Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 26,669 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
5,829 results
in Government Impersonation
stratford-herald.com
· 2026-08-04
Warwickshire's trading standards team is warning residents about two seasonal scams: doorstep roofers who falsely claim extensive damage and charge double the legitimate rate, and car-selling fraudsters who work in groups to sabotage vehicles during test drives then demand lower prices. The roofers target homeowners with unsolicited claims of loose tiles or rotting wood, while the car scammers tamper with engines and electrical systems to negotiate prices down by thousands of pounds, with particular concern that elderly sellers are being targeted.
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-04
Americans lost a record $16 billion to fraud in 2025, a 25% increase from the previous year, with imposter scams being the most reported category, generating $3.5 billion in losses as scammers impersonate police officers, bank employees, and government officials to create urgency and fear. Illinois reported over $535 million in losses from 5,436 internet-crime complaints in Iowa, while Davenport police warn that legitimate law enforcement never demands payment via phone, gift cards, or cryptocurrency and encourage victims to report crimes despite potential embarrassment.
cleveland19.com
· 2026-08-04
The Lorain County Sheriff's Office is warning of a sophisticated multi-stage impersonation scam where criminals pose as bank employees through spoofed text messages, phone calls, and in-person home visits to trick customers into surrendering debit or credit cards. The scam typically begins with a text from a spoofed bank number asking about a purchase, followed by a call from someone claiming to be from the fraud department who offers to send an employee to collect the compromised card and provide a temporary replacement. Authorities emphasize that legitimate banks never send employees to homes to collect cards or personal information, and urge customers to hang up and contact their bank directly using official numbers rather than responding to unsolicited messages.
heraldandnews.com
· 2026-08-03
A Klamath County elder lost approximately $20,000 in cash after an unknown scammer impersonating GeekSquad claimed the IRS had frozen her assets and convinced her to drive the money to a rest stop in Riverside County, California. The victim handed over the cash to an unknown individual at the remote rest area, which had no surveillance cameras, and the money has not been recovered. Sheriff officials are urging community members to report scams immediately and to verify contact information directly with businesses or agencies rather than trusting unsolicited callers.
military.com
· 2026-08-03
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
crypto.news
· 2026-08-03
Cryptocurrency kiosks located in convenience stores and gas stations have become the primary collection point for impersonation scams, with the FBI logging 13,460 complaints in 2025 resulting in approximately $389 million in losses, with roughly two-thirds of victims over age 60. While federal law treats kiosk operators as money services businesses subject to FinCEN registration and anti-money-laundering requirements, state regulation is highly fragmented, ranging from outright bans (Indiana, Tennessee, Minnesota) to licensing regimes with transaction caps and fraud protections to complete absence of oversight (such as in Texas, which leads the nation in reported losses). The regulatory inconsistency means operators face vastly
governor.hawaii.gov
· 2026-08-03
Hawaii's Department of the Attorney General is warning the public about a scam in which criminals impersonate Attorney General Anne Lopez via text messages, instructing victims to purchase gift cards and send photographs of the cards and redemption codes. One victim received such messages but was able to recover funds through their financial institution. The department emphasizes that no state official will request gift cards, gift card numbers, or money through unofficial communications, and urges anyone targeted to contact local police or the Attorney General's office.
martincid.com
· 2026-08-03
Prime Video's Indian arm is developing "Job Trafficking," an eight-episode Hindi-language drama series about the pig-butchering scam, a months-long international fraud that has drained billions from victims worldwide and is operated from fortified compounds using trafficked workers. The series follows three interconnected lives: an imprisoned scammer seeking escape, a defrauded housewife seeking answers, and a corporate CEO caught in the crossfire, treating industrial fraud as a systemic issue affecting people at all levels. Starring Nimrat Kaur, Pavan Malhotra, and Roshan Mathew, the series is created by director Prashant Nair and aims to shift Indian
fox6now.com
· 2026-08-03
A Wisconsin woman lost $433,000 in an elaborate scam that began when she clicked a pop-up ad impersonating her financial company; scammers convinced her over three months that she was hacked and persuaded her to buy gold coins and liquidate assets to "protect" her money, which were then handed to couriers who never returned. The scammers impersonated government officials and the Better Business Bureau, sent forged documents, and used threats and non-disclosure agreements to silence the victim. Three victims reported similar gold-buying scams to the BBB with combined losses around $3 million.
crimewatch.net
· 2026-08-03
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.
swoknews.com
· 2026-08-02
AI-powered scammers are increasingly using personal data harvested from social media and public sources to create sophisticated, personalized frauds targeting elderly individuals. These scammers leverage AI technology to impersonate family members by mimicking phone numbers, email addresses, voices, photos, and videos, enabling them to deceive victims within seconds. The article warns that social media and data mining have made it easier for fraudsters to gather the raw materials needed to execute these highly targeted scams.
americanbazaaronline.com
· 2026-08-02
AI-enabled investment scams cost Americans $632 million in 2025, representing the largest category of AI-related fraud with 4,356 complaints reported to the FBI. AI-assisted fraud grew 1,210% in 2025 compared to 195% growth in traditional scams, with criminals using deepfakes and AI technology to convincingly impersonate legitimate financial institutions and brokers. The FBI received over 22,000 total AI-related fraud complaints in 2025 with $890 million in losses, with investment scams, extortion, and data breaches accounting for the majority of cases.
pickr.com.au
· 2026-08-02
As Australia prepares for its August 11, 2026 Census, scammers are targeting households with phishing emails and fraudulent websites designed to steal personal information including banking details, logins, and identification data. The Census itself does not require financial or social media information, but criminals are exploiting the event's urgency and widespread participation to deceive Australians into providing sensitive details on fake government sites. Authorities warn residents to verify sender addresses, avoid clicking suspicious links, and be cautious of messages claiming overdue forms or pending fines.
businessreport.co.za
· 2026-08-02
Tax season in South Africa faces a rising wave of sophisticated scams targeting taxpayers, including phishing emails impersonating the South African Revenue Service (Sars), fake refund promises, and identity theft schemes that hijack eFiling profiles. Cybercriminals are exploiting modernized digital tax systems by creating convincing fraudulent communications with subtle variations in email addresses and website URLs to steal login credentials and banking information. Taxpayers are advised to verify sender email addresses use official @sars.gov.za domains, avoid clicking unsolicited links, and remember that Sars never requests sensitive information or payments via unsolicited messages.
nationthailand.com
· 2026-08-02
Thailand's Civil Court is hearing its first case testing digital platform liability for scams, with the Thailand Consumers Council suing 17 platform operators including Meta and LINE over fraudulent investment advertisements that caused consumers millions in losses. Between July 2021 and May 2026, the council received 11,815 complaints linked to online platforms—with Facebook accounting for nearly 60%—reporting at least 397 million baht in losses, of which over 84% remained unrecovered. The lawsuit targets overseas parent companies directly, arguing they bear responsibility for systemic safety failures and should share liability for crimes committed through their platforms.
mirror.co.uk
· 2026-08-02
A 67-year-old retired teacher from London lost £128,000 to a romance scammer who posed as a retired British Army general with a knighthood, meeting her through an online pen-pal website after she became vulnerable following her husband's death three years earlier. The scammer built trust over months by sending daily messages and claiming he was deployed on covert military work in Mali, then requested money for supposedly transporting legally discovered gold, with costs escalating through various fees and obstacles. Diana has kept the fraud secret from her adult son and remains deeply ashamed despite recognizing she was lonely and emotionally vulnerable at the time.
kompas.id
· 2026-08-02
Young Indonesians are being trafficked to Cambodia and Myanmar through fake job offers promising salaries of 13-25 million rupiah monthly, then forced to operate online scams including romance and investment fraud schemes targeting wealthy Indonesians. Victims face torture, exploitation, and legal complications as illegal migrants, with rescued individuals like PU and Bumbum spending months or years trapped before repatriation, using sophisticated AI technology to conduct fraudulent video calls posing as romantic interests.
staradvertiser.com
· 2026-08-02
Hawaii's new law banning cryptocurrency kiosks that accept cash takes effect October 1, 2026, in response to a dramatic surge in crypto ATM fraud affecting state consumers. Hawaii residents lost $3.85 million through crypto ATM scams in 2025—nearly four times the $1 million lost in 2024—with fraudsters using the kiosks to launder money obtained through romance scams, impersonation of government officials, and tech support schemes. The law prohibits operators from owning or managing kiosks that accept U.S. currency or cash equivalents in exchange for cryptocurrency, with violators facing significant civil penalties.
aol.co.uk
· 2026-08-02
A 67-year-old retired teacher lost over £128,000—including her children's inheritance—to a romance scammer posing as a retired British Army general with a knighthood who she met online in October 2022. The fraudster built trust over months by messaging daily, claiming he couldn't video call due to covert military work, then gradually requested increasing sums of money under the pretense of transporting gold discovered in Mali and paying associated fees and taxes. The victim, still using a pseudonym over two years later due to shame, was particularly vulnerable after losing her husband three years prior and initially seeking friendship on a pen-pal website.
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2026-08-01
Three defendants have been federally indicted for operating a gold-courier scam targeting elderly victims, involving approximately $3 million across multiple cases. The scheme involved impersonating FTC and Social Security Administration agents who convinced victims their savings were connected to criminal activity and needed to be converted to gold for "protection." An 87-year-old Michigan couple nearly lost $250,000 in gold before undercover deputies intervened and arrested two of the defendants during the attempted pickup.
cryptobriefing.com
· 2026-08-01
Minnesota banned cryptocurrency kiosks after residents lost nearly $1 million to scams between 2023 and 2025, with over 100 complaints filed and an 80-year-old victim losing $80,000 in a single incident. Governor Tim Walz signed the prohibition into law on May 5, 2026, making Minnesota the third state to fully outlaw the machines following Tennessee and Indiana. The scams typically involved fake emergency calls and impersonation schemes that pressured victims to convert cash to cryptocurrency through the kiosks, with funds then disappearing into untraceable wallets.
independent.ng
· 2026-08-01
Nigerian criminal networks are increasingly using digital platforms and online scams to recruit and exploit human trafficking victims, luring them with fake job offers, scholarships, and business proposals shared through social media and messaging apps. Government officials and international agencies have acknowledged that existing laws and institutions are inadequate to combat this evolving threat and are calling for urgent legal reforms, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and technology-driven solutions to address the growing epidemic of digitally-enabled human trafficking.
aarp.org
· 2026-08-01
I cannot provide a summary of this content because what you've provided is only the navigation menu structure of an AARP website, not an article about a specific scam or fraud incident. There is no actual article text describing what happened, who was affected, or any fraudulent activity.
Please provide the actual article content if you'd like me to summarize it.
latrobebulletinnews.com
· 2026-07-31
A jury duty scam targeting Westmoreland County residents for approximately two years has defrauded victims by posing as sheriff's office representatives and demanding payment via Bitcoin or gift cards to avoid arrest for missed jury duty. In one recent case, a 52-year-old Hempfield Township woman lost $11,250 in Bitcoin after receiving such a call. The scam is part of a broader trend of fraud in the county, including cases where a 69-year-old woman lost nearly $247,000 to romance and impersonation scams over three years.
newsbreak.com
· 2026-07-31
Scammers are increasingly using in-person couriers to collect cash and gold bars from elderly victims' homes after convincing them their accounts have been hacked or compromised. The scheme typically begins with fraudulent calls impersonating banks, tech companies, or government agencies, instructing victims to withdraw savings or purchase precious metals, which are then handed directly to a courier at the door. Between May and December 2023 alone, over $55 million in losses from this "Phantom Hacker" scam variant were reported to federal authorities, with the true total likely much higher due to underreporting among embarrassed victims.
dailyhodl.com
· 2026-07-31
Scott Kelley, a former Boston postal inspector who led the Mail Fraud Unit, pleaded guilty to stealing over $330,000 from nearly 2,000 packages sent by elderly victims (averaging age 75) and using the funds for personal expenses including escorts, home renovations, and Caribbean cruises. Kelley intercepted cash meant to be recovered from scammers and faces 44 federal counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and false tax filings. The case reveals significant vulnerabilities in mail-handling processes designed to protect elderly fraud victims and their recovered funds.
gazettengr.com
· 2026-07-31
Nana Takyiwa Adonu, a 43-year-old U.S.-based Ghanaian woman, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded Americans of over $1.6 million. The scheme involved creating fake dating profiles on social media to lure victims into sending money, with some victims losing their life savings, retirement accounts, homes, and vehicles; one Iowa victim alone lost over $55,000. Adonu operated Han-Dak LLC to launder the proceeds and provided false business documentation to obstruct the federal investigation.
herald-citizen.com
· 2026-07-31
Criminals are impersonating bank employees via phone calls, claiming fraudulent activity was detected and requesting account numbers and online banking credentials to gain access to victims' accounts. Americans lost an estimated $37 billion to telephone and internet fraud in 2025, though experts believe the actual figure is much higher due to underreporting, with only about 4.8% of victims reporting crimes to authorities. Bank officials warn customers to never provide account information over the phone and instead hang up and call their bank directly to verify any fraud alerts.
theguardian.com
· 2026-07-31
A senior Democratic congressman has accused FIFA of a "smash-and-grab scam" over its proposed $20 billion privatization of commercial operations, citing suspicious ties to the Trump administration and Joshua Kushner's investment firm Thrive Capital. The alleged scheme involves JPMorgan Chase facilitating the deal while FIFA simultaneously awarded Trump a "peace prize," reversed a red card decision following a Trump call to FIFA's president, and benefited from the Justice Department dropping long-running bribery cases against the organization. If Democrats gain House control, the judiciary committee plans to investigate FIFA's financial dealings, subpoena witnesses, and examine the organization's relationship with Trump officials and the Kushner family.
latimes.com
· 2026-07-31
Immigration-related scams have surged dramatically in Orange County and nationwide, with con artists impersonating licensed attorneys using fake websites, AI-generated photos, and stolen identities to defraud vulnerable immigrants seeking legal help, with victims losing hundreds to thousands of dollars. The scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with some legitimate attorneys also participating in fraud by filing false asylum and visa applications without client knowledge, exploiting immigrants' desperation during a surge in deportation cases. Federal Trade Commission complaints about immigration service fraud increased from 623 in 2023 to 1,626 in 2025, and disciplinary actions against immigration lawyers nationwide have escalated significantly.
wdsu.com
· 2026-07-31
Scammers are targeting new employees with text messages impersonating company leaders and requesting purchases of gift cards, with amounts like $300 in Google gift cards reported. The scam exploits publicly available information from LinkedIn posts and job announcements to identify new hires and impersonate their managers. Experts advise verifying requests directly with coworkers and reporting suspicious messages to prevent financial loss, as these non-refundable digital purchases are difficult to recover.
riograndeguardian.com
· 2026-07-31
Summer travel scams are on the rise, with a McAfee report finding that 38% of travelers encountered travel-related scams and 41% of those lost money, as scammers increasingly use AI to make fraudulent schemes appear more authentic. Common summer scams include fake travel deals, password theft, caller ID spoofing impersonating airlines and hotels, and impersonation of government agencies using scare tactics. Protection strategies include verifying travel deals through official channels, never sharing passwords or one-time codes, keeping vacation photos private, and hanging up on suspicious callers rather than using the number on caller ID.
wtoc.com
· 2026-07-31
Savannah police warn residents about evolving phone and relationship scams where callers impersonate government agencies or claim family members are in jail to demand immediate payment, often through gift cards. Key warning signs include demands for urgent payment with tight deadlines, and victims are advised to hang up, contact their bank immediately, file a police report, and block unknown callers. Police also recommend that elderly residents secure personal and financial documents at home and remain vigilant about protecting vulnerable family members from scam attempts.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-07-31
Researchers conducted a study comparing AI chatbots to human scammers in "pig butchering" romance scams that lead to fake cryptocurrency investments, finding that AI chatbots significantly outperformed humans at the trust-building stage, with nearly 50% of test subjects complying with chatbot requests versus fewer than 20% for human scammers. The study, based on interviews with 145 former scam workers including trafficking survivors from Southeast Asia, suggests that scammers could use AI to automate the lengthy relationship-building phase before handing off to humans for the final investment solicitation to bypass AI safeguards. This hybrid approach could enable scam operations to defraud victims of six-figure
commbank.com.au
· 2026-07-31
Tax impersonation scams are targeting Australians via SMS, email, and phone calls that mimic the ATO or myGov, claiming refunds are waiting, money is owed, or details need updating, with links leading to fake websites designed to steal personal information. CommBank research found 62% of participants are exposed to scams at least once weekly, with both individuals and small businesses vulnerable, particularly during tax season as the October 31 lodgment deadline approaches. The scams succeed because they appear legitimate and exploit authority bias and psychological factors like stress and time pressure, rather than relying on obvious warning signs.
legis1.com
· 2026-07-31
A Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing examined AI-powered fraud schemes that clone voices to impersonate loved ones and create deepfakes, with online scam losses increasing 26% in 2025 to an average household loss of $1,009. Experts testified that AI tools have made existing scams more sophisticated while lowering barriers for criminals, prompting lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation including the Guard Act and National Strategy for Combating Scams Act to strengthen law enforcement efforts and create reporting systems targeting elder fraud.
wislawjournal.com
· 2026-07-31
Roshan Shah, 22, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering after collecting over $3.7 million from 15 elderly victims across the United States. Co-conspirators in India called victims claiming their identities were used in crimes, then instructed them to surrender cash or gold to Shah, posing as a federal agent, for safekeeping. Shah was ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution, including $526,095 to a New Berlin couple who liquidated investment accounts to purchase gold coins they believed would be placed in government protection.
psca.org
· 2026-07-31
Scammers impersonate retailers or government agencies and falsely transfer calls to fake SSA representatives who claim the victim's identity has been stolen, then request signatures on documents and promise a new Social Security number. The SSA warns that legitimate agencies cannot transfer calls directly to SSA or OIG, and that caller ID can be spoofed, making any such call a scam. Consumers should report suspected SSA scams to oig.ssa.gov/report.
helpnetsecurity.com
· 2026-07-31
Cybercrime has evolved into a commercialized subscription-based ecosystem where criminals rent AI tools, malware, and infrastructure to conduct attacks at scale, with threat actors targeting executives, consumers, and enterprises through impersonation fraud, phishing, banking trojans, and pig-butchering scams. The sector employs cloaking technology, bulletproof hosting, and AI-generated lures to evade detection, with specific cases including fake CAPTCHA scams costing victims approximately $30 per interaction and Android banking trojans stealing digital identities including facial biometrics and one-time passwords. This fragmented criminal economy enables low-skilled actors to operate efficiently while exploiting trusted infrastructure and corporate networks,
financefeeds.com
· 2026-07-31
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture action seeking to recover $2.12 million in Tether (USDT) from a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment scam that targeted multiple victims through fake trading platforms and romance scams. Scammers built trust with victims via dating apps and social media, then persuaded them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms that displayed fake profits and repeatedly demanded additional fees before allowing withdrawals. Investigators used blockchain analysis to trace the stolen cryptocurrency through multiple wallets, and worked with Tether to freeze the tokens before pursuing legal recovery.
businessinsider.com
· 2026-07-31
Agentic fraud—automated scams planned and executed entirely by AI without human involvement—is emerging as a major threat, with AI systems now capable of researching targets, conducting convincing conversations across multiple platforms, and scaling operations far beyond what human fraudsters could achieve. According to Incode's research, there were 66 publicly reported AI-enabled fraud incidents in the U.S., with major tech companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Microsoft already detecting criminal use of their AI systems for romance scams, phishing, data theft, and extortion. Incode predicts that within two years, the majority of fraud losses worldwide will stem from agentic fraud, with imposter scams alone
firstalert4.com
· 2026-07-31
The Better Business Bureau is warning college students and parents of two prevalent scams ahead of the fall semester: fake rental listings where scammers copy legitimate property photos and descriptions, and fraudulent back-to-school shopping deals offering steep discounts. The BBB received over 400 reports of fake rental listings last year with losses totaling millions of dollars, with red flags including requests for deposits or personal information before viewing a property in person. Consumers are advised to shop only with familiar retailers, verify business credentials on BBB.org, and use credit cards for online purchases to dispute charges if needed.
nevadacountyca.gov
· 2026-07-31
biometricupdate.com
· 2026-07-30
AI-enabled fraud against older Americans is escalating rapidly, with criminals using voice cloning, deepfakes, and stolen personal data to impersonate loved ones and trusted professionals, exploiting emotions like fear and urgency more effectively than ever before. A 64-year-old California woman lost $5,400 in a kidnapping scam after being convinced by an AI-cloned voice of her daughter, while the Senate Special Committee on Aging reported that Americans over 60 lost $7.7 billion to scams in 2025, with $893 million specifically linked to AI-enabled fraud across over 22,000 complaints. The hearing emphasized that while AI hasn't changed the emotional tactics of
inkl.com
· 2026-07-30
A scammer posing as a Medina County Sheriff's captain attempted to extort $2,400 from an Ohio police captain by claiming he had missed jury duty and faced arrest, but was exposed when his target recorded the call and revealed he was a law enforcement officer. Government impersonation scams cost Americans $920 million in 2025, with older adults being particularly vulnerable to this common fraud scheme that uses fear and urgency to pressure victims into untraceable payments via cash, gift cards, or wire transfers. The FTC advises that legitimate courts contact jurors by mail, never by phone, and urges people to hang up and verify claims through official agency numbers rather than using contact information provided by callers
pdcn.org
· 2026-07-30
A 73-year-old Baldwin resident was defrauded of $40,000 after receiving a phone call claiming his bank account and social security number were compromised and instructing him to withdraw cash for safekeeping. The victim met an unknown subject in a parking lot on Grand Avenue and handed over the money, later realizing he had been scammed. Junkai Chen, 35, of Fresh Meadows, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree in connection with the elder fraud scheme.
punchng.com
· 2026-07-30
The First Lady of Nigeria called for increased vigilance against online scams targeting young Nigerians, warning that traffickers are exploiting educated graduates through fraudulent overseas employment and investment offers that lead to forced criminality. According to Nigeria's National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, over 300,000 people are trafficked annually into scam compounds in Southeast Asia where they are forced to conduct romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment schemes targeting victims in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Nigeria remains one of the world's highest-burden countries for human trafficking, with approximately 156 victims rescued since January 2026 and over 300 others repatriated from
ppc.land
· 2026-07-30
HUMAN Security research reveals that AI-powered phone farms have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for large-scale scams, with threat actors able to launch romance scams, investment fraud, and fake-account campaigns for as little as $5,000 upfront or rent 25 virtual phones for approximately $2,970 monthly. The "FunFoneFarm" ecosystem combines cheap secondhand phone circuit boards, orchestration software like Auto.js, and AI tools to create fleets that mimic human behavior and evade platform detection. This technological infrastructure enables fraudsters to capitalize on an estimated $27.8 billion lost annually to romance and investment scams.
wired.com
· 2026-07-30
Researchers from four universities conducted a study showing that AI chatbots are more effective than human scammers at building trust during "pig butchering" scams, which are romance-based text fraud schemes that lead to fake cryptocurrency investments stealing six-figure sums from victims. In simulations with test subjects, nearly half complied with requests from AI chatbots compared to fewer than one in five for human scammers, with victims also rating the AI chatbots as significantly more trustworthy. The findings suggest that AI could autonomously handle the trust-building phase of these scams, with human scammers only taking over at the final investment solicitation stage to evade AI safeguards.
broadandliberty.com
· 2026-07-29
In 2024, Kris Vollrath's parents fell victim to a Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes scam in which they sent approximately $35,000 in payments before the fraud was discovered. The scammer used fake official documents and built trust over six weeks while instructing the victims to keep the scheme secret, exploiting the shame and confusion that kept them from reporting it initially. Vollrath describes how elder fraud targeting seniors in Chester County communities requires stronger state legislation, including enhanced criminal penalties, interstate coordination tools, and bank protections to flag suspicious transactions.