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in Robocall / Phone Scam
ksl.com
· 2025-12-08
Scam Jam, an educational event held in Sandy, Utah, brought together FBI and AARP experts to educate residents about common fraud schemes including romance, internet, cryptocurrency, and tech support scams. The event featured a personal testimony from Rita, who lost several thousand dollars to a romance scam impersonating a celebrity, emphasizing the importance of reporting fraud despite the emotional and financial toll. Utah reported over 150,000 fraud cases totaling $61 million in losses, with experts stressing that fraud prevention through awareness and recognizing red flags is more effective than recovery efforts.
abc7ny.com
· 2025-12-08
Consumer fraud increased 25 percent in 2024, with Americans losing $12.5 billion total, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Common scams include robocalls, phishing emails (particularly fake job recruitment and toll collection schemes), and fraudulent websites mimicking legitimate retailers like Joann Fabrics. Experts recommend using call-blocking apps, verifying email addresses and website URLs, paying by credit card, and considering identity theft protection insurance to help prevent fraud.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced increased efforts to combat elder fraud schemes—including romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandpament scams—that cost victims billions of dollars and deplete life savings. The office employs a two-pronged approach: prosecuting domestic and foreign criminals involved in elder fraud and money laundering, and conducting outreach to law enforcement and community groups on prevention and detection. The National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) provides free support to seniors age 60 and older who have experienced financial fraud, offering victim assessment, reporting assistance,
livemint.com
· 2025-12-08
Pushpalata Jharia, a 36-year-old ASHA health worker from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, lost ₹4 lakh over 1.5 months in an elaborate lottery scam involving fake prize claims, emotional manipulation, and staged kidnapping threats. After being coerced into traveling across multiple cities and recording a distressing video, she was located in Greater Noida following a habeas corpus petition filed in the High Court, though she remains psychologically manipulated and believes the scammers are "good people" and her prize is real. Authorities are working to trace the foreign-based perpetrators while providing counseling to help Push
keralakaumudi.com
· 2025-12-08
Singer Amrutha Suresh lost Rs 45,000 to a WhatsApp account takeover scam after a hacker gained access to her cousin's account and impersonated her requesting urgent money transfer. Suresh discovered the fraud when her cousin called to warn her that her WhatsApp had been hacked through a phishing call posing as a courier delivery inquiry; she immediately reported the incident to police, who froze the recipient's account and recovered Rs 124 of the transferred amount.
channelnewsasia.com
· 2025-12-08
Mr. Richard Giam and his family lost approximately S$500,000 to a Ponzi scheme operated by a charismatic forex trader who was introduced to him through a friend in 2019. Beyond the financial loss, Giam experienced significant emotional and relational damage, including broken friendships and shame, particularly because he had recruited over 20 people—including close friends and family—into the fraudulent scheme before it collapsed and the trader was arrested. Giam reflects on how trust, built gradually through personal connection and consistent false returns, made him vulnerable to the scam and led him to unknowingly become an accomplice in defrauding others.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Sandy Hunter fell victim to a text message toll scam in January after receiving a fraudulent text requesting payment for tolls from her cross-country trip; she clicked the link and made a payment, resulting in $300 in unauthorized purchases on her credit card in California. The scam exploited her hurried state and emotional response to the threat of driver's license suspension, demonstrating how toll text scams are currently common in Utah. Hunter and FBI officials at a Scam Jam awareness event in Salt Lake City advised victims to verify sender information (checking country codes), avoid using debit cards for online payments, and take time to review websites carefully before entering payment information.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
A 60-year-old retired Air Force officer in Noida was defrauded of ₹1 crore in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam where cybercriminals posing as Mumbai Police and CBI officers kept him isolated via video call for 27 days, gradually coercing him to transfer his savings under the pretense of a money laundering investigation. The scam involved doctored documents, impersonation of senior officials, and psychological manipulation to prevent the victim from contacting anyone, and was only discovered when a relative grew suspicious after being unable to reach him. Noida Police have launched an investigation in collaboration with bank authorities and cyber forensic experts, with preliminary
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 32-year-old property agent in Singapore narrowly avoided losing a five-figure sum when a bank app warning message alerted her during a government impersonation scam in March 2024. Scammers posing as police officers and bank staff had spent four hours pressuring her to transfer money to a "secure account" by falsely claiming she was under investigation for money laundering and presenting fake court orders. Singapore experienced $151.3 million in losses to such government official impersonation scams in 2024, with experts advising victims to disengage, verify claims with trusted contacts, and recognize that everyone is susceptible to manipulation tactics employed by scammers.
dentonrc.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article presents a quiz-format overview of common elder fraud schemes and prevention strategies, based on insights from a Texas Elder Justice Coalition summit. Key scams covered include romance/pig butchering scams, tech support fraud, impersonation scams using AI, fake lottery schemes, and caregiver theft, with recommendations including reporting to IC3.gov, using family code words, and recognizing warning signs like secretive apps and unusual bank activity.
newslj.com
· 2025-12-08
This compilation of scam alerts documents multiple phishing and fraud schemes targeting individuals and organizations: a DocuSign phishing scam redirects victims to a Canva site potentially hosting malware like ScreenConnect; a "phantom payment" email uses hidden text to disguise phishing attempts; a fake "healthcare award" scam impersonates selection for professional programs to solicit video calls; and the University of Wyoming reported voicemail phishing emails with deceptive subject lines and non-audio file attachments. The alerts emphasize that mobile scams are increasingly prevalent, with half of US and UK mobile users encountering scams daily, and advise users to verify sender addresses, avoid clicking
techradar.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI has warned of a new SMS phishing scam targeting US drivers with fake text messages claiming unpaid toll fees are owed, directing recipients to malicious links designed to steal credit card and personal information. The scam mimics Department of Motor Vehicles communications and uses urgent language and threats of legal action to pressure victims into clicking links before they notice red flags like generic greetings, typos, fake sender addresses, and non-existent government agencies. Users are advised to delete suspicious messages immediately, avoid clicking unknown links, and report scams to the FTC or FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
au.pcmag.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are using paid search ads and a technique called "search parameter injection" to redirect customers of major brands like Bank of America, Netflix, Microsoft, PayPal, and Apple to legitimate-looking websites where fraudulent support numbers are displayed in the search bar, tricking users into calling scammers who then attempt to steal personal data, financial information, or remote computer access. Malwarebytes reports a 41% increase in such "malvertising" scams in the US between July and September 2024, with an estimated 90% of perpetrators operating from South and Southeast Asian countries. Users can protect themselves by watching for red flags including urgent language, pre-populated text in
8days.sg
· 2025-12-08
Ex-Taiwanese singer Wu Xue Fen was targeted by a scammer impersonating Hong Kong singer Alan Tam on Facebook and WeChat. The scammer, who claimed to have met Xue Fen years ago at a concert, gained her trust by promising to help her struggling music career and provide financial assistance after she shared her financial difficulties; the scam was discovered when the impersonator asked her to purchase Apple gift cards and became hostile when she refused. Though Xue Fen avoided financial loss by not complying with the fraudster's requests, the incident occurred during a vulnerable period when she was attempting a music comeback after 20 years away from the industry.
tech.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are using sponsored Google ads and a technique called "search parameter injection" to display fake customer support numbers on legitimate websites for major brands including Netflix, Microsoft, Bank of America, PayPal, Apple, Facebook, and HP. When victims call these fraudulent numbers, scammers impersonate company representatives to steal personal data, financial information, or gain remote access to computers. Malwarebytes reports that malvertising incidents in the US increased 41% between July and September 2024, with an estimated 90% of scammers operating from South and Southeast Asian countries.
sg.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 32-year-old property agent in Singapore nearly lost a five-figure sum to an impersonation scam in March 2024 when scammers posing as police officers and bank staff convinced her she was under investigation for money laundering and pressured her to transfer funds to a "safety account." A pause prompt on her bank's PayNow app alerting her to confirm the recipient's identity caused her to reconsider, and she hung up before completing the transfer and reported the incident to police. The case illustrates a common tactic in government impersonation scams—using fear, fake credentials, and urgency to manipulate victims—and experts advise disengaging from such
fox34.com
· 2025-12-08
Texas DPS issued a warning about scam calls and texts impersonating law enforcement and government agencies, falsely claiming victims have unpaid fees or active warrants and demanding payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or unsecured web portals. The agency advises that legitimate government agencies only contact citizens about fines through official written mail and recommends verifying any warrant or fee claims directly with local authorities or reporting suspected scams to law enforcement or the FCC.
kfiz.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisconsin residents reported receiving fraudulent letters impersonating a Canadian law firm claiming they were eligible to claim a $10 million life insurance policy (requesting $980,000 in processing fees) and a fake Medicare letter threatening penalty fees and requesting personal information from a soon-to-be Medicare enrollee. The article advises consumers to pause before acting, verify the sender's legitimacy, research common scam templates, and take preventative steps such as opting out of prescreened offers and reducing unsolicited mail through services like OptOutPrescreen.com and the DMA Mail Preference Service.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
The Central Bureau of Investigation uncovered a ₹100 crore GST refund fraud scheme involving a serving IRS customs officer and 29 others across Bihar and Jharkhand. The conspirators, including senior customs officials and private traders, fabricated export transactions for tiles and automobile parts to fraudulently claim GST refunds and tax exemptions, with raids recovering gold, forged documents, and digital evidence. The case highlights vulnerabilities in India's GST refund mechanisms and raises concerns about corruption within revenue enforcement agencies.
hackread.com
· 2025-12-08
A coordinated cryptocurrency theft operation targeted CoinMarketCap users through a malicious wallet verification pop-up embedded via a compromised homepage doodle image, draining approximately $43,266 from 110 victims using the Inferno Drainer toolkit. The attack used a convincing interface prompt that appeared across multiple pages on the site, tricking users into granting wallet access, with successful hits including stolen tokens like SOL, XRP, and PENGU. CoinMarketCap's security team detected and removed the malicious content, patched vulnerable systems, and confirmed the platform was secure following the incident.
nationthailand.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai authorities issued an urgent alert about a new wave of AI-powered voice-cloning scams targeting Thai citizens, where fraudsters use artificial intelligence to mimic the voices of family members, friends, or bosses and demand urgent money transfers by fabricating crises such as accidents or legal troubles. The government emphasized that victims should verify all information before transferring money and report suspected fraud through the Cyber Police hotline (1441) or dedicated website. This scam represents an escalation of existing threats like phishing and romance scams, with the AI technology making it significantly more difficult for victims to detect the deception in the moment.
bangkokpost.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai police arrested 21 suspects—20 South Koreans and one Chinese national—after rescuing a South Korean man from a luxury villa in Chon Buri who had been kidnapped and forced to work for a call centre scam operation. The gang ran romance and investment scams, luring victims into fake relationships to steal money, with operations coordinated through computers found at the villa. All suspects were apprehended following a raid initiated by a tip from the South Korean embassy, and the victim was confirmed safe and reunited with authorities.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI has filed to seize nearly $680,000 in cryptocurrency from a sophisticated romance scam targeting professionals on LinkedIn and dating apps. Two victims—a Solon, Ohio resident who lost $500,000 and an Arizona woman who lost $63,000—were deceived into investing in cryptocurrency after scammers built trust through social media before moving conversations to encrypted platforms. Investigators traced the stolen funds across blockchain networks, identifying how criminals converted the stolen assets to Tether stablecoin, demonstrating law enforcement's growing ability to track cryptocurrency fraud despite the technology's irreversible transactions and pseudonymous nature.
hellorayo.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Over the past three years, Essex residents lost more than £5.5 million to romance fraud, with 549 reported cases averaging £10,142 per victim, often targeting vulnerable older adults seeking companionship. One Kent woman lost nearly £100,000 and her home after being deceived by a scammer posing as an American serviceman on social media, and subsequently victimized again by extortion and impersonation scams. Police advise potential victims to avoid sending money to online contacts they haven't met in person, verify profile photos through reverse image searches, limit personal information sharing, and consult trusted friends and family rather than allowing fraudsters to isolate them.
wvnews.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Garrett County Sheriff Bryson Meyers issued a public awareness reminder about common scams targeting residents in the area, including tech support fraud, grandparent scams, government impersonation, romance scams, investment fraud, AI voice cloning, jury duty scams, and law enforcement impersonation. Residents are advised never to send money or personal information to unknown callers, avoid unsolicited pop-ups, and be alert to payment requests via Bitcoin or prepaid cards, as legitimate officials do not solicit payments by phone.
blog.knowbe4.com
· 2025-12-08
According to the FTC's October 2024 report, Americans lost an estimated $158.3 billion to scams in 2023 (approximately $433 million daily), with roughly 21 million U.S. citizens successfully scammed annually after adjusting for significant under-reporting. The top scams include investment fraud (often initiated through fake text messages leading to cryptocurrency schemes), fake job postings on legitimate employment sites, romance scams enhanced by AI deepfakes, tech support scams impersonating major tech companies, and fake vendor schemes.
koreaherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai police arrested 21 people (20 South Korean nationals and one Chinese national) operating an online romance scam from a luxury villa in Chon Buri Province after a tip from the South Korean Embassy revealed a kidnapped victim being forced to work for the operation. Officers discovered scripted investment pitch materials and confiscated electronic devices, indicating the group was part of a larger transnational fraud network. All suspects remained in custody facing legal proceedings under Thai law.
wfirnews.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
AARP Virginia Community Ambassador Shannon Abell warns that unusually cheap summer travel deals found online often indicate scams, and recommends that anyone suspicious of travel fraud contact AARP's free Fraud Watch Network hotline (877-908-3360) or webpage for assistance, which is available to people of all ages, not just seniors.
wtop.com
· 2025-12-08
Montgomery County, Maryland police warn of a scam targeting seniors where fraudsters impersonate bank employees and claim the victim's ATM card is compromised, then request the PIN and arrange to pick up the card—only to use it to drain the account at nearby ATMs. Victims have lost considerable sums, with seniors being frequent targets of this scheme. Police advise that legitimate banks never send couriers to retrieve cards and recommend calling your bank directly to verify any claims about card issues.
liherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Nearly 25 seniors at General Douglas MacArthur Village in Hempstead attended a scam awareness workshop presented by the Office of Crime Victim Advocate on June 9, where they learned to recognize and avoid common fraud schemes including romance scams, identity theft, deed theft, and "grandparent scams." The training, which covered tactics like phishing and bogus official calls that create artificial urgency, statistically reduces victimization risk by 80 percent according to studies. The New Greater Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Committee on Aging continues to provide resources and will host another awareness workshop in September.
12news.com
· 2025-12-08
A Jamaican man, Sherwayne Benjamin Bellinfantie, was extradited to Arizona and charged with wire fraud and money laundering for deceiving an 85-year-old woman in Vail, Arizona into sending nearly $400,000 between 2015 and 2019 through a romance scam involving fake lottery winnings. The FBI reports that online lottery scams targeting seniors in Arizona increased 400% between 2023 and 2024, with such international prosecutions being exceptionally rare. The article notes common scams include "pig butchering" schemes involving cryptocurrency and tech support frauds, and recommends avoiding unknown contacts, urgent messages, an
wnegradio.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Justice Department announced increased prosecution efforts against elder fraud schemes, which cost victims billions of dollars annually and often deplete life savings. The Northern District of Georgia has prosecuted multiple cases including an Indian call center scam where perpetrators impersonated government officials to fraudulently obtain funds, resulting in convictions and money laundering charges against Pradip Parikh, Alpesh Patel, and others. The Justice Department employs a two-pronged approach combining criminal prosecution with community outreach and education about common elder fraud schemes including romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams.
techradar.com
· 2025-12-08
Scam robocalls have declined 75% since fall 2021, but financial losses have increased significantly—rising from $692 million in 2021 to $948 million in 2024, with median losses per victim climbing from $1,200 to $1,500. Scammers have become far more efficient by using curated victim lists obtained from data breaches and the dark web, targeting specific customers with convincing impersonation rather than making indiscriminate calls. The article advises individuals to assume their personal information is already exposed and practice skepticism toward unexpected calls by using call-blocking technology and verifying callers through legitimate institutional contact numbers.
techradar.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2025, scammers are expected to leverage AI-driven tactics to conduct increasingly sophisticated fraud, building on the $1.03 trillion stolen in 2024. The article identifies five emerging scams including AI-powered robocalls with cloned voices, SIM swap attacks targeting two-factor authentication weaknesses, and OTP bot attacks, while noting common warning signs such as unsolicited urgent communications, requests for money transfers or app downloads, and suspicious video or audio inconsistencies. Consumers are advised to recognize these red flags and use enhanced security tools to protect themselves against evolving fraud schemes.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
Cindy Burns of Winter Springs, Florida, lost $15,000 to scammers who impersonated bank and Apple employees through a text message phishing scheme, ultimately convincing her to convert the money to Bitcoin. The Federal Trade Commission reported Americans lost $12.8 billion to fraud last year, with imposter scams ranking third; experts emphasize that social engineering exploits trust and manipulation to compromise personal information. To protect yourself, independently verify suspicious account alerts by calling official numbers directly, never provide information to unsolicited callers, and immediately recognize cryptocurrency conversion requests as likely scams.
sg.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
While reported U.S. losses to online and phone scams reached over $50 billion in 2023, actual losses may exceed $100 billion when accounting for the 80-90% of incidents that go unreported. WhatSpam, an AI-powered app launched in 2025, aims to protect Americans by blocking spam and scam calls, texts, and emails before they reach users, using artificial intelligence to counter increasingly sophisticated AI-generated scams while maintaining user privacy by storing data locally on devices.
wdrb.com
· 2025-12-08
A Louisville woman fell victim to a fake customer service scam after seeing items on Facebook Marketplace; when she searched Google for Facebook customer service, she reached scammers instead of the legitimate company. Amazon reported a 33% surge in customer service impersonation scams, with fraudsters posing as representatives from major companies and requesting verification codes or personal information. Experts advise consumers to contact companies only through official website channels rather than phone numbers found through search engines, which may be fake or lead to look-alike websites.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article identifies eight prevalent online scams in 2025, including phishing, verification malware, impersonation, fake job offers, holiday delivery fraud, donation scams, romance scams, and fake police calls. The article advises readers to watch for red flags such as urgency in messaging, requests for sensitive information (OTPs, passwords), unsolicited job offers asking for upfront payment, suspicious links, and emotional manipulation tactics. Key protection strategies include verifying sender identity through official channels, avoiding clicking links in unsolicited messages, never running commands from unknown websites, and being skeptical of legitimate-seeming requests from companies or government agencies.
bisinfotech.com
· 2025-12-08
AI-powered romance scams have become increasingly sophisticated, using deepfake videos, voice cloning, and emotionally intelligent chatbots to create convincing fake identities that exploit victims' psychological need for connection. India has experienced a 300% rise in online romance scams between 2022 and 2024, with victims losing an estimated ₹270 crore in 2024 alone, predominantly affecting educated urban professionals aged 25-40. These scams are particularly effective because the AI technology is now scalable, automated, and difficult to distinguish from genuine interactions, making even tech-savvy users vulnerable to emotional and financial exploitation.
yubanet.com
· 2025-12-08
On June 20, 2025, Rushabh Rajesh Desai, 35, of San Jose, was arrested by Nevada County Sheriff's Office deputies after attempting to scam a 75-year-old woman out of $30,000 through a phone scam; a concerned friend called 911 during the scam in progress, and deputies located Desai's vehicle near the victim's residence before the money could be handed over. Desai was charged with conspiracy to commit crime, attempting to obtain money by false pretense, and elder theft. The incident highlights the importance of contacting law enforcement or a trusted person immediately when suspicious contact occurs, as this quick action prevented the
wdrb.com
· 2025-12-08
A Louisville woman lost $9,000 to a "grandparent scam" in which a caller impersonated her grandson claiming he needed bail money, leading to the identification of a delivery person via doorbell camera footage. The arrest of the suspect at a local hotel within 36 hours initiated a nationwide investigation that ultimately resulted in six federal convictions and exposed an international call center network operating from Canada, Colombia, and Panama that had stolen over $3 million from elderly victims across the U.S. The victim has since recovered approximately half of her lost money and now recognizes such scams.
tcsheriff.org
· 2025-12-08
Travis County Sheriff's Office warns residents about phone scams impersonating law enforcement and financial institutions to demand immediate payment via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gift cards. Common scams include jury duty fines, grandchild-in-jail schemes, and fake bank fraud alerts that trick victims into withdrawing money or providing personal information. Residents should never send money over the phone to unknown callers and should independently verify requests by contacting official agencies directly rather than calling back spoofed numbers.
kgw.com
· 2025-12-08
An 87-year-old Portland man lost over $11,500 to a Publishers Clearing House prize scam after receiving a call claiming he'd won $850,000 and a Mercedes SUV, but needed to pay upfront fees. A scammer accompanied him to a Chase Bank branch and convinced him to withdraw $10,000 for "insurance and licensing," then later extract another $1,500 and purchase $1,500 in gift cards. Portland Police and Chase Bank are investigating the case, and the victim's wife criticized the bank teller for not alerting a manager despite the suspicious circumstances and the man's age.
13wmaz.com
· 2025-12-08
During summer months, scam tactics increase, particularly involving fake rental listings, imposter utility workers, and fraudulent utility shut-off calls targeting both consumers and businesses. Scammers exploit urgency and trust through pressure tactics—such as threatening immediate power shutoffs or presenting too-good-to-true vacation deals—and commonly request payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency. Experts recommend verifying unusual requests through official channels, trusting your instincts when something feels wrong, and using resources like the BBB Scam Tracker to report and learn about common schemes.
infosecurity-magazine.com
· 2025-12-08
Impersonation scams surged 148% year-over-year from April 2024 to March 2025, now accounting for 34% of all identity crimes reported to the Identity Theft Resource Center, with businesses (51%) and financial institutions (21%) as primary targets. AI tools are enabling cybercriminals to scale campaigns more effectively through fake websites, phishing emails, and fraudulent ads, though the ITRC notes that overall reported identity crimes declined 31% while the percentage of victims reporting multiple incidents increased from 15% to 24%. The organization warns that fewer reports likely reflect underreporting rather than fewer actual crimes, and that criminals are increasingly using AI to democratize
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
A Chinese student in London was sentenced to over a year in prison for using a portable "SMS blaster" device to send fraudulent text messages to tens of thousands of people between March 22-27, 2025. The device tricks mobile phones into connecting to a fake 2G network, allowing criminals to bypass anti-spam measures and send convincing phishing messages impersonating legitimate organizations like HMRC. Security experts recommend disabling 2G on Android devices and filtering unknown contacts on iPhones, while users can report suspicious texts to 7726 for investigation.
kptv.com
· 2025-12-08
An 87-year-old Portland man was scammed out of $11,500 in a fake Publishers Clearing House prize scheme after being told he had won $850,000, a Mercedes SUV, and cash. The scammer, posing as "Michael," instructed the victim to withdraw money from his bank and purchase gift cards at CVS, then disappeared after collecting the funds via mail and gift card codes. The victim and his wife are concerned about additional personal information that may have been compromised and have filed a police report, though surveillance footage collection has been delayed.
kcbx.org
· 2025-12-08
State Senator Monique Limón is hosting a free Senior Scam Prevention Seminar in Goleta on June 27 to educate older adults about protecting themselves from fraud, following warnings from law enforcement in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties about recent scam calls impersonating officers. Experts from the California Department of Insurance, Consumer Affairs, and Department of Justice will present information on common scam tactics including fake tech support, grandparent scams, fake lottery winnings, and phony home repair offers that frequently target seniors.
pa.gov
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania state agencies warned residents about a fake inheritance scam targeting older adults, in which scammers impersonated Commonwealth employees via spoofed emails claiming a distant relative had left money and demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront fees to release the funds. Officials stressed that legitimate Pennsylvania agencies use @pa.gov email addresses, will not demand quick action or secrecy, and urged residents to verify requests with trusted contacts before responding.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
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