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nbcsports.com
· 2026-08-13
Former NFL executive Steve Keim apologized to eight friends and two family members who lost money in an alleged drop-shipping scam run by Mohamed Coulibaly, who was found dead in his swimming pool. Keim invested in Coulibaly's company starting in July and recruited others to buy stores, but payments stopped in March and April, resulting in losses totaling seven figures for Keim and potential losses for other investors. The FBI interviewed Keim and cleared him as a suspect, with Keim characterizing the scheme as a Ponzi operation where Coulibaly used his name to legitimize the business while concealing fraudulent activities.
townhall.com
· 2026-08-13
Babajide Adesayo, a Georgia man, was convicted of laundering $2.7 million stolen from elderly victims through romance and online scams between April 2020 and September 2021. Fraudsters posed as romantic partners or business associates to convince elderly victims to send their retirement savings, which Adesayo then transferred overseas to China, Hong Kong, and Nigeria to prevent recovery. Adesayo continued laundering money even after his indictment and arrest, and now faces up to 20 years in prison per conspiracy charge.
deseret.com
· 2026-08-13
Cindy lost her entire $80,000 life savings plus an $8,000 penalty to a "pig butchering" scam, where criminals gained her trust over weeks before luring her into a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme using a hacked friend's account. The article argues that victim-blaming culture prevents scam reporting and that accountability should instead focus on companies that fail to protect personal data, as sophisticated scams increasingly exploit leaked information and AI technology to deceive vulnerable people.
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-13
A Georgia man lost over $164,000 in a "pig butchering" scam after meeting a woman on Facebook who cultivated a romantic relationship with him before convincing him to invest in a fake cryptocurrency scheme. The FBI recovered approximately 0.28 Bitcoin (valued at $18,200) and won a civil forfeiture case, though victim reimbursement remains separate from government asset seizure.
betanews.com
· 2026-08-13
Meta launched Scam Alert, an optional WhatsApp feature that uses on-device machine learning to detect potential scam messages by identifying patterns like urgency cues and requests for personal information, without decrypting or transmitting message content. WhatsApp scams cost Americans $425 million in 2025, prompting the August 2026 beta rollout of this privacy-preserving detection system that flags suspicious messages from non-contacts while allowing users full control over warnings and data sharing.
ua.news
· 2026-08-13
Meta is testing a new Scam Alert feature in WhatsApp that uses on-device machine learning to detect and warn users about potentially fraudulent messages without sending content to Meta or other parties. The feature allows users to block contacts, report scams, or mark conversations as trusted if warnings are false positives. According to the FTC, WhatsApp scams caused $425 million in reported losses in 2025, with the platform being particularly vulnerable to money transfer schemes and "pig butchering" fraud among its 3 billion users.
techtimes.com
· 2026-08-13
WhatsApp launched Scam Alert, an optional beta feature that uses on-device machine learning to detect and flag suspected scam messages without sending content to Meta's servers, marking the first major encrypted messaging platform to combine anti-fraud AI with end-to-end encryption. The feature analyzes incoming messages from non-contacts for common scam patterns like urgency cues and financial solicitations, displaying warnings only to recipients who can then block, report, or trust the contact. WhatsApp's privacy-preserving design uses Trusted Execution Environments and differential privacy to collect only aggregate usage analytics, demonstrating that platforms can combat fraud without compromising encryption or user privacy.
aol.com
· 2026-08-13
A South Carolina man in Sun City Hilton Head lost over $800,000 in a romance scam that evolved into a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme spanning approximately one year. The scammers built trust through an online romantic relationship before introducing fake cryptocurrency investment opportunities on fraudulent platforms designed to display fabricated account balances and profits. The scheme employed common tactics including permitting small early withdrawals to establish credibility, then encouraging larger deposits with promises of increasingly lucrative returns before preventing victims from accessing their funds.
newsonjapan.com
· 2026-08-13
A 72-year-old emeritus professor at Kagawa University lost over 9 million yen and sold his apartment after being targeted by a romance scam in which a woman claiming to be "Aiko" built his trust before luring him into a fraudulent investment scheme. The case has renewed attention as authorities investigate former tennis player Rika Hiraki on suspicion of involvement in similar romance scams targeting victims through social media. Romance scams in Japan have more than doubled in the past two years, with people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s accounting for approximately 75% of victims.
pakistantoday.com.pk
· 2026-08-13
Pakistani authorities arrested 114 foreign nationals (111 Chinese and 3 Vietnamese) in Islamabad who were allegedly operating a cyber-romance and sextortion network from an IT company, targeting victims in multiple countries by luring them into explicit online interactions and then using the material for extortion and financial fraud. The suspects face charges under Pakistan's cyber crime and penal codes related to electronic fraud, sexual exploitation, and organized criminal activity, with investigations ongoing to identify additional victims and trace the financial infrastructure used in the scheme.
hoodline.com
· 2026-08-13
A York County man lost $47,000 to a romance scam where a 27-year-old Bronx resident posed as a grieving widow named "Lara Lafayette" on a dating app for widowed people, claiming she needed money to access an inheritance from her deceased father. The suspect, Abdul Rashid Ibraham, created fraudulent documents and bank certificates to convince the victim to send checks between March and April, before the scheme unraveled when a bank employee reported the suspicious activity. Ibraham faces felony charges including theft by deception and financial exploitation of an older adult, with investigators also discovering he used a stolen identity to open the bank account where the checks were deposited.
nbclosangeles.com
· 2026-08-13
Five men were arrested in Glendale following an investigation into a mail theft and identity theft scheme at an apartment complex on West Colorado Street, where suspects allegedly tampered with mailboxes, stole residents' mail, and used stolen personal information to fraudulently obtain credit cards. During search warrants executed on August 13, detectives recovered credit card re-encoding devices, numerous fraudulent credit cards, personal identity information, cash, and gold from the suspects' units. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify additional victims whose information may have been used in the fraudulent scheme.
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-12
A stolen vehicle recovered in Virginia led authorities to discover gold coins and a gold bar connected to a $2 million fraud scheme targeting elderly victims who were persuaded to purchase gold for scammers. The investigation identified at least one victim in James City County who made multiple payments to the suspects, with approximately $2 million expected to be recovered. The multi-state scheme, involving suspects who transported the gold to New York to be melted down, is believed to extend across Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and New York.
manxradio.com
· 2026-08-12
Over 500 business professionals, regulators, and law enforcement officers gathered at a conference in Douglas to address financial crime, including discussions on "pig-butchering" (online investment fraud) and transnational criminal enterprises. U.S. Treasury officers presented insights into sanctions investigations, while the UK National Crime Agency discussed Operation Atlantic, an initiative targeting online investment fraud schemes.
kompas.id
· 2026-08-12
Foreign cyber syndicates are operating from Indonesia by exploiting legal jurisdictional loopholes, primarily running love scams, online fraud, and gambling schemes that target victims abroad to avoid Indonesian law enforcement. From January to August 2026, Indonesia's immigration authority took action against 10,911 foreign nationals for administrative violations related to these crimes, a 146% increase from 2025, with perpetrators from countries like Vietnam and China deliberately targeting victims in the United States, Mexico, and other foreign nations. Since direct criminal prosecution is hindered by the absence of domestic victims, authorities are using immigration law violations as the primary enforcement mechanism to deport or prosecute the offenders.
thepaypers.com
· 2026-08-12
Cryptocurrency fraud has evolved from a niche problem into a mainstream threat affecting banks, payment providers, and ecommerce platforms, with organized operations running "pig butchering" romance and investment scams from industrial compounds in Southeast Asia targeting victims globally for an estimated USD 18–37 billion in losses in 2023 alone. Common crypto scam types include romance/investment schemes, phishing attacks that steal wallet credentials, fake investment platforms using Ponzi structures, and insider threats from employees with privileged access to digital assets. Financial institutions and regulators must understand how these professionally-run, script-based fraud operations work to identify them earlier in the transaction chain rather than after funds are lost.
haveagonews.com.au
· 2026-08-12
Scammers are increasingly targeting older Western Australians through gift card fraud, using tactics including romance scams where fraudsters build false relationships before requesting money, and impersonation scams where they pose as employers, government agencies, or business executives to pressure victims into purchasing gift cards. Notable cases include a woman who lost $17,000 to a fake CEO email, another who lost $77,000 to a romance scam, and a man in his 70s who lost $50,000 in similar schemes. Legitimate organizations never request payment via gift cards, and consumers should verify requests in person while retailers are encouraged to watch for unusual purchases and alert staff to coaching tactics scammers use to circumvent warnings
united24media.com
· 2026-08-12
Telegram's over one billion users and limited moderation make it an increasingly popular platform for scammers who create fake channels impersonating legitimate companies and public figures, send phishing messages designed to steal login credentials and personal information, and promote cryptocurrency investment scams promising guaranteed returns or orchestrating "pump-and-dump" schemes. The article outlines how fraudsters exploit the platform's accessibility and lack of account verification to target millions of potential victims globally, and provides guidance on recognizing these common scams to protect users from financial loss and account compromise.
nbcsports.com
· 2026-08-12
Mohamed Coulibaly, a 23-24-year-old man connected to NFL coaches, executives, and players, allegedly ran a fraudulent investment scheme involving fake Shopify stores that resembled a Ponzi scheme, defrauding multiple victims including former Cardinals GM Steve Keim of substantial sums. On the day he was found dead in his swimming pool, Coulibaly was desperately seeking a $75,000 loan from a New York man to whom he already owed $1 million, offering fake collateral including counterfeit Rolex watches and an unauthenticated signed Messi cleat. His death is under investigation as authorities work to determine whether it was a
altoonamirror.com
· 2026-08-12
Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday is urging passage of Senate Bill 738, which would allow bank employees to place seven-day holds on transactions suspected of fraud, with possible 15-day extensions by officials. The push comes as older adults in Pennsylvania lost nearly $216 million to online scams in 2025, with investment scams accounting for over $98 million (up 75% from 2024), government impersonation scams at $10.66 million, and romance scams at $20.2 million. Similar fraud-prevention legislation has already been enacted in at least 33 states, including Georgia as of July 1.
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-12
A Dooly County man lost $164,000 in a "Pig Butchering" romance scam, where he was deceived through Facebook into investing in fake cryptocurrency by someone posing as a woman. After the victim reported the crime to the FBI, federal prosecutors successfully seized approximately $18,000 worth of Bitcoin that had been stolen from him, with the suspected scammers operating out of Malaysia. The case highlights a growing trend of cryptocurrency investment fraud, with Georgia residents reporting over $152 million in investment fraud losses in 2024, with crypto accounting for $132 million of that total.
money.com
· 2026-08-12
Fraudsters are impersonating FCC officials via calls and texts, claiming victims' phone numbers are under investigation and demanding money or personal financial information, with the FCC warning that it never contacts people this way. The article also highlights related scams including gold bar schemes targeting seniors (with losses exceeding $100 million in New York alone) and recovery scams that prey on previous fraud victims by promising to return lost money for an upfront fee.
e.vnexpress.net
· 2026-08-11
In the first half of 2024, Thailand experienced $273 million in online scams, with Facebook accounting for over 61% of cases through fake pages, fraudulent investment schemes, and impersonation tactics affecting approximately 51 million users in the country. The Thailand Consumers Council has filed lawsuits against Meta and financial institutions seeking compensation for victims and establishing accountability for digital platforms' role in consumer protection. Authorities are implementing measures including real-time data sharing among banks to identify and suspend accounts connected to fraudulent activity, particularly "mule accounts" used to quickly transfer stolen funds.
mikebolhuis.co.za
· 2026-08-11
This document outlines evolving crimes against women in South Africa, including romance scams orchestrated by organized syndicates that build trust over weeks before requesting money or personal information, sextortion schemes where intimate images are used for extortion, digital surveillance through tracking devices and spyware, and human trafficking operations that use deception to recruit victims through fake job or modeling opportunities. The document emphasizes that public awareness and prevention measures—such as verifying identities before sending money, never negotiating with extortionists, securing digital accounts, and independently verifying employment offers—are critical tools for protecting women from these technologically sophisticated crimes.
news.tvb.com
· 2026-08-11
Police received over 100 investment scam reports involving total losses of 150 million dollars, with one case detailing a retired teacher who lost 3.6 million dollars after fraudsters posing as stock experts lured her through a fake social media advertisement to use a counterfeit investment app and make multiple transfers. The scammers manipulated the app to show fake profits while blocking withdrawals and demanding additional fees, exemplifying the police warning against investment advertisements promising high returns with zero risk.
mk.co.kr
· 2026-08-11
A criminal organization of seven members, including a Chinese man in his 50s, defrauded 436 people of approximately 40.9 billion won by creating a fake volunteer group called "Brilliance Team" and promoting fraudulent investments in a non-existent virtual asset called "AIXT Coin." The group used multiple deceptive tactics including Ponzi scheme mechanics, romance scams, multi-level recruitment, and AI manipulation through fake media coverage to build credibility before disappearing after failing to deliver promised exchange listings. Victims and police suggest the actual damage could reach hundreds of billions of won with thousands of additional undocumented victims.
afr.com
· 2026-08-11
Nigerian internet scammers, known as "Yahoo Boys," target lonely or vulnerable Westerners by impersonating attractive women or celebrities in romance scams that often result in financial loss. One notable case involved a scammer posing as an American soldier promising to ship gold from Syria, who defrauded a middle-class woman in Madrid, prompting Spanish journalist Carlos Barragán to investigate the operation after his own mother fell victim. These schemes exploit emotional vulnerability and trust to manipulate victims into sending money or disclosing personal information.
fincrimecentral.com
· 2026-08-11
Babajide Adesayo, a 41-year-old Georgia resident, was convicted of laundering over $2.7 million stolen from elderly victims of romance fraud and other online schemes between April 2020 and September 2021. Adesayo received the criminal proceeds through business accounts controlled by co-defendant Efemena Igbe, disguised the transfers as vehicle sales, and rapidly moved the funds to overseas accounts in China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, and other jurisdictions. The victims, primarily elderly people deceived by fraudsters posing as romantic partners or business contacts, had been manipulated into sending retirement savings and substantial personal funds based on fabricated emergencies.
the420.in
· 2026-08-11
Researchers from Northeastern University and partner institutions found that AI chatbots are significantly more effective than human scammers at building emotional trust in "pig butchering" fraud schemes, persuading nearly 50% of test participants to comply with risky requests compared to 18% for human scammers. The study used a Claude AI model instructed to deny being artificial intelligence and create cover stories when questioned, demonstrating how AI can sustain prolonged conversations to gradually gain victims' confidence. Although participants could identify the AI chatbot after the experiment, many expressed surprise and disbelief, suggesting AI-powered scams pose a growing threat in long-term online investment fraud.
odaily.news
· 2026-08-11
North Korea stole at least $2.8 billion in cryptocurrency between January 2024 and September 2025, laundering the funds through criminal networks including money mules in the Philippines, Indonesia, and China to support its weapons programs. The stolen tokens were frequently mixed with proceeds from investment scams like "pig butchering" schemes and converted to cash through peer-to-peer markets and organized crime syndicates, with recovery efforts recovering only $48.4 million from the Bybit exchange hack.
decrypt.co
· 2026-08-11
North Korea stole at least $2.8 billion in cryptocurrency between January 2024 and September 2025, which researchers believe funds its weapons program, and is increasingly laundering these stolen assets through criminal networks used by scam syndicates to obscure the money trail. The regime converts the stolen crypto into cash through decentralized services, over-the-counter desks, and peer-to-peer traders, often using recruited money mules in the Philippines, Indonesia, and China, while breaking conversions into small amounts under $7,000 to avoid triggering bank reviews. In one major case, the Bybit exchange recovered only $48.4 million of the $1.5 billion
thenextweb.com
· 2026-08-11
Impersonation scams using AI technology surged over 1,400% in 2025, with AI-enabled operations generating 4.5 times more revenue than non-AI operations while reaching significantly more victims through deepfake identity verification that costs as little as $20 and defeats liveness checks 58% of the time. Crypto accounts for 88% of all detected deepfake fraud globally, with North American losses exceeding $410 million in the first half of 2025, though enforcement efforts have resulted in $4.4 billion in frozen assets and nearly 5,800 arrests across 97 countries.
cbs2iowa.com
· 2026-08-11
The Iowa Attorney General's Office is partnering with Meta to combat online scams, particularly romance, investment, and tech support fraud targeting Iowans through social media. Americans lost nearly $16 billion to online fraud last year, with romance scams involving fake identities to solicit money or cryptocurrency, investment scams promoting fraudulent financial opportunities, and tech support scams impersonating legitimate companies. The partnership includes educational materials at the Iowa State Fair and joint training for law enforcement to help identify and investigate cybercriminals.
scrippsnews.com
· 2026-08-11
Social media ad scams resulted in more than $90 million in losses in 2025, with Facebook being the most-used platform for fraud, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. The scams took multiple forms including investment schemes, shopping fraud impersonating major brands, and romance scams, with shopping scams being the most commonly reported type. The FTC noted an eightfold increase in social media scam losses since 2020 and advised consumers to limit post visibility and avoid taking investment advice from people met only online.
cyberpeace.org
· 2026-08-11
A scam network in Hyderabad, India used AI-generated images and affordable "rent a boyfriend" service packages (₹499-₹4,499) advertised via social media to target lonely individuals, particularly young women, who paid via QR codes before the fraudsters disappeared. The scheme exploits loneliness and uses classic confidence-fraud tactics including love bombing and mirrored interests to lower victims' guard before requesting payment. Global romance and confidence fraud losses reached $929.3 million in 2025 according to the FBI, with AI-generated profiles increasingly used as an accelerant for such scams.
ottumwaradio.com
· 2026-08-11
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Meta launched a joint public awareness campaign to combat romance, investment, and tech support scams that target Iowans on social media platforms, with educational materials distributed at the Iowa State Fair in August. Americans lost nearly $16 billion to online fraud last year, and Iowa's Attorney General's office receives thousands of complaints annually from scam victims, often targeted by international criminals. The partnership includes law enforcement training and Meta's commitment to identify and remove fraudulent accounts and content.
peninsuladailynews.com
· 2026-08-10
A financial scam prevention seminar in Sequim, Washington on July 27 educated seniors about fraud tactics used against them, with law enforcement officials warning that Clallam County residents have lost millions of dollars to scams involving impersonation of government agents, gold and Bitcoin conversion, and identity theft. The presenters emphasized that prevention is critical because victims are extremely difficult to recover losses for, citing cases where residents lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and one 83-year-old woman lost her house after being scammed. The officials recommended seniors use locking mailboxes, monitor bank statements monthly, and obtain free annual credit reports to protect themselves.
stories.td.com
· 2026-08-10
Fraud losses reached $16 billion in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023, with rising scams involving fake celebrity endorsements, cryptocurrency schemes, and QR code fraud. Criminals are increasingly using stolen celebrity images on social media to lure victims into bogus investment schemes and pressuring people, particularly seniors, to send money through cryptocurrency ATMs where funds are nearly impossible to recover. Experts recommend verifying information sources directly, remaining skeptical of social media claims, and openly discussing fraud experiences to help others recognize warning signs.
valawyersweekly.com
· 2026-08-10
A Waltham, Massachusetts attorney and at least 20 other lawyers were targeted in a scam where perpetrators posed as clients, requested legal services, then asked the attorneys to hold large sums of money in escrow before pressuring them to quickly disburse the funds to third parties. The scammers deposited fraudulent checks (averaging $100,000 payouts, with one victim losing over $500,000) that initially appeared to clear but were later reversed by the banks, leaving the attorneys responsible for replacing the missing funds from their personal accounts and client trust accounts.
turnto23.com
· 2026-08-10
Bakersfield residents are experiencing multiple scams, with investment fraud being the costliest, involving scammers building trust via text or social media before directing victims to fake cryptocurrency or gold trading platforms. Online purchase scams featuring counterfeit products and home improvement upfront payment schemes are also prevalent and taking significant amounts of money. The Better Business Bureau advises checking businesses at bbb.org, avoiding urgent links, and being wary of high-pressure sales tactics demanding immediate payment.
newsbreak.com
· 2026-08-10
An 86-year-old Manhattan resident with age-related memory loss lost approximately $700,000 to an impostor scam between August 2023 and mid-2024 after scammers convinced her that her accounts had been hacked and instructed her to convert savings into gold bullion. She is suing Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, UBS Financial, and TD Bank, alleging they failed to detect and stop the fraud despite the transfers ($275,000 from Merrill Lynch, $150,000 from TD Bank, $100,000+ from UBS, plus other amounts) drastically departing from her decades-long pattern of never withdrawing more than $5
yellow.com
· 2026-08-10
Daren Li, a 42-year-old dual Chinese-St. Kitts national, received a 20-year maximum prison sentence for orchestrating a $73 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme involving Cambodia-based scam operations that targeted American victims through spoofed trading platforms and romance scams. Li became a fugitive in December 2025 after cutting off his ankle monitor, and the sentencing was imposed in absentia; at least $73.6 million in victim funds flowed through accounts he controlled, with roughly $59.8 million laundered through U.S. shell companies into cryptocurrency. The case represents one of the largest "pig butchering" prosecutions in the U.S
lawfaremedia.org
· 2026-08-10
A 51-year-old Massachusetts man lost over $400,000 in a pig-butchering scam, where a scammer posing as "Emily" on LinkedIn cultivated a false relationship before persuading him to invest in fake cryptocurrency opportunities. Pig-butchering scams are a rapidly expanding transnational fraud industry concentrated in Southeast Asia, responsible for $7.2 billion in reported U.S. losses in 2025, often perpetrated by organized criminal enterprises using trafficked workers forced to conduct scams under threats of violence. The scams involve criminals contacting victims through social media, building trust over time, then directing them to fraudulent investment platforms that display fake profits before the funds disapp
lexingtoninstitute.org
· 2026-08-10
Matthew Killian, a senior State Department official, warned that Southeast Asia-based criminal networks steal at least $12.5 billion annually from Americans through cyber-enabled fraud schemes including cryptocurrency investment scams, romance scams, impersonation, and sextortion. These transnational criminal organizations also exploit hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims in forced criminality, and the State Department is calling for cooperation with Congress, tech companies, financial institutions, and media to combat these threats.
ftc.gov
· 2026-08-10
The FTC has halted a credit repair scheme operated by Credit Glory, a network of 17 related companies and five principals, that defrauded consumers of nearly $200 million since 2016 through false promises, illegal upfront fees, impersonation of creditors, and unlawful subscription practices. The defendants specifically targeted vulnerable consumers, including military servicemembers, using paid Google search ads to promise credit improvements they failed to deliver. A federal court in Arizona temporarily shut down the operation, and the defendants face violations of multiple federal laws including the Credit Repair Organizations Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule.
newsbreak.com
· 2026-08-09
Devin Ward Elder, CEO of DJE Texas Management Group in San Antonio, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to wire fraud after raising over $69.5 million from approximately 345 investors between January 2023 and March 2025 through false promises about investment returns, risk levels, and his personal participation in 17 real-estate deals. Elder used funds from new investors to make interest payments to existing investors without disclosing the source, and when new capital slowed in March 2025, he halted payments and informed investors that projects would not be completed and substantial losses were likely. The scheme averaged approximately $200,000 per investor, with Elder facing up to 20
mbiz.heraldcorp.com
· 2026-08-09
A business owner fell victim to a "no-show scam" after receiving a call from someone impersonating a city hall employee requesting he purchase vehicle radios and wire payment to a designated account; the promised commission never materialized. No-show scams, where fraudsters impersonate government or public institution officials to pressure victims into proxy purchases, have surged dramatically, with 1,376 cases reported in South Korea between June and October, representing 37% of all phishing fraud reported during that period. The government warns that legitimate public institution employees never solicit contracts or financial transactions via personal mobile phones.
en.bloomingbit.io
· 2026-08-09
A South Korean sanitation worker was convicted of perjury and fraud crimes after participating in a romance scam and cryptocurrency investment fraud operation at a crime compound in Cambodia, where he helped defraud victims including one who lost 183.6 million won ($133,000). He falsely testified in court that he thought he was taking a leisure trip to Cambodia, when he actually knew he was hired for illegal work with specific compensation terms of 2 million won ($1,450) base salary plus performance incentives. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced him to three years in prison after finding he actively participated in the scheme by training in scam methods, approaching victims, and helping set up fraud infrastructure before being expelled from the organization.
fingerlakesdailynews.com
· 2026-08-09
New York State Police warn of a growing scam targeting older adults in which fraudsters build trust through unsolicited contact, then convince victims to purchase cryptocurrency or gold bars that are handed over to couriers or shipped away, often resulting in loss of life savings. The scams typically begin with fake investment opportunities on fraudulent websites showing high returns, and victims are instructed to keep transactions secret from family and banks. Police stress that legitimate financial institutions and government agencies never ask people to purchase gold, transfer cryptocurrency, or hand assets to couriers.
nypost.com
· 2026-08-09
Scammers defrauded the city of Pittsburg, California of $913,000 meant for a recreation center construction project by posing as the builder company Discovery Builders and impersonating a city employee through a spoofed email address containing a subtle alteration. The fraudsters hacked the assistant city manager's email to convince finance staff to update banking information, then moved the stolen funds through multiple accounts with help from unwitting accomplices, including an Illinois man who converted $217,000 to cryptocurrency. The city recovered approximately $696,000 with FBI assistance, but faces an estimated $100,000 loss after accounting for insurance coverage of the remaining missing funds.