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in Robocall / Phone Scam
euronews.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are using "WhatsApp Screen Mirroring Fraud" to steal accounts by calling victims with a black screen, requesting they share their screen to "troubleshoot," and then intercepting their security codes during screen sharing to hijack their accounts. Once compromised, hackers impersonate the victim and message their contacts asking for money via payment apps like Bizum. Spain's cybersecurity institute recommends enabling two-step verification, avoiding screen sharing with unverified callers, never sharing security codes, and contacting WhatsApp support or authorities if an account is compromised.
time.com
· 2025-12-08
In February 2024, cybercriminals attempted to scam Tejasvi Manoj's 85-year-old grandfather through a fake email impersonating a relative requesting $2,000, but the scam was prevented when the family verified the request directly. Inspired by this near-miss and discovering that seniors lost nearly $5 billion to fraud in 2024 (a 32% increase from the prior year), the then-16-year-old Tejasvi developed Shield Seniors, a website educating adults over 60 about online scams, analyzing suspicious communications, and providing reporting resources. Her efforts earned her TIME's Kid of the Year 2025
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
Imposter scams cost Americans $2.95 billion annually and rank as the second most costly fraud type, with scammers commonly posing as government agencies or law enforcement to demand immediate payment or personal information. Russell Tafron Weatherspoon was convicted of operating a multistate scam (March 2022–April 2024) where he and accomplices spoofed law enforcement phone numbers to tell victims that arrest warrants had been issued, demanding bond payments; similarly, Anthony Sanders was indicted in January 2025 for a jury duty scam in which he posed as a Sarasota sheriff and extorted over $12,000 in Bitcoin from a victim by threatening
mcafee.com
· 2025-12-08
McAfee Labs research from 2025 reveals a dramatic surge in scams across multiple categories, with job-related scams exploding over 1,000% from May through July, affecting nearly 1 in 3 Americans via text message. Shopping scams increased 250% during Amazon Prime Day, while personal finance scams surged 150% with email scams doubling between June and July, exploiting keywords like "loan" and "credit card." Technology scams grew 40% in text messages and 160% in emails, with scammers weaponizing consumer vulnerability by impersonating trusted brands (Amazon, Apple, Target, Nvidia) and exploiting economic anxiety,
facebook.com
· 2025-12-08
A scam impersonated the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) via text messages, falsely claiming the recipient owed fines for toll violations or unpaid tickets—a service SCDMV does not provide through texts. The victim also reported receiving a separate fraudulent call from an unknown number claiming an unauthorized charge had been made on a Bank of America debit card they did not own, requesting they call an 800 number to verify. The victim avoided falling victim to both scams by recognizing the suspicious contact methods and reported the incidents to Horry County Police, who resolved the matter.
northeastbylines.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
The Financial Conduct Authority published guidance on common banking scams including vishing, phishing, card fraud, and bank impersonation, advising consumers to verify suspicious calls by hanging up and redialing using official numbers or the anti-fraud hotline 159. The article also highlights that the e-money provider Revolut received the highest number of fraud complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service, surpassing major banks, and warns of "Termination Experts," a subscription cancellation service that charges fees for services customers did not authorize, recommending victims verify claims directly with companies and utilize cooling-off periods for online purchases.
keyt.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly couple in Hopkinsville, Kentucky was charged $64,000 (totaling $79,000 with a duplicate charge) after signing a blank invoice for asphalt driveway patching work in June. A man solicited the work unsolicited, claiming his crew had extra asphalt available, but after obtaining the wife's signature on a mostly blank invoice, the scammers completed a full driveway paving job and demanded immediate payment on multiple credit cards. The Better Business Bureau warns this is part of a pattern of door-to-door asphalt scams where fraudsters create urgency, use high-pressure tactics, and exploit blank or misleading invoices to
michigan.gov
· 2025-12-08
Tukua Young, 42, and Brandon Young, 36, of Detroit were bound over for trial on charges of filing approximately $150,000 in fraudulent disability insurance claims between 2016 and 2022, with Tukua receiving $79,058 across two insurers and Brandon receiving $70,434 from one insurer. The couple allegedly claimed to be disabled from working at a non-existent group home, while Tukua continued working despite her claims. Both face multiple felony charges including conducting a criminal enterprise, false pretenses, insurance fraud, and tax violations.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A Denver passenger was scammed out of $17,328 after a United Airlines customer service agent transferred his call to an external number without validation, connecting him to a scammer posing as a rebooking agent named "David." The scammer convinced Smoker he needed to pay upfront for a new flight to London, providing a fraudulent payment link that appeared legitimate, and promised a refund within 45-50 business days that never materialized. United Airlines has acknowledged the error in not validating the transfer number and stated it is investigating the matter and working with the credit card provider to resolve the situation.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 73-year-old man in Mangaluru lost Rs 34.1 lakh to an investment scam between July and August 2024, after unknown persons contacted him via WhatsApp promoting fake investment platforms called "Block Trade" and "UC Trade" that promised high returns. The victim transferred money through multiple digital payment methods across nearly a month, but when he attempted to withdraw his funds, the scammers demanded additional investments and blocked his access to the accounts. A case was registered with local police after the victim's daughter helped him recognize the fraud.
ctvnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
A Quebec couple lost money in a Facebook Marketplace scam, which has sparked calls for banks to increase protections against online fraud. The article highlights concerns about the inadequacy of current banking safeguards for consumers engaged in online transactions.
nbcnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Lightning Shared Scooter Co. (LSSC), a fraudulent investment scheme posing as a Hong Kong-based scooter-sharing company, defrauded hundreds or thousands of victims by promising returns on initial investments of $2,000-$65,000 that could be monitored and withdrawn through a mobile app. The scam used fake endorsements from public figures (including Sean Spicer), local officials, military personnel, and fabricated storefronts in at least eight U.S. cities to gain credibility, particularly targeting immigrant and lower-income communities who invested life savings and college funds. Victims discovered last month they could not withdraw earnings, with law
wgal.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned of an increasing "phantom hacker" scam targeting seniors, where victims receive pop-up messages claiming their computers are infected with spyware and are instructed to call a number for tech support. Scammers gain remote access to victims' computers and deceive them into transferring funds to fraudulent "safe accounts," resulting in permanent loss of money; one Lancaster County woman lost $500,000 through this scheme. The FBI recommends ignoring pop-ups, restarting computers, consulting legitimate tech professionals, and never calling numbers provided in suspicious messages.
hermoney.com
· 2025-12-08
Online dating scams, tech support fraud, and fake e-commerce websites represent increasingly sophisticated threats that affect people across all age groups. In 2023, online dating scams alone generated 64,003 reports with $1.14 billion in losses, with scammers using months of emotional manipulation and professionally researched personal details to build false trust before requesting money. The article provides preventative strategies including reverse image searches for dating profiles, verification of tech support legitimacy through official company websites, and use of scam-detection tools before purchasing from unfamiliar retailers.
financialpost.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadians lost $310.6 million to investment fraud in 2024, with deepfakes of celebrities and politicians used in fraudulent social media ads promising unrealistic returns. While reported cases have leveled off since 2022, experts estimate only 5-10 percent of fraud incidents are reported due to victim shame and underreporting. Younger Canadians aged 18-24 are experiencing the largest rise in reported fraud victimization, and the article advises protecting oneself through digital privacy awareness, recognizing red flags in investment ads, and reporting suspected fraud.
today.rtl.lu
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams typically begin with fraudsters creating convincing fake profiles to build emotional trust with victims through personalized, attentive communication—a process called "pig hunting." Behind each scammer is often a large criminal network, frequently based in Southeast Asia and operating like a factory with dozens of workers (many coerced into participation) using various tactics including fake gifts, impersonation, and AI-generated content to establish emotional dependency. Once victims believe in a romantic future, they are manipulated into transferring money or buying cryptocurrency in the final stage known as "pig killing," and defense requires careful profile verification and use of image authentication tools.
prweb.com
· 2025-12-08
RangersAI announced two new features in its ScamRanger app to combat elder fraud and scams: Guardian Mode, which allows vulnerable users to designate trusted contacts who receive scam alerts and can provide support, and a WhatsApp Agent that delivers real-time scam detection directly within WhatsApp. The app detects over 130 scam types across SMS, email, and chat platforms, addressing a global scam crisis exceeding $1 trillion in losses annually.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Twenty-eight alleged members of a Chinese organized crime ring operating since at least 2019 were charged in federal indictments for a $65 million fraud scheme targeting thousands of seniors across the United States, including a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor's widow who lost her entire life savings. The network, composed primarily of Chinese nationals working with India-based call centers, used impersonation and psychological manipulation to trick victims into wiring money, with scammers posing as technical support agents or government officials and often convincing victims they had received mistaken refunds. After a nationwide takedown operation, 25 defendants were arrested, $4.2 million was seized from financial accounts
moneyweek.com
· 2025-12-08
Fraudsters are impersonating the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to steal money from victims, with the FCA receiving 4,465 reports of such scams in a single year and 480 victims actually losing funds; nearly two-thirds of reports came from people aged 56 and older. Common tactics include falsely claiming recovered crypto funds, offering to help recover losses from previous scams ("double dip" scams), and using romantic "pig butchering" schemes, often employing call spoofing to appear legitimate. To protect themselves, people should never provide sensitive banking information to unsolicited contacts, verify FCA communications directly through official channels (0800 111 6
brantfordexpositor.ca
· 2025-12-08
Brantford Police issued a scam alert regarding two fraud schemes targeting seniors: a card-compromise scam where callers pose as bank representatives and send agents to collect debit/credit cards and PINs for fraudulent purchases, and a fake gold chain scam where suspects lure elderly victims into their vehicle under false pretenses and steal their real jewelry by exchanging it for counterfeit items. Police emphasized that financial institutions never request card verification in this manner and provided prevention tips including verifying caller identity, avoiding unsecured screen sharing, and consulting trusted contacts before sending money.
witl.com
· 2025-12-08
A study analyzing FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center data from 2021-2024 found that Millennials in Michigan rank third nationally as cybercrime victims, averaging approximately 3,000 scam incidents annually compared to 2,385 for seniors. The higher victimization rate among Millennials is attributed to their greater digital dependence for networking, socializing, shopping, and banking, which makes them more vulnerable targets for criminals than seniors who use technology less frequently.
amac.us
· 2025-12-08
The grandparent scam tricks seniors into sending money to scammers posing as distressed grandchildren or relatives in crisis. Scammers exploit grandparents' emotional vulnerability and willingness to help by researching personal information online, impersonating authority figures, and requesting untraceable payments via wire transfer or gift cards. Modern variants use sophisticated technology including caller ID spoofing and AI voice cloning to appear more convincing, making these scams increasingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate requests.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
According to AARP data, older Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams and fraud in 2024, representing a 25% increase from 2023, with imposter scams being the most common type. Scammers target seniors by posing as government officials, companies like Amazon and PayPal, or Medicare representatives, using phone calls, texts, and emails to request money or personal information. Experts advise seniors to verify all claims directly with organizations, avoid clicking links from unsolicited contacts, and remain cautious about sharing personal or financial information.
securitybrief.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australians lost AUD $119 million to cyber scams in the first four months of 2025, with citizens encountering an average of 10 scam attempts daily and suffering average individual losses of AUD $1,851 per victim. Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-powered tactics including deepfakes, phishing emails, and personalized targeted scams to deceive Australians at scale. Experts recommend a dual approach combining AI-powered detection tools with public education, awareness, and basic cybersecurity practices such as software updates and strong passwords to combat the surge in fraud.
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
The Virginia Tech Police Department warned of multiple ongoing scams targeting students and community members, including fake football ticket sales via social media (where scammers pose as alumni and accept payment through apps like Venmo but never deliver tickets), sextortion schemes targeting male students (where scammers pose as attractive women, solicit intimate photos, then blackmail victims), fraudulent job offers involving fake checks that students are asked to cash and return funds for, and impersonation scams where scammers pose as family or friends requesting gift card payments. The department provided prevention advice for each scam type, emphasizing purchasing from official vendors, never sending intimate photos to unknown contacts, verifying checks through banks, and carefully ver
lycoming.crimewatchpa.com
· 2025-12-08
Multiple community members have reported receiving phone calls from individuals impersonating law enforcement officers claiming they owe fines or have outstanding warrants, with scammers instructing victims to transfer money via gift cards, Bitcoin, or payment apps. Legitimate law enforcement agencies never request fine payments over the phone or accept cryptocurrency and gift cards as payment; fines are handled through the court system and paid in person. Residents are advised to hang up immediately on such calls and contact their local police department directly if they have concerns about the legitimacy of a claim.
fca.org.uk
· 2025-12-08
Fraudsters impersonating the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducted nearly 5,000 scams in the first half of 2025, with 480 victims losing money through various schemes including fake crypto recovery claims, loan recovery promises, and "pig butchering" romantic investment scams. Older consumers aged 56+ accounted for almost two-thirds of reported cases, with scammers targeting vulnerable victims by requesting bank PINs, passwords, and additional funds under the pretense of regulatory assistance or debt recovery.
oag.ca.gov
· 2025-12-08
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an alert about ongoing text-based scam activity targeting state taxpayers, in which scammers impersonate the California Franchise Tax Board to trick victims into providing personal and financial information under the guise of tax refunds. These government imposter scams are part of a larger fraud problem, with scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods. Consumers are advised to avoid clicking links in suspicious texts, verify messages directly with official agencies, and report suspected tax fraud to the IRS or California Franchise Tax Board.
greatnews.life
· 2025-12-08
This 2013 overview identifies the top scams affecting La Porte County and beyond, with phishing (stealing personal information for identity theft) ranked as the most prevalent fraud. The top ten scams include grandparent impersonation schemes targeting elderly relatives, doorstep contractor fraud using high-pressure sales tactics, work-from-home schemes, lottery scams, Nigerian advance-fee frauds, and account hijacking of email and social media platforms. The article emphasizes that internet growth and social networking have expanded scam delivery methods and increased victim numbers significantly, with many scams persisting or resurfacing over years despite awareness efforts.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired merchant navy officer, Surya Pal Singh, and his 100-year-old father, Hardev Singh, lost Rs 1.29 crore in a "digital arrest" scam in Lucknow. Scammers impersonated a CBI officer, sent a fake arrest notice via WhatsApp claiming money laundering charges, and convinced the victims to transfer funds through multiple RTGS transactions to various accounts between August 21-26. The fraud was discovered only after the transfers were completed, with payments dispersed to accounts in Bhavnagar, Panaji, and Jalgaon.
onmanorama.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired Kerala couple—Dr. S Lathika (72) and Shankaran Bhattathiri (69)—lost ₹2.4 crore in a "digital arrest" scam after receiving a call claiming to be from TRAI about a money-laundering investigation. The scammers held them in a continuous video call for 11 days, preventing them from disconnecting even at night, monitoring their movements, and threatening arrest while forcing them to transfer funds. The psychological control was so severe that Dr. Lathika delayed cancer treatment to comply with the scammers' restrictions, only visiting a hospital after days of pleading.
asianbankingandfinance.net
· 2025-12-08
Between October 2024 and June 2025, ANZ prevented and recovered over A$100 million in scam and fraud-related funds while reducing customer financial losses to scams by 15% compared to the previous year. The bank's first responders team resolved 93% of scam-related calls at first contact and authenticated nearly 30,000 calls through its new CallSafe feature launched in November 2024. ANZ customers who maintained default Scam Safe protections were 19 times less likely to fall victim to scams than those who disabled protective features.
people.com
· 2025-12-08
Dan Smoker lost $17,000 after a United Airlines customer service agent transferred him to a scammer posing as "David" who claimed to rebook his family's cancelled flights to Europe. The scammer convinced Smoker the $17,328 charge would be refunded later, but the refund never materialized and David's number became blocked when Smoker followed up. United Airlines confirmed their agent had Googled a fake Lufthansa phone number and transferred Smoker to the scammer by mistake; the airline refunded some associated costs but not the original $17,000, leaving Smoker to dispute the charge with American Express.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian citizen, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, pleaded guilty to operating a romance scam between 2017 and 2018 that defrauded multiple American women of over $405,000 using a fake online persona called "Larry Pham." Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created fake dating profiles to build romantic relationships with middle-aged female victims, then manipulated them into sending money and laundered the proceeds through various financial transactions. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of two counts plus fines totaling up to $750,000, with sentencing scheduled for December 4, 2025.
kcra.com
· 2025-12-08
A Sacramento woman lost $28,000 in life savings after responding to a fraudulent email claiming unauthorized PayPal charges, which led her to call a scammer posing as a PayPal representative. The caller convinced her that her identity had been used to open 22 accounts linked to money laundering and threatened her with arrest, instructing her to withdraw cash for a fake "investigation hold" by Social Security officials. Police are investigating the incident, and PayPal advises customers to report suspicious emails directly rather than calling numbers provided in them.
nbcsandiego.com
· 2025-12-08
Federal prosecutors charged more than two dozen members of a Chinese scam ring with defrauding thousands of victims of over $65 million through refund scams that involved unsolicited contact, psychological manipulation, and remote computer access. The investigation was aided by YouTube scam-baiters who conducted undercover operations in 2020-21, and recent raids across four states resulted in 25 arrests, $4.2 million in seized cash, and the impoundment of luxury vehicles. Notable victims included a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor's widow from San Diego who lost her life savings.
militarytimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Retired Navy Rear Admiral Brian E. Luther, president and CEO of Navy Mutual, nearly fell victim to a sophisticated phone scam in which fraudsters spoofed his credit union's number and claimed to be fraud prevention staff investigating a suspicious charge on his shared credit card. The scammers escalated urgency through multiple contacts and eventually requested his account password, but Luther recognized the illegitimacy when told no legitimate financial institution should ask for passwords; he immediately contacted his actual credit union, which confirmed no such call had occurred and proactively changed his account numbers. Luther's experience illustrates that military consumers reported losing $584 million to fraud in 2024, and he now advises service members to
nbcmiami.com
· 2025-12-08
An 86-year-old grandmother from South Philadelphia lost $6,000 in a grandparent scam after receiving a call from someone impersonating her granddaughter claiming to be in a car accident and detained by police; a man posing as a lawyer demanded money and arranged for someone to pick up the cash from her home. The scam is part of a larger trend of elder fraud that affected over 147,000 victims in 2024 with nearly $4.9 billion in losses, with criminals increasingly using AI voice cloning technology to make their impersonations more convincing. Experts recommend asking callers questions only real family members would know and establishing a family security word for emergencies.
twistedsifter.com
· 2025-12-08
A TikTok educator shared her experience with a jury duty scam in which a caller with no caller ID impersonated a sheriff's office deputy, claiming she had failed to appear for jury duty and providing personal details like her name and address to appear legitimate. She recognized the call as fraudulent, did not comply with the scammer's demands, and confirmed with her local police department's non-emergency line that legitimate jury duty failures are always communicated by mail, never by phone calls.
indianexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
A 78-year-old man in Noida was defrauded of Rs 3.14 crore in a "digital arrest" scam where fraudsters impersonated government officials (TRAI, police, CBI, Supreme Court) and convinced him he was involved in money laundering, keeping him and his wife under virtual surveillance for 15 days before the deception was discovered. Cybercrimes against seniors have surged 86% between 2020-2022, with common scams including digital arrest, investment fraud, deepfakes, government impersonation, and OTP theft, exploiting seniors' vulnerability to trust-based and fear-based tactics.
mercurynews.com
· 2025-12-08
YouTubers conducting "scambait" sting operations in 2020-2021 provided crucial evidence that helped federal prosecutors dismantle a Chinese organized crime group that defrauded more than 2,000 elderly victims of approximately $65 million across the United States. The scheme, operated primarily by Chinese nationals working with Indian call centers, targeted seniors (average age 70+) through phone calls, emails, and pop-up ads, using social engineering tactics to trick victims into wire transfers, cash shipments, and gift card payments by impersonating bank employees or government officials. Twenty-five of 28 indicted defendants were arrested and face federal charges including mail fraud, wire fraud,
goldrushcam.com
· 2025-12-08
The Placer County Sheriff's Office warns of increasing fake tech support scams targeting seniors, where scammers impersonate Microsoft, Apple, and other legitimate companies by calling with claims of computer problems and requesting remote access to demand payment for unnecessary repairs. The advisory emphasizes that legitimate companies never initiate unsolicited calls about viruses and advises residents to hang up on unexpected tech support calls, avoid clicking suspicious pop-ups, never grant remote access to unknown parties, and consult trusted family members or local police when uncertain.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A former U.S. Postal Inspector, Scott Kelley, was arrested and charged in a 45-count indictment for stealing over $330,000 in cash from packages mailed by elderly scam victims between 2019 and 2023, then laundering the money and evading taxes. As Team Leader of the Mail Fraud Unit investigating lottery scams targeting seniors, Kelley exploited his position to intercept approximately 1,950 packages flagged by the USPIS algorithm, opening and stealing cash from parcels—with identified victims averaging 75 years old losing between $1,400 and $19,100 each. Additionally, Kelley st
masslive.com
· 2025-12-08
Ralph Damico and 14 other seniors attended a Comcast "Cyber Savvy" educational session in Longmeadow where they learned to avoid online scams through strategies like not clicking unknown links, avoiding unrecognized phone calls, and using strong passwords. The event highlighted that elder fraud complaints increased 14% in 2023, with seniors aged 60+ losing over $3.4 billion that year—an average of $33,915 per victim—and being scammed 500% more frequently than people under 20.
ctnewsjunkie.com
· 2025-12-08
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a warning to students about job recruitment scams involving fake emails and texts impersonating companies like Tesla and Indeed.com, promising unrealistic pay for minimal work. Scammers attempt to obtain personal information like Social Security numbers, application fees, or trick victims into depositing fake checks and transferring funds. The advisory provides red flags including suspicious sender addresses, foreign country codes, requests for payment, and urgency tactics, along with steps to verify legitimate opportunities through official company contacts and career services offices.
krebsonsecurity.com
· 2025-12-08
Hundreds of fraudulent online gambling websites have proliferated through a Russian affiliate program called "Gambler Panel" that lures victims with fake $2,500 credits advertised via social media with celebrity endorsements. The scam traps users into depositing cryptocurrency (typically $100) for "verification" before cashing out winnings, then pressures them into additional losing bets until their funds are depleted. Gambler Panel operates an organized operation with over 20,000 affiliates earning commissions per victim deposit, providing detailed instructions and marketing templates specifically designed to exploit players across social media platforms.
wowt.com
· 2025-12-08
Text message scams are rapidly increasing, costing Americans $470 million last year, with common schemes involving fake package deliveries, job offers, bank alerts, toll notices, and DMV impersonations designed to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or divulging personal information. The BBB advises consumers to be suspicious of unsolicited texts—especially those demanding immediate action—to never share personal information with unknown senders, and to report suspicious messages to the BBB Scam Tracker or Internet Crime Complaint Center.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
This AARP educational piece emphasizes three key protective measures against fraud: recognizing that most scams are run by organized international criminal networks (not individuals), taking proactive financial safeguards like strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and credit freezes, and reporting fraud to local police and the FBI's IC3.gov to help expose the true scale of the problem. The article also highlights emerging threats including AI-powered deepfake scams in banking, peer-to-peer payment app fraud (where scammers impersonate loved ones or create fake transactions), and identity theft, while advocating for federal legislation to combat AI-enabled financial crimes.
tnonline.com
· 2025-12-08
The Cybersecurity Association of Pennsylvania warns of sophisticated "phantom hacker" scams targeting seniors, which involve multiple phases of social engineering where criminals impersonate tech support, bank representatives, and government officials to manipulate victims into transferring funds or granting computer access. Nearly half of victims nationwide are over 60, with seniors representing two-thirds of losses totaling over $1 billion, and scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to make attacks more convincing. Experts advise families to educate seniors on red flags—such as requests for wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or prepaid cards—and to report suspicious contacts to local FBI offices or the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
gulfcoastnewsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
A Cape Coral resident fell victim to a text message scam impersonating the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, claiming he owed $6.69 for a toll violation and threatening license revocation. Over 12,000 similar government impersonation scams were reported in Florida this year, resulting in losses exceeding $26 million. Authorities advise verifying such messages by contacting toll agencies directly, avoiding clicking links or sharing financial information, and reporting suspicious messages to the Federal Trade Commission.