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finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-04
A 72-year-old Maryland woman named Janey Sears was sentenced to 20 years in prison (15 years incarcerated, 5 years supervised probation) for stealing $406,954 from a victim she met on a dating app and moved in with in 2019. She convinced him the money was being invested in stocks through Goldman Sachs and an exclusive investment pool, when she actually spent it on casinos and expensive cars. Sears was convicted of theft scheme, securities fraud, and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary in a case that highlights the growing danger of romance scams, particularly targeting vulnerable individuals.
moneywise.com
· 2026-09-04
A 72-year-old Maryland woman named Janey Sears was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a romance scam in which she defrauded a victim of over $406,000 over three years after meeting him on a dating app and moving into his home. She falsely claimed to be investing his money in stocks like Pfizer through Goldman Sachs, but instead spent the funds on casinos and luxury cars. She was convicted of theft scheme, securities fraud, and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary.
hutchpost.com
· 2026-09-04
Financial scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated using artificial intelligence, caller ID spoofing, and impersonation tactics targeting people of all ages in Hutchinson, Kansas. Common schemes include impersonation of law enforcement, courts, and government agencies claiming warrants or injuries to create urgency and pressure victims into sending money or sharing personal information. Hutchinson Police Detective Pearson Schrag advises residents to slow down, verify caller information independently, and avoid providing personal details to unsolicited callers, with victims encouraged to contact their financial institutions and law enforcement immediately if money is stolen.
insurancebusinessmag.com
· 2026-09-04
Australia's Scams Prevention Framework Act 2025 is expanding liability requirements beyond banks to insurance brokers and other sectors, with the Federal Court ordering HSBC Bank Australia to pay $35 million in penalties plus $21.5 million in customer compensation for scam-related failures between 2020-2024. The Insurance Council of Australia is proactively preparing for mandatory compliance by building fraud detection infrastructure and advocating for sector-specific considerations, as national scam losses reached $2.18 billion in 2025 with investment scams accounting for the largest share at $837.7 million.
crypto.news
· 2026-09-04
The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance to investigate and dismantle cryptocurrency investment fraud scam centers, with U.S. authorities estimating such schemes cost Americans approximately $10 billion annually. The agreement, signed in September, represents the first international cooperation pact specifically designed to target cyber-enabled investment fraud, and builds on a May enforcement initiative that disrupted over 1.4 million fraudulent accounts and froze $3.8 million in stolen cryptocurrency. Reported losses from cyber-enabled investment fraud in the U.S. climbed 89% from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025, prompting intensified
wbko.com
· 2026-09-04
The Bowling Green Police Department hosted a scam prevention seminar after residents lost approximately $800,000 to scams in 2026. Law enforcement, FBI agents, and financial representatives educated attendees on common fraud tactics, including romance scams, tech scams, and impersonation schemes that often involve cryptocurrency or gift cards. Adults aged 60 and older are disproportionately targeted, though scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated with new technology like AI.
news.immigration.gov.tw
· 2026-09-04
An online romance scam warning from Taiwan's 165 Anti-Fraud Campaign alerts people to red flags including requests to move conversations to LINE, claims of company rules preventing in-person meetings, and demands for money, personal information, or ATM transactions to verify identity or purchase game points. Scammers gradually build trust through dating and social platforms before making these financial or personal requests, and victims should immediately stop communicating and block anyone exhibiting such suspicious behavior.
ground.news
· 2026-09-04
A 41-year-old man from Durham Region has been charged with orchestrating a sophisticated romance scam that defrauded five women of more than $1 million over a five-year period. The suspect allegedly established romantic relationships with his victims as part of the scheme and is facing multiple fraud-related charges.
bankingjournal.aba.com
· 2026-09-04
A Credit One Bank survey found that more than 40% of U.S. consumers encountered AI-powered scams personally or knew victims, with 7% losing money to such scams. The survey revealed that nearly 68% of respondents received suspicious financial contacts in the past 12 months, including fraudulent alerts with clickable links and phishing emails impersonating financial institutions. Older consumers, particularly baby boomers (72%), were more likely to verify fraud communications by contacting their bank directly using known phone numbers before trusting any message.
gilmermirror.com
· 2026-09-04
The Better Business Bureau reports that over $68 billion was lost to financial fraud in the past year, with more than half of Americans encountering scams daily and over 433,000 scam reports tracked since 2022. The BBB's International Investigations Initiative analyzed these reports using artificial intelligence to identify patterns and tools used by scammers across North America, publishing findings in a study called "Blueprint of a scam" to highlight how lax regulations enable fraud and suggest ways to strengthen consumer protections.
amlintelligence.com
· 2026-09-04
The U.S. Treasury's FinCEN identified nearly $13 billion in suspicious transactions linked to digital asset investment scams operated by transnational criminal organizations based primarily in Southeast Asia between September 2023 and December 2024. The scammers used fake personas and social engineering tactics to target victims across all 50 U.S. states, posing as romantic partners or business contacts to manipulate them into fraudulent investments. FinCEN found an extensive criminal ecosystem supporting these operations, including money launderers, shell companies, and "guarantee marketplaces" that facilitate money laundering through traditional financial systems and stablecoin transfers.
hkma.gov.hk
· 2026-09-04
Fraudsters in Hong Kong have been impersonating merchants and organizations through phishing messages, websites, and calls to trick victims into revealing payment card information and ATM PINs, then using this data to bind victims' cards to mobile payment services under their control for unauthorized transactions. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has warned the public that card binding is high-risk and urged banks to strengthen customer education and vigilance against this emerging scam. Victims are advised to immediately contact their bank and report incidents to police.
haveagonews.com.au
· 2026-09-04
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.
kvoa.com
· 2026-09-04
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.
businesstimes.com.sg
· 2026-09-04
Generative AI is enabling sophisticated scams at scale, including deepfake videos, fake job offers, and AI-generated accounts with authentic-looking profiles, making detection increasingly difficult for platforms and law enforcement. Meta has disrupted major scam networks, including a Cameroon-based animal rehoming fraud involving 12,000 accounts and operations impersonating Japanese women to target users across multiple countries, while developing AI detection systems to identify fraudulent patterns. Experts emphasize that combating these transnational crimes requires real-time cross-sector intelligence sharing between tech companies, banks, and police, as no single institution can detect scams operating across multiple countries and platforms.
blackenterprise.com
· 2026-09-04
Artificial intelligence is enabling scammers to create more sophisticated and convincing fraud schemes targeting older adults nearing or in retirement, including romance scams and fake investment claims. One case involved a 63-year-old woman deceived by someone posing as a high-ranking U.S. Army official on a dating platform, illustrating how AI helps fraudsters identify victims and generate fake content at scale. The SEC has taken enforcement action against investment firms making misleading AI claims, as experts warn that AI has become "an industrial revolution for fraud criminals."
globenewswire.com
· 2026-09-03
Trust Onion, a free app launched in September 2026, helps families combat AI voice-cloning scams by providing three automatically rotating private codewords that real family members can verify but scammers cannot replicate. Older Americans lost $7.7 billion to fraud in 2025 (up 59% from the prior year), with the FTC estimating true losses could reach $81.5 billion annually as AI-enabled impersonation scams increasingly target seniors and other groups. The app requires no account setup and includes additional verification features like timestamped selfies for added security during high-stakes situations.
kesq.com
· 2026-09-03
Seniors aged 60 and older in the United States reported nearly 50,000 scams totaling approximately $80 million in losses during 2025, with California ranking as the fourth-riskiest state for senior fraud. Business impersonation scams, where criminals pose as legitimate companies, represent a major threat in California, which has the second-highest rate of elder fraud losses at about $160,000 per 1,000 seniors. Experts advise seniors to be cautious of unfamiliar contacts and to verify requests before sharing personal or financial information.
gandernewsroom.com
· 2026-09-03
AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating celebrities like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Steve Martin, and Bill Gates are being used in scams targeting seniors, with Michigan seniors reporting nearly $170 million in cybercrime losses in 2024. The scams proliferate on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) through fraudulent ads directing victims to fake websites or connecting them with scammers posing as legitimate service representatives, with internal Meta documents indicating that approximately 10% of the company's advertising revenue comes from such scams. Experts attribute seniors' vulnerability to lower digital literacy and their tendency to trust phone interactions over online transactions, while state protections and platform safeguards have proven insufficient to prevent these
amac.us
· 2026-09-03
A senior lost significant money to a tech support scam after a caller claiming to represent a well-known tech company convinced her to grant remote computer access and wire payment for repairs. The article emphasizes that seniors are frequently targeted by scammers seeking money or personal information, and recommends learning red flags (unexpected urgency, requests for wire transfers or gift cards), staying informed about current scams, reporting fraud to the FTC or relevant authorities, and sharing scam warnings with friends and family to build community awareness and protection.
cp24.com
· 2026-09-03
An Ontario woman lost $56,000 in a "bank investigator" scam after clicking a malicious link sent by someone posing as a Scotiabank representative who claimed fraudulent activity was occurring on her account. The scammers gained access to her banking accounts and lines of credit, though Scotiabank ultimately recovered the funds. Cybersecurity experts recommend hanging up on such calls and independently contacting your bank using the number on your credit card, as phone numbers can be spoofed.
live5news.com
· 2026-09-03
A Summerville woman nearly fell victim to an impersonation scam when a caller claiming to be from the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office threatened her with 72 hours in jail and demanded $8,900 over an allegedly missed court date. The scammer used personal information and cloned the sheriff's office phone number to appear legitimate, but the victim verified the call independently and discovered the fraud. The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office reports this is part of a pattern of increasingly sophisticated scams in the area, with other victims losing $2,900 and $100,000 in recent incidents.
eu.36kr.com
· 2026-09-03
Former private equity manager Ye Fei, who served 4 years in prison for market manipulation that defrauded retail investors, was released and pivoted to entertainment by creating a short drama series called "Fraud King" depicting various scam types including pig-butchering scams, fake cashback fraud, and pension fraud to educate the public. The 10-episode drama was taken down shortly after launch and Ye Fei is currently appealing the removal while developing additional films based on his experiences in finance and incarceration.
financefeeds.com
· 2026-09-03
"Pig butchering" scams using WhatsApp fake profiles have cost Americans billions, with cryptocurrency fraud alone generating $11 billion in losses and 181,565 complaints in 2025. The scheme operates in four phases: scammers posing as attractive financial professionals contact victims via WhatsApp, build trust over weeks, encourage small crypto investments on fake platforms showing fabricated profits, then demand additional fees before disappearing. A recent federal case against the NanoBit platform resulted in $5.5 million in ordered restitution from six defendants who defrauded 18 victims of approximately $967,000 in direct deposits, with over $2 million wired to Hong Kong accounts
aspistrategist.org.au
· 2026-09-03
Southeast Asian crime groups operating sophisticated scam factories in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and the Philippines have cost Australians approximately A$3 billion in 2022, with sophisticated operations including AI-driven fraud, banking trojans, and forced labor schemes. Major compounds like the Chinatown complex in Sihanoukville produce remote-access malware, impersonate government agencies, and recruit workers internationally who are coerced into conducting scams targeting Australian bank accounts and cryptocurrency. Scammers increasingly use AI to impersonate police officers and create realistic communications, making traditional fraud detection increasingly difficult as the operations grow more sophisticated.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-03
A 72-year-old woman was allegedly defrauded of $220,000 in cash by a scammer posing as a Christian missionary affiliated with Doctors Without Borders, who claimed to need financial assistance while awaiting a $1 million UN payment. The victim was instructed to withdraw cash, divide it into packages, and mail them through UPS to multiple addresses via encrypted messaging apps, with the scammer later deleting conversations and disappearing. Over 12 months, the woman lost approximately $300,000 total across multiple scams by withdrawing from her retirement savings, a scheme that mirrors common romance scam tactics identified by the FBI.
techtimes.com
· 2026-09-03
British media personality Katie Price discovered her husband Lee Andrews' claimed $50 million cryptocurrency wallet contained only $3, with evidence suggesting he had briefly funded it with $14,490 before draining it months earlier. Andrews, a self-described Dubai businessman, had provided a cryptocurrency recovery phrase as "proof" of wealth, exploiting a technical vulnerability where such phrases prove access but not actual account balances. The couple married within weeks of meeting in January 2026, and Price has since consulted a divorce lawyer after discovering the apparent fraud.
wired.com
· 2026-09-03
Dating apps are increasingly adopting face recognition and biometric verification tools to combat a surge in AI-generated fake accounts and romance scams, which cost US users over $4 billion between 2015 and 2025. Tinder launched mandatory Face Check verification for new users in October 2025, with nearly half of US online daters having been targeted by dating scams. While these facial and biometric authentication systems aim to verify users are real, security experts warn they create new privacy risks and provide limited actual protection against fraud.
abcnepal.tv
· 2026-09-03
Americans reported a record $15.9 billion in losses to scams in the latest year, with an estimated $200 billion in actual losses, driven by advances in AI and cryptocurrency that enable scammers to operate at massive scale. Victims like Simon, who lost $800,000 to a romance scam, face compounding hardships including dismissive law enforcement, additional taxes on withdrawn funds, and social stigma, with advocates noting that post-scam consequences often exceed the initial fraud. Despite government efforts including a new complaint website and executive orders prioritizing prosecutions, the U.S. lags behind countries like the UK, EU, and Singapore in providing victim protections and holding financial institutions accountable.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2026-09-03
A retired nurse, Susan Bivins, lost over $200,000 to a scammer posing as a federal agent and subsequently received an $80,000 tax bill from the IRS for the withdrawn retirement funds, forcing her to sell her home. The case illustrates a broader problem where scam victims face compounding financial hardships including tax bills, bank fees, and loan repayments long after losing money to fraud. US consumers reported a record $15.9 billion in scam losses in 2025, a 25% increase from the previous year, with actual losses estimated much higher due to underreporting.
arlnow.com
· 2026-09-03
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.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-09-03
From January to June 2024, Malaysia recorded over 5,000 "quishing" scam cases involving nearly RM30 million in losses, with QR codes being exploited by syndicates to direct victims to fake websites and payment gateways. The scam has surged dramatically since 2023, when only 223 cases were reported; by 2025, cases jumped eightfold to 5,907 with losses reaching RM40.85 million. Selangor, Johor, and Kuala Lumpur reported the highest number of incidents, correlating with high levels of digital transactions and e-commerce activity in these regions.
consumer.ftc.gov
· 2026-09-03
Scammers are replacing legitimate QR codes on parking meters with fraudulent ones that direct victims to fake payment sites designed to steal money and personal information. To protect yourself, inspect QR codes before scanning, verify the URL after scanning, use official parking apps when available, and report suspicious codes to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
cbsnews.com
· 2026-09-03
Internet scams are increasing in the Pennsylvania region, targeting victims across all age groups through mass messages and personalized-seeming communications that exploit emotions like fear, insecurity, and loneliness. Scammers can deceive even tech-savvy individuals, with some victims losing over $100,000 as criminals repeatedly target the same person. To avoid scams, experts recommend verifying requests by contacting banks, credit card companies, or relatives before sharing any information or money, and reporting incidents to police despite potential embarrassment.
sandiegouniontribune.com
· 2026-09-03
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, allegedly scammed at least 26 women out of approximately $1.3 million by posing as a wealthy NFL player and financial advisor on dating apps from 2022 to 2026. Love created fake social media personas, posted misleading videos from San Diego, and claimed to offer investment opportunities with guaranteed returns, convincing victims he was a San Francisco 49ers player or Swiss real estate investor worth millions. The pair were arrested at Boise Airport in August and face federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with prosecutors indicating there are likely additional victims.
hoodline.com
· 2026-09-03
A 35-year-old Fremont man was arrested in a Ventura County tech-support scam after collecting $20,000 in cash from an elderly victim and returning for a police sting to pick up an additional $20,000. The victim was deceived by a pop-up message claiming to be from Microsoft, telling him $25,000 had been fraudulently charged to his account, and he was instructed to withdraw cash to protect his money. Investigators believe the defendant was acting as a courier for scammers targeting elderly residents, and the case reflects a nationwide pattern of fraudsters using physical cash pickups to avoid bank fraud detection systems.
hoodline.com
· 2026-09-03
Four Petaluma seniors lost over $315,000 combined in a 24-hour period through cryptocurrency transfers, gift card purchases, and timeshare schemes, prompting police warnings about the city's vulnerability to organized fraud targeting its aging population of over 22%. The scams highlight a national trend where adults 60 and older filed 42,271 cryptocurrency-related fraud complaints in 2025, losing $4.35 billion combined, with California seniors losing $1.4 billion to financial fraud that year. Police advised residents to verify financial requests directly with companies, consult family members before making payments, and regularly check on elderly neighbors to prevent victimization.
cbsnews.com
· 2026-09-03
Ze Li, 35, of Fremont was charged with stealing $20,000 from an elderly Ventura County man through a computer fraud scam involving a fake Microsoft notification and fraudulent claims of unauthorized charges. The scam involved Li posing as an FTC representative to collect cash that the victim was coerced into withdrawing, and he was arrested during a sting operation when attempting to collect a second payment. Li faces multiple felony charges including grand theft from an elder or dependent adult and conspiracy to commit a crime.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-03
An elderly California man lost $20,000 after responding to a fraudulent "Microsoft" computer pop-up that directed him to call scammers posing as tech support and federal officials. The perpetrators falsely claimed an attempted $25,000 fraudulent transaction involving child pornography had occurred on his credit union account and convinced him to withdraw cash and purchase gift cards to "protect" his funds. Ze Li, 35, has been charged as a courier who collected the $20,000 package on August 5 and was arrested on August 27 when attempting to collect an additional $20,000 in a law enforcement operation.
hudsonvalleycountry.com
· 2026-09-03
Two men, Daejon Labrayae Love and Taylor Jamie Chan, were arrested in August 2026 for operating a dating scam since February 2022 that targeted women across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. Love posed as an NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers on dating apps while Chan impersonated his financial adviser, defrauding 26 women and collecting approximately $1.3 million through fictitious investment schemes. Love also falsely claimed to have played college football at Syracuse University and used multiple aliases and fake videos of himself in luxury cars and 49ers gear to gain victims' trust.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-03
A CFO nearly fell victim to an invoice redirection scam when a fraudster impersonated a vendor owed $25,000, requesting $10,000 via email with spoofed bank details and a nearly identical domain name (with an extra 's'). The executive avoided the $10,000 loss by noticing the deal seemed unusually easy and verifying the request directly with the vendor after spotting the fraudulent email address. This type of authorized push payment (APP) fraud cost the UK £576.4 million across 248,070 cases in 2025, though invoice redirection specifically has declined to £41.3 million in losses as banks improve traditional fraud protections.
fincen.gov
· 2026-09-03
FinCEN identified nearly $13 billion in suspected transactions linked to digital asset investment scams, primarily operated by transnational criminal organizations based in Southeast Asia using fake personas and social engineering to defraud American victims. These sophisticated schemes, known as "pig butchering" or "romance baiting," leverage vast criminal networks and money laundering operations to facilitate illicit transfers. The Treasury Department has issued an alert urging financial institutions to identify and report suspicious activity related to these scams, with victims advised to contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center immediately.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-02
Utah Attorney General Derek Brown launched a new Financial Crimes Intelligence Center to combat fraud in the state, where Utahns have lost approximately $450 million since 2020, with $60 million lost in 2025 alone. The center will investigate identity theft, bank fraud, elder fraud, romance scams, money laundering, and cryptocurrency scams by tracing funds, connecting cases, and helping authorities hold perpetrators accountable. The center aims to address increasingly sophisticated and organized financial crimes by providing investigators a centralized hub and training resources to police and financial institutions statewide.
aarp.org
· 2026-09-02
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techdigest.tv
· 2026-09-02
Young British adults aged 18-34 are falling victim to online scams at three times the rate of seniors over 65, with 59-61% targeted compared to just 20%, primarily through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. One in five young adult victims lost an average of £414 to fake investment and cryptocurrency scams, while 42% of 18-24-year-olds have been approached for money muling schemes. Despite being the actual targets, over a quarter of under-25s still mistakenly believe their grandparents are most at risk online.
theconversation.com
· 2026-09-02
Daejon Love, 35, and an accomplice were federally charged with defrauding over two dozen women of approximately $1.3 million through an online romance scam in which Love posed as a wealthy professional athlete or real estate investor to gain their trust before soliciting money for fictitious investments. The case exemplifies the broader problem of online romance scams, which the Federal Trade Commission reported affected nearly 70,000 Americans in 2022 with losses exceeding $1.3 billion, highlighting how scammers use calculated emotional manipulation and social engineering tactics rather than direct money requests. Research shows these scams follow distinct stages of planning and adaptation, with scammers leveraging social norms
cryptorank.io
· 2026-09-02
Two Thai businessmen sued Tether after the stablecoin issuer froze $42.4 million in USDT across 10 Ethereum addresses on October 30, 2025, claiming the freeze occurred without a warrant or court order in connection with a pig-butchering fraud investigation. Although a federal seizure warrant was issued in February 2026 authorizing Tether to burn and reissue the tokens to a government wallet, the plaintiffs argue this after-the-fact warrant cannot legalize the initial unauthorized freeze and are seeking injunctions to unblacklist their wallets, prevent token destruction, and recover damages and reserve income.
coinpedia.org
· 2026-09-02
Two Thai businessmen sued Tether in New York federal court over $42.4 million in USDT that was frozen in October 2025 after an informal government request, claiming the freeze occurred without a warrant, court order, or prior notice. The case stems from a pig-butchering scam investigation, and the plaintiffs argue that Tether lacked legal authority to blacklist their wallets and seek damages for the frozen funds and lost income from reserves. The brothers question whether Tether has the right to burn or reissue privately held USDT based on government requests alone.
ky3.com
· 2026-09-02
This article discusses romance scams and warning signs, featuring a discussion between a KY3 news reporter and a Central Bank representative. The piece promotes a virtual educational class through Prosper University powered by Central Bank to help viewers learn more about protecting themselves from romance fraud.
thestar.com
· 2026-09-02
A widower named Simon lost $800,000 to a romance scammer posing as a woman named Emily after his wife's death, and subsequently faced additional financial losses including $185,000 in loan repayment obligations and taxes on withdrawn funds. Despite reporting the crime to local police and the FBI, Simon received no assistance and was later targeted by another scammer offering recovery services, illustrating a broader pattern where American victims of scams—which reached a record $15.9 billion in reported losses in 2024—receive little institutional support and often face ridicule, financial penalties, and dismissive law enforcement responses. An AP and FRONTLINE investigation found that scam operations, including the Myanmar compound responsible for Simon