Explore the Archive

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost convened a sold-out World Elder Abuse Awareness Month conference at Ohio State University to address emerging threats to older adults, including cryptocurrency scams, modern financial fraud, and AI-enabled schemes in the digital era. Yost announced a new partnership with the Ohio Pharmacists Association to train pharmacists in recognizing abuse warning signs and promoting the Elder Abuse Hotline (1-855-OHIO-APS), leveraging pharmacists' regular contact with seniors over 60. The state's Elder Justice Unit and newly expanded Electronic Fraud Investigations unit work to identify criminal operations targeting older adults, recover stolen funds, and support victims across all demographic backgrounds

Doctor spoofing calls, where scammers manipulate caller ID to impersonate doctors' offices, Medicare, pharmacies, or hospitals, were named the New York StateWide Senior Action Council's Medicare Fraud of the Month for June 2025. Scammers use these spoofed calls to trick seniors into revealing personal information such as Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and insurance details by claiming to need verification for medical services or test results. Seniors can protect themselves by hanging up and calling back using trusted phone numbers, never sharing personal information with unknown callers, avoiding "YES" or "NO" responses, and reporting suspected fraud to the NYS Senior Medicare Patrol Helpline at

This educational resource presents a chart detailing common scams targeting consumers, including AI scams (deepfake impersonations), bank text scams (phishing for account information), billing/invoice scams (fake invoices demanding payment), brushing scams (unsolicited items to boost reviews), and charity scams. The guide identifies shared scammer tactics such as impersonation, creating urgency, and pressuring victims to share personal information, while offering specific identification and prevention strategies for each scam type. The material encourages sharing this information with friends and family as a primary defense against fraud.

**Summary:** This educational piece from the Orcas Senior Center outlines how Medicare scams operate in four stages: scammers gain trust through unsolicited contact, request Medicare numbers under false pretenses, use those numbers to bill Medicare for fraudulent services, and ultimately compromise victims' benefits, health access, and financial security. The article provides protective measures including never sharing Medicare or Social Security numbers with unsolicited callers, remaining skeptical of "free" offers, reviewing statements regularly, and contacting 1-800-MEDICARE or local Senior Medicare Patrol for verification.

Senior Scam Alerts, a free weekly newsletter, launched in June 2025 to educate older Americans about fraud prevention following a crisis year in which Americans aged 60+ lost nearly $4.9 billion to scams in 2024—a 43% increase from the prior year with average losses exceeding $83,000 per victim. The newsletter covers various scam types including health insurance fraud, pig butchering, smishing, and grandparent scams, providing prevention tips, real-life case studies, and reporting resources drawn from trusted sources like the FBI and Department of Justice.

Senior Scam Alerts, a new free weekly newsletter launched in June 2025, aims to educate older Americans about fraud prevention through coverage of scam types, detection methods, and reporting procedures. According to FBI data, seniors aged 60+ lost nearly $4.9 billion to scams in 2024—a 43% increase from the previous year with an average loss of $83,000 per victim—prompting this educational initiative drawing from trusted sources like the FBI and Department of Justice.

Arizona's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit received the Inspector General's Award for Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2025, marking the second time in five years the office earned this honor. In fiscal year 2024, the unit achieved 91 indictments, 41 convictions, and recovered over $74 million, with joint investigations yielding an additional $140 million in recoveries through cases involving drug diversion, patient abuse, unnecessary surgeries, and fraudulent billing schemes across 44 provider types.

CMS issued a warning about fraudulent fax requests falsely claiming to be Medicare audits, in which scammers impersonate CMS to trick healthcare providers into releasing medical records. CMS clarified that it does not initiate audits via fax and advised providers to verify all audit requests through Noridian and report suspicious communications to CMS.

Healthcare clinic operator Oscar B. Abrons III was sentenced to four years in jail for his role in a prescription medication diversion scheme that defrauded California's Medi-Cal program of over $20 million between 2014 and 2016. Operating an unlicensed clinic called God's Property with co-conspirators Steven Derrick Fleming and Mohamed Waddah El-Nachef, Abrons paid Medi-Cal beneficiaries cash to obtain unnecessary prescriptions for HIV medications, antipsychotics, and controlled substances that were then sold on the illicit market. El-Nachef, who became the state's top HIV medication prescriber during

Dr. Sophie Toya, a Michigan physician, was sentenced to four years in federal prison on June 26, 2025, for orchestrating a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme involving over 7,900 medically unnecessary orthotic braces prescribed to more than 2,600 elderly and disabled patients, often without clinical evaluation or patient contact. Toya used deceptive television advertisements and telehealth consultations to solicit prescriptions, with some patients receiving multiple braces in single visits and undercover agents obtaining prescriptions after less than one-minute phone calls. In addition to her prison sentence, Toya was ordered to pay $3.6 million in restit

Charles Schumer, 75, of Freeland, Michigan, was charged with embezzling over $200,000 from a vulnerable adult relative for whom he served as attorney-in-fact, allegedly transferring retirement assets to his business account and making unauthorized purchases that did not benefit the victim. Schumer faces two 20-year felony counts: Embezzlement of $100,000 or more by an Agent and Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult. The case was prosecuted by Michigan's Attorney General Health Care Fraud Division.

An anesthesiology resident at Seattle Children's Hospital and UW Medical Center was criminally charged with diverting narcotic medications (fentanyl and hydromorphone) for personal use over at least a year, sometimes while working and treating patients; simultaneously, Pinnacle Health PC, a Seattle medical practice, settled a civil case for billing over $500,000 to federal programs for experimental, unapproved treatments. These cases were part of a nationwide 2025 healthcare fraud takedown involving 324 defendants charged with $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and illegal diversion of 15 million controlled substance pills.

A 2025 national health care fraud takedown resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants across 50 federal districts for schemes involving over $14.6 billion in alleged fraud, with 19 individuals charged in Florida's Middle District alone for defrauding Medicare and programs serving elderly and disabled beneficiaries. Key defendants included William Balsamo, charged with operating a telemedicine kickback scheme that caused at least $9 million in Medicare losses, and Edward Cannatelli, Robbyn Cannatelli, Thomas Farese, and Virginia Lockett, charged with conspiracy to defraud Medicare through medically unnecessary physician orders generated via telemarketing

Michigan participated in the Department of Justice's 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants nationwide involving over $14.6 billion in false billings and 15.6 million illegally diverted controlled substance pills, with $245 million in assets seized. Two Michigan cases were charged: James Alexander Carthron billed Medicaid approximately $11,000 for 23 telephone visits he did not provide, and Daleena Taree Miller billed Medicaid $8,640 for services she did not render and falsified medical records as a Community Living Support worker.

The Department of Justice announced charges against over 300 defendants in the largest coordinated healthcare fraud takedown in U.S. history, alleging they defrauded Medicare and private insurance programs of approximately $14.6 billion through unnecessary medical procedures and illegal schemes. Cases included unnecessary skin grafts applied to elderly and terminally ill Medicare patients in Arizona, a transnational catheter fraud operation involving Russian-based criminals who filed $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims using stolen identities, and the illegal distribution of 15 million prescription opioid pills by medical professionals and pharmacies. The DOJ established a new "fusion center" to consolidate data and combat healthcare fraud, which represents

Medicare scams cost billions annually by targeting older adults through unsolicited calls, texts, and online ads impersonating Medicare or medical providers to obtain Medicare numbers, which scammers then use to fraudulently bill Medicare for services or equipment never received. Victims face risks including denied coverage, identity theft, financial stress, and compromised access to needed healthcare services. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner recommends protecting yourself by never sharing Medicare or Social Security numbers with unsolicited contacts, being skeptical of "free" offers, regularly reviewing statements for suspicious charges, and reporting fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE or your local Senior Medicare Patrol.

A nationwide health care fraud takedown resulted in 324 defendants charged across the United States for schemes involving over $14.6 billion in false billings and illegal drug diversion, with authorities seizing over $245 million in assets. Four defendants were charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana, including the co-owner of a diagnostic laboratory who allegedly defrauded Medicare of approximately $4.4 million through over $30 million in false genetic testing claims, and a physician who billed Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing. These schemes targeted Medicare and programs serving elderly and disabled populations through kickback schemes and fraudulent billing practices.

In 2023, scams targeting seniors aged 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses—an 11% increase from the previous year—with particularly severe consequences for retirees who struggle to recover stolen life savings and face reduced access to healthcare and housing. Brevard County is combating this epidemic through community initiatives including Scam Jam, a fraud prevention workshop by Helping Seniors of Brevard and AARP's Fraud Watch Network that educates seniors on recognizing scam tactics and identity theft prevention, with over 70 participants graduating from the first session. The article provides warning signs of scams (pressure to act quickly, requests for gift cards or

On May 12, 2025, the Department of Justice's Criminal Division issued updated enforcement priorities emphasizing three core principles: focus, fairness, and efficiency in prosecuting white-collar and corporate crimes. Elder fraud was specifically identified as a priority enforcement area alongside investor fraud, Ponzi schemes, and fraud threatening consumer health and safety, along with healthcare fraud affecting Medicare and Medicaid. The Department prioritized prosecuting individual perpetrators while considering civil and administrative remedies for corporations, taking into account factors such as self-reporting, cooperation, and remediation efforts.

This article is not about elder fraud. It contains one brief educational section warning seniors about Medicare scams, noting that scammers pose as Medicare representatives to steal personal information and Medicare numbers through calls, texts, door visits, or online ads, and advising that legitimate Medicare will never call unsolicited asking for personal information. The remainder of the article covers unrelated topics: a downtown Kennewick shopping promotion, a new cancer treatment device at a local hospital, and a grant to a meals-on-wheels program.

Medicare loses an estimated $60 billion annually to fraud, errors, and abuse, affecting all beneficiaries. The article provides prevention guidance for Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and community members, including reviewing Medicare statements for unauthorized charges, monitoring for suspicious medical equipment deliveries, protecting Medicare numbers, and reporting concerns. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) offers free education and assistance to help detect and prevent Medicare fraud.

**Summary:** Dr. William Dodson Creighton, a 78-year-old allergist in El Centro, California, was charged in June 2024 with healthcare fraud, insurance fraud, and illegal prescribing after allegedly writing numerous prescriptions for promethazine with codeine (an addictive controlled substance) between October 2023 and April 2024 without clear medical justification. His case is part of a broader 2025 national healthcare fraud takedown that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 licensed medical professionals, involving over $14.6 billion in intended losses.

The Health 2.0 Conference highlighted healthcare fraud as a rapidly growing threat targeting seniors, who are vulnerable due to complex medical needs, digital disadvantages, and social isolation that scammers exploit through fake insurance plans, Medicare billing fraud, telehealth scams, and spoofed portals. Healthcare providers, policymakers, and innovators are urged to implement intelligent systems and vigilance to detect red flags such as unexpected charges and unfamiliar providers to protect this vulnerable population.

Older Americans are increasingly targeted by fraud schemes, with seniors losing over $3.4 billion in 2023—an average of $33,915 per victim—according to the FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Report. Many of these scams, including impersonation schemes and "pig butchering" cryptocurrency frauds, are allegedly coordinated or tolerated by the Chinese Communist Party, with recent indictments in Ohio and California involving Chinese nationals charged with defrauding elderly victims out of thousands to millions of dollars. Experts emphasize that only 10-15 percent of senior fraud victims report their losses, suggesting the actual problem is far larger than reported figures indicate

The Department of Justice issued a memorandum outlining its white-collar crime enforcement priorities, which include fraud targeting government programs (Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending), complex market frauds (Ponzi schemes, investment fraud, and elder fraud), trade and customs violations, and national security-related financial crimes involving foreign adversaries. The DOJ also prioritized money laundering, drug manufacturing-related crimes, and violations of controlled substances laws, while noting that corporate misconduct may be addressed through individual prosecution or civil remedies rather than corporate criminal charges, with reduced penalties offered for companies that self-disclose and cooperate with the department.

The US Department of Justice announced a new cryptocurrency enforcement strategy prioritizing prosecution of direct criminal activities involving digital assets rather than intermediaries, marking a significant policy shift under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The DOJ's Criminal Division will focus on fraud areas including elder fraud, securities fraud, and healthcare fraud, with recent investigations yielding over $245 million in seized assets including cash, cryptocurrency, and luxury vehicles. This realignment reflects broader concerns about privacy-centric cryptocurrencies and coordination with banking regulators to combat illicit crypto activities and protect financial system stability.

Five California hospice operators pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare of approximately $16 million by operating sham hospice companies, misusing deceased doctors' identities, and using foreign nationals' personal information to submit false claims. The scheme involved healthcare fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, with defendants spending fraudulently obtained funds on real estate and vehicles; sentences ranged from 10-12 years in prison, with additional penalties including potential deportation.

Garden Grove police issued a warning about a Medicare/Medi-Cal scam targeting senior citizens, in which fraudsters impersonate officials to solicit Social Security and Medicare numbers by exploiting concerns about recent congressional changes to these programs. Authorities emphasize that Medicare and Medi-Cal agencies never call unsolicited to request personal information and no new Medicare cards are being issued, and urge residents to report suspicious calls to Garden Grove Police or Medicare directly.

Older adults lost nearly $5 billion to fraud and scams in 2024, with losses increasing 41% from $3.4 billion in 2023 and average individual losses reaching $83,000, according to a U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging report. The report highlights an alarming rise in AI-powered schemes and traditional fraud methods including imposter scams, investment fraud, healthcare scams, and gift card fraud, with cryptocurrency losses alone reaching nearly $3 billion. The number of older adults reporting fraud jumped 43% in 2024, prompting calls for increased federal protection and consumer education initiatives.

The New York StateWide Senior Action Council identified Medicare fraud in nursing homes as its "Fraud of the Month for July," highlighting that while Medicare typically does not cover long-term nursing home care, it does cover medically necessary short-term skilled nursing facility (SNF) care, making SNFs frequent targets for fraud and abuse. The council recommends seniors review their Medicare Summary Notices and Explanations of Benefits for duplicate or unauthorized charges, avoid signing unfamiliar forms, verify services were actually received, refuse gifts for facility selection, and report concerns to the NYS Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-333-4374 or via www.nysenior.org.

The Department of Justice's Criminal Division has established three enforcement priorities—focus, fairness, and efficiency—to guide white-collar crime prosecution under the Trump administration. Elder fraud is explicitly identified as a priority alongside healthcare, securities, trade, and customs fraud, with prosecutors directed to target cases involving senior-level personnel, demonstrable losses, and victims' compensation. The Department aims to balance rigorous prosecution of significant threats to U.S. interests with fair application of the law that avoids punishing legitimate business risk-taking.

Federal agencies coordinated the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, resulting in criminal charges against 324 defendants responsible for over $14.6 billion in health care fraud, with particular concerns about fraudulent activity in the hospice industry in California, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona. The operation seized more than $245 million in assets, prevented payment on $4 billion in false claims, and included civil charges and settlements totaling $48.5 million. Vulnerable populations, including seniors relying on Medicare and Medicaid, were identified as primary targets of these criminal schemes.

**Health Insurance Scams Targeting Seniors** The FBI has warned of a growing wave of health insurance fraud targeting older adults, typically initiated through unsolicited phone calls from individuals posing as representatives of major insurance companies who pressure victims to pay for full-year coverage upfront with promises of discounts and low costs. Red flags include offers that sound too good to be true, requests for immediate full-year payment, reluctance to provide written information, and aggressive pressure tactics—tactics that legitimate insurance agents do not employ. Seniors can protect themselves by verifying coverage with their healthcare providers, contacting their state insurance commissioner to verify licensing, carefully reviewing complete written policies, avoiding upfront payments, an

From January through April 2025, the Federal Trade Commission received over 75,000 reports of government imposter scams, with scammers impersonating U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Social Security, Medicare, and the FTC itself to steal money via phone and text. Consumers lost approximately $204 million total, with median losses ranging from $650 overall to $12,000 for FTC impersonation scams, typically requested through gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or banking information. Scammers exploit current concerns about immigration, drug trafficking, and tariffs by claiming intercepted packages contain drugs or threatening arrest warrants to pressure victims into immediate payment.

**Title:** Fact-check of Governor Newsom's claims about Florida's rankings This article fact-checks California Governor Gavin Newsom's claim that Florida ranks worst nationally in mental health care, home insurance costs, elder fraud, and rent increases. Regarding elder fraud specifically, FBI reports show Florida ranked second to California in raw numbers of fraud complaints from people over 60 as of 2024, though another report ranked Florida first per capita in complaints from all age groups in 2024. Overall, Newsom's claims are partially accurate—Florida does lag in these areas but doesn't consistently rank dead last in each category.

Financial fraud targeting older Americans reached nearly $5 billion in losses in 2024, with over 147,000 complaints reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center—a 46 percent increase from the previous year. TARCOG's Senior Medicare Patrol is hosting a free Fraud and Scam Summit on August 20 at Athens State University to educate seniors and caregivers on recognizing scams, preventing identity theft, and reporting suspected financial abuse, with preregistration required.

A hospice agent conducted door-to-door solicitation in Texas claiming to represent Medicare and offer free hospice services, a newly identified scam targeting Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare officials warn that legitimate Medicare will never solicit services via unsolicited calls or home visits, and recipients should never share personal information with unknown callers; those suspecting fraud should contact the Medicare fraud hotline at 800-633-4227 or Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-808-2468.

In 2024, Californians lost over $2.5 billion to cyber scams, with seniors increasingly targeted by sophisticated fraud schemes including government impersonation, tech-support scams, grandparent scams, and emerging AI-powered voice cloning tactics. Protection measures include refusing to share personal information over the phone, independently verifying caller identity, discussing scams with family members, and reporting suspicious activity to authorities or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

A 2025 bipartisan report highlights that fraud and scams cost seniors $4.8 billion in 2024, with investment, cryptocurrency, and romance scams posing the greatest risks to older adults who are often targeted due to politeness, trust, and unfamiliarity with digital technologies. Common scams include Medicare fraud ($80.5 million in losses), imposter scams ($789 million in losses), phishing, and deepfakes, which cause not only financial devastation but also significant emotional and physical health impacts on victims.

This article compiles common complaints about everyday "scams" in American life that are legal but perceived as exploitative systems. Examples cited include the for-profit healthcare and insurance industries, inflated wedding vendor pricing, timeshares, ticket resale markups, and separate dental/vision insurance requirements. The piece reflects public frustration with systemic practices that appear designed to extract maximum profit from consumers rather than provide genuine value or protection.

This article documents various scam tactics—including posing as banks, government agencies, and using cryptocurrency demands—and shares personal experiences where victims avoided losses by recognizing red flags like bitcoin requests and suspicious email domains. According to AARP data, consumers lost $470 million to scams in 2024 (five times the 2020 amount), with criminals targeting text messages at high success rates; the article recommends filtering unknown numbers, verifying caller information, and deleting messages requesting urgent action or personal information.

A hospice representative misrepresented themselves as a Medicare official and went door-to-door in a neighborhood offering free hospice gifts and services, claiming Medicare would cover costs at no charge for the writer and their spouse. This appears to be a deceptive solicitation targeting seniors by impersonating government officials and making misleading promises about free services.

Jordan Vales, 21, of Trumann, Arkansas, was arrested on charges of Medicaid fraud after submitting false claims for services he never provided as a fraudulent employee and caregiver at First Choice Home Care between June 2022 and December 2023. The scheme resulted in $96,711.68 in fraudulent Medicaid payments. Attorney General Tim Griffin praised the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Special Agent Laura Glover for their investigation and arrest of Vales on the Class A felony charge.

**Summary:** California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed Florida ranks #51 in mental health care, #1 in elder fraud, #1 in home insurance costs, and #1 in rent increases. PolitiFact's fact-check found mixed accuracy: while Florida consistently ranks poorly in mental health care spending (lowest per capita at $36.05), other mental health rankings place it 21st nationally; elder fraud claims were not evaluated in this excerpt; and analyses confirm Florida leads in home insurance costs and rent increases, though specific rankings vary by source.

A class action lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare alleges the company systematically misled vulnerable seniors through deceptive advertising into abandoning Original Medicare for Medicare Advantage plans, misrepresenting them as supplements rather than replacements requiring surrender of existing benefits. The case, brought on behalf of seniors including a 96-year-old cancer patient who was denied coverage and faced collections suits after giving up her Medicare benefits, was dismissed on preemption grounds but is being appealed to the Ninth Circuit. The plaintiffs argue UnitedHealthcare's decade-long fraudulent campaign violated California consumer protection laws and exploited seniors while the company posted over $22.3 billion in profits in 2023.

**Summary:** This PolitiFact article fact-checks California Governor Gavin Newsom's claim that Florida ranks worst nationally in mental health care, home insurance costs, elder fraud, and rent increases. The analysis finds Newsom's accuracy is mixed: Florida consistently ranks among the lowest in mental health spending (lowest per capita at $36.05), but other mental health metrics place it 21st or 46th depending on the measure; the article excerpt does not provide conclusions on the remaining claims about insurance, elder fraud, and rent.

A Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego was defrauded of $400 million in a "loan-to-own" scheme orchestrated by Ukrainian fraudster Vladimir Sklarov and accomplices who posed as descendants of the Astor family. The con artists obtained shares in Salinas Pliego's company, Grupo Elektra, as collateral and systematically sold them off, causing a 71% stock collapse that erased $5.5 billion from his fortune and damaged investor confidence. The fraudsters used fake identities, professional documentation, and a sophisticated website to appear legitimate, while funneling stolen funds into high-end real estate purchases across

A new Medicare scam targets seniors through door-to-door solicitors posing as Medicare representatives who offer free hospice services in exchange for personal information. Medicare does not offer unsolicited free services and will never call or knock on doors requesting personal or banking information; seniors should refuse all such solicitations, report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE, and contact the Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-808-2468 for assistance.

An 82-year-old Ocala woman lost $7,300 in cryptocurrency and nearly lost $160,000 in cash converted to gold in a multi-stage scam involving a fake computer hack, fraudulent bank officer call, and an accomplice attempting to pick up the gold at her home—the plot was foiled by law enforcement and a gold exchange company alert, resulting in the arrest of Jiann Cao. Local agencies report approximately $1 million stolen monthly from elder fraud victims in Marion County, with common scams including tech support fraud, romance scams, and investment schemes; officials recommend verifying the authenticity of unsolicited communications and emphasize education and reporting as key prevention strategies.

Roger Roger, a Costa Rica resident, was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for leading a telemarketing fraud scheme that stole more than $4 million from hundreds of U.S. victims, many of them elderly, by posing as government officials and convincing them they had won sweepstakes prizes requiring upfront payments. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and international money laundering, and was ordered to pay $3.3 million in restitution and forfeit $4.2 million.