheme.

A Jamaican citizen, 29-year-old Jenel Chrissancia Rowe, was extradited to the U.S. following investigation into a lottery scam that defrauded Graves County, Kentucky residents of approximately $80,000. Victims were deceived through the mail into believing they had won $250 million and were instructed to deposit money into Rowe's account to pay fake IRS fees. Rowe, identified as one of six co-conspirators, faces charges of Theft by Deception and Engaging in Organized Crime.

The Better Business Bureau warns Iowa residents who have previously fallen victim to scams to remain vigilant, as scammers often share victim lists and target the same people again with different fraud schemes. Common follow-up tactics include impersonating money recovery services, exploiting victims' shame or attempts to self-remediate. The BBB recommends reporting scams to trusted organizations like the Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General's Office to create records and receive protection assistance.

Scammers are increasingly using AI-generated emails to target authors and other professionals with personalized phishing messages that impersonate legitimate book clubs, services, and authority figures, exploiting natural language processing to bypass spam filters by personalizing content and delaying suspicious requests until victims are invested. AI-powered scams have made fraud more efficient and convincing through deepfakes, multi-step attacks using legitimate platforms, and social engineering tactics that exploit trust and urgency, potentially leading to financial loss, identity theft, and extortion. Experts recommend pausing before clicking links or sharing information and confirming the legitimacy of senders, as these AI scams are harder to detect than traditional fraud attempts.

Nepal Police registered 20,526 cybercrime complaints in fiscal year 2082/83 (July 2025-July 2026), with Facebook and Messenger misuse accounting for the largest share at 7,123 complaints, followed by TikTok at 6,776. Despite the high volume of complaints, only 161 cases were filed and 155 arrests made, with common fraud schemes including impersonation of bank representatives, fake gift and lottery offers, romance scams, and fraudulent job postings circulated through social media platforms.

Nepal police registered 20,526 cybercrime complaints in fiscal year 2025/26, leading to 161 cases filed and 155 arrests, with the majority involving social media platforms like Facebook (7,123 cases) and TikTok (6,776 cases). Recent fraud schemes include impersonation of bank and digital wallet employees, fake lottery and gift schemes, romance scams, and fraudulent job offers, with suspects arrested for offenses ranging from hacking Facebook accounts for fraud to posing as eSewa employees to deceive victims.

Two Jamaican lottery scammers used used-car dealerships in Jamaica and the US to launder over US$9 million stolen from more than 200 elderly American victims through sweepstakes fraud schemes. Jordan Trought and his co-accused directed victims to deposit funds into accounts associated with their car dealerships, with documented cases showing individual victims losing between US$114,000 and US$450,000 each. Law enforcement officials warn that the largely unregulated used-car industry has become an increasingly attractive money-laundering vehicle for international fraud operations targeting seniors.

The FTC is warning about "refund and recovery" scams that target previous fraud victims by falsely promising to recover lost money for an upfront fee or financial information. Scammers obtain lists of prior fraud victims containing personal details and exploit that information to pose as government agencies, law firms, or consumer groups, requesting payment under names like "retainer fees" or "processing fees." Legitimate recovery organizations never charge upfront fees, and victims should report suspected scams to the FTC or their state attorney general.

An 81-year-old Albany woman lost over $10,000 in jewelry to scammers who contacted her via phone claiming she had won $8.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz through a Mega Millions sweepstakes. The fraudsters used fake IRS and lottery documents, WhatsApp communications, and requested a $7,000 processing fee and Amazon gift cards before convincing the victim to mail her jewelry, which they denied receiving. The scammers instructed the victim to keep the winnings secret and isolated her from friends, with police warning residents that legitimate lottery prizes never require upfront payments.

This article explains how to recognize and protect yourself from financial scams by identifying common warning signs rather than specific fraud types. Key red flags include scammers creating urgency to rush decisions, requesting sensitive information like passwords or account numbers, demanding unusual payment methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency, and exploiting emotions through fabricated scenarios. The article emphasizes that taking time to verify requests through trusted contact information and asking logical questions about why information is needed are effective prevention strategies.

Travel scams are increasingly common during summer vacation season, with fraudsters targeting unsuspecting travelers through fake vacation rental listings, fake contest winnings, nonexistent charter flights, and counterfeit event tickets. Scammers typically pressure victims into sending deposits via peer-to-peer payment apps or wire transfers for properties that don't exist or are already booked, with little recourse for recovery once payment is sent. To protect themselves, travelers should book through official platforms only, verify properties in person when possible, use verified resale sites for tickets, and remember that legitimate contest winnings never require upfront payment.

Police in Napa Valley's American Canyon are warning residents of a surge in fraud targeting personal information and money, including grandparent scams, government imposter scams, tech support scams, romance scams, and utility scams. Law enforcement emphasized that legitimate authorities will never call demanding money to resolve legal matters and urge residents to hang up immediately on such calls. Anyone who believes they've been targeted should contact American Canyon police at (707) 253-4451.

An 81-year-old East Tennessee Navy veteran with a recent dementia diagnosis lost $100,000 to a sweepstakes scam after receiving texts claiming he had won $1 million, a new car, and free gasoline. The scammers used the false promise of winnings to convince him to make repeated payments, with no suspects identified or money recovered. The article highlights how cognitive decline made the victim vulnerable to the scheme and emphasizes that legitimate prizes never require upfront fees.

A former U.S. Postal Inspector, Scott Kelley, pleaded guilty to stealing over $340,000 in cash from elderly people and veterans between 2019 and 2023 by intercepting parcels containing money mailed by victims of lottery fraud scams. Kelley, who worked in the Boston division and was ironically tasked with investigating mail fraud targeting seniors, exploited his position by accessing a tracked list of suspicious parcels and stealing the cash inside them, then laundering the money and evading taxes. His victims included a 76-year-old retired Army veteran in Kansas from whom he stole $19,100, and he used the stolen funds for personal expenses including prostitutes

The East Lansdowne Police Department issued a warning alert about common scams targeting senior citizens, including phantom hacker scams, grandparent scams, government impersonation schemes, tech support fraud, lottery scams, and romance scams. The department emphasized that legitimate organizations never demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps, and advised seniors to hang up on suspicious callers, protect personal information, and report suspected scams to local law enforcement.

The Better Business Bureau warns consumers about postcards claiming they qualify for free gas and grocery gift cards, which actually lead to unauthorized charges and personal information theft. Victims report paying small "processing fees" (around $5) that result in additional unauthorized charges totaling $50 or more, plus exposure to identity fraud and phishing attacks. Scammers use these tactics because physical mail appears legitimate, families seek ways to reduce expenses, and low upfront costs make victims less likely to question the offers before providing payment details.

Scott Kelley, a former U.S. Postal Inspector and Mail Fraud Unit Team Leader, pleaded guilty to stealing over $330,000 in cash from approximately 1,950 mail parcels sent by elderly scam victims between 2019 and 2023, then laundering the funds through luxury purchases including home renovations and vacations. The scheme exploited his position to intercept packages flagged as likely containing money from fraud victims, with seven identified elderly victims averaging 75 years old who lost between $1,400 and $19,100 each. Kelley faces a statutory fine up to $500,000 and potential decades of imprisonment for money laundering and related financial

Scammers are increasingly targeting Hillsborough County residents, particularly seniors and vulnerable people, through three main schemes: gold bar scams, lottery scams, and romance scams. In the gold bar scam, fraudsters impersonate government officials and pressure victims into withdrawing savings to buy gold bars by falsely claiming identity theft or criminal activity, with one case resulting in a $1.4 million loss to an 80-year-old veteran. To protect yourself, be skeptical of unexpected calls or messages claiming emergencies, never withdraw money based on such contact, and verify any government agency communication by calling the official number directly rather than using numbers provided by the caller.

A Wisconsin man was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a sweepstakes fraud scheme that defrauded an elderly couple of over $431,000 by falsely claiming they had won Publishers Clearing House and Mega Millions prizes and needed to pay taxes upfront. The victims lost money through cash payments, gift card purchases, and unauthorized bank withdrawals over an eight-month period. To protect yourself, be skeptical of unsolicited prize notifications requiring upfront payments—legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes never ask winners to pay fees before claiming prizes—and verify any claims directly with the official organization before sending money.

A Columbus County resident lost $6,500 to a phone scammer who promised a Mercedes and $3.5 million prize, then pressured the victim to buy gift cards and prepaid money cards to claim the winnings. To protect yourself, remember that legitimate prize companies never require upfront payment before awarding prizes, and payment requests via gift cards or prepaid money cards are major red flags for fraud. If you receive a suspicious prize call, hang up and contact your local sheriff's office, the Attorney General's Office, or the Federal Trade Commission to report it.

A 56-year-old housewife in Ipoh lost RM10,500 after scammers posing as customer service officers from an online shopping platform tricked her into providing access to her phone and bank details via a WhatsApp call claiming she had won a prize. The scammers used her credentials to make unauthorized charges—RM4,500 through a "pay later" account and RM6,000 through the platform's loan facility (which was set up as a 24-month repayment plan she never agreed to). Victims should be cautious of unsolicited calls claiming prize winnings, never grant remote access to their phones or share banking information, and immediately contact their bank and file police reports if they suspect fraud, as quick action may help freeze accounts and reverse unauthorized transactions.

A 34-year-old Jamaican man named Adrian Lawrence was sentenced to over 5 years in prison for running a sweepstakes scam that defrauded elderly Americans of $5.4 million between 2013 and 2020. The scheme targeted at least 50 seniors with an average age of 82, convincing them they had won Publishers Clearing House prizes and tricking them into paying upfront fees and taxes. To protect yourself, be skeptical of unsolicited sweepstakes notifications, remember that legitimate contests never ask winners to pay fees upfront, and verify any claims directly with the official organization.