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in Robocalls / Phone Scams
northshoredailypost.com
· 2026-08-15
The Vancouver Police Department is warning the public about sophisticated phone scams in which fraudsters impersonate senior VPD officers to trick victims into transferring money. Recent victims lost $10,000 and $100,000 respectively after being contacted by scammers posing as Deputy Chief Constable Alison Laurin and Chief Constable Steve Rai. Police emphasize they will never ask for money during investigations and advise people to hang up and verify caller identity using publicly listed phone numbers.
hongkongfp.com
· 2026-08-15
In the first half of 2026, Hong Kong police recorded over 2,100 investment scam cases resulting in HK$1.6 billion in losses, with the largest single case involving a 67-year-old merchant who lost nearly HK$85 million to a romance scammer posing as an investment expert on Facebook. Scammers used social media advertising, influencers, fake company registrations, and AI-generated content to promote fraudulent schemes involving cryptocurrencies, automated investment bots, and fake overseas entities, with some renting legitimate office space to appear credible. The Fun Coffee cryptocurrency scam separately defrauded 273 victims of HK$113 million
wcti12.com
· 2026-08-15
North Carolina's Judicial Branch and Retail Merchants Association launched a fraud-awareness campaign to help consumers identify court-payment scams, which typically involve callers impersonating court officials demanding immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. The scammers create urgency by threatening arrest or additional fines, but the state court system never requires payment through these methods. Consumers are directed to verify claims independently through NCCourts.gov before sending any money.
theglobeandmail.com
· 2026-08-15
In 2025, online scams cost older Americans $7.748 billion, with investment fraud accounting for at least $3.5 billion of losses, along with significant losses from tech support ($1 billion), romance ($584 million), and business email scams ($568 million). The House passed the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act on June 25, 2026, which would allow financial companies to temporarily halt securities redemptions for up to 15 days (plus a potential 10-day extension) when financial abuse of seniors or vulnerable adults is suspected. Currently, 33 states have laws protecting seniors from banking-related fraud, though the proposed federal bill would extend similar protections to investment accounts where such
fallriverreporter.com
· 2026-08-15
A 43-year-old Massachusetts woman lost $56,000 in a phone scam where callers impersonated her bank's fraud department and convinced her that her account was compromised. The scammers instructed her to visit her bank branch and wire the money to a "safe account" while staying on the phone with them, falsely assuring her the funds were FDIC-insured. The woman only realized she had been defrauded hours later when she called her actual bank to verify the transaction.
vietnam.vn
· 2026-08-15
Vietnamese police dismantled two major cybercrime operations: a phone farm in Da Nang with 2,000 automated devices generating approximately 2 billion VND monthly in illicit profits, and a romance scam ring operating across Vietnam and Cambodia. The scams used AI-controlled fake social media accounts and virtual chatbots to pose as romantic interests, luring victims into fake investment schemes to steal their assets, with 64 defendants indicted for fraud and property misappropriation.
cbsnews.com
· 2026-08-15
Scammers are targeting job seekers through fake job offers via text messages, impersonating major companies like Amazon and requesting personal information including Social Security numbers and employment history. Experts advise job seekers to avoid clicking links or scanning QR codes from unsolicited messages, and to report suspicious contacts to their phone service provider and local law enforcement while monitoring their credit history.
finance.biggo.com
· 2026-08-14
A Chinese investor lost 300,000 yuan (approximately $44,537) in a "pig-butchering" scam that lured him through a Douyin livestream into a fraudulent stock trading scheme where 2,724 group members were all shills posing as legitimate traders and analysts. The scammers used fabricated profit screenshots, fake IPO opportunities, and forged contracts purporting to be from CITIC Securities to gradually build trust and convince the victim to deposit funds into fraudulent trading apps, then blocked all large withdrawal attempts with various excuses.
foxnews.com
· 2026-08-14
Scammers exploit personal data found on data broker websites to create convincing healthcare and Medicare fraud schemes using QR codes that disguise their malicious destinations. Criminals can place fake QR codes in doctor's offices, pharmacies, and hospitals to trick patients into visiting fraudulent websites and surrendering sensitive information like Medicare numbers, login credentials, and credit card details. Protecting yourself requires both recognizing suspicious QR codes and limiting your personal information available online through data brokers and people-search websites.
ktxs.com
· 2026-08-14
Two stolen pickup trucks from the Dallas-Fort Worth area were recovered in Tom Green County after being advertised on Facebook Marketplace with altered VIN numbers and fraudulent titles to unsuspecting buyers. The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office is warning used-vehicle buyers about sophisticated VIN-swapping scams, noting that organized auto theft rings use fake identities and counterfeit documentation to make fraudulent sales appear legitimate. Both vehicles have been seized pending ownership hearings as the investigation continues.
tech.gov.sg
· 2026-08-14
Jian Ming, Technical Lead at Singapore's GovTech Anti-Scam Products team, won the 2026 Exemplary Innovation Award for developing an AI/ML system that identifies and disrupts scam operations at their source rather than reactively taking down individual scams. His three interconnected innovations—Fan Out (which traces related scam sites), Feeds Unlimited (automated classification and takedown), and AI/ML Blocking (automated legal orders with human oversight for lower-confidence cases)—create a closed-loop system that prevents scams from reaching citizens by understanding how scam operations work and disrupting their infrastructure.
wdam.com
· 2026-08-14
A group of retired Southern Pine Electric employees attended a fraud awareness seminar hosted by the Covington County Sheriff's Office, where they learned about phone, computer, and mail scams targeting seniors. The chief deputy emphasized that scammers exploit seniors' trusting nature and use pressure tactics to rush victims into immediate action. No specific fraud cases or dollar amounts were mentioned in the educational presentation.
hometownnewstc.com
· 2026-08-14
A Martin County senior citizen nearly fell victim to a gold bar scam in which he was nearly defrauded of $600,000 after being contacted by someone impersonating a government official who demanded he purchase gold bars for "safekeeping." The scam targets older adults by pressuring them to act immediately and threatening consequences like arrest or loss of funds. Authorities advise victims to verify caller identity independently, consult trusted family or financial advisors before moving large sums, and report suspected fraud to local law enforcement.
thebostonpilot.com
· 2026-08-14
This article describes a free educational speaker series for seniors at New Horizons at Marlborough, a not-for-profit senior community, featuring weekly Monday lectures on diverse topics like history, science, and culture. While the article mentions that District Attorney Marian Ryan recently spoke about elder scams and financial fraud prevention at one of these events, the article itself is about the speaker series program and not about any actual fraud or scam incident.
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-14
An elderly Michigan woman attempted to withdraw $385,000 to purchase gold after scammers falsely convinced her that her bank accounts had been compromised, but a alert coin shop owner contacted the FBI when he noticed her distress, preventing the loss. The investigation led to the arrest of 25-year-old Sai K. Puttha on felony charges related to the scheme, which follows an FBI-identified pattern where criminals impersonate financial institutions or government officials to pressure victims into converting savings into precious metals that scammers then steal. Between May and December 2023, similar precious metals conversion scams targeting older adults resulted in over $55 million in reported losses nationally.
wmur.com
· 2026-08-14
A federal jury convicted Georgia man Babajide Adesayo, 41, of money laundering over $2.7 million stolen from elderly victims through romance and online scams between April 2020 and September 2021. Adesayo operated as a "bridge" in a transnational fraud network, receiving stolen funds and transferring them overseas to China, Hong Kong, and Nigeria, including $500,000 from a 67-year-old Concord, New Hampshire woman who believed she was in a romantic relationship with a scammer. He faces 14 to 16 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November.
cronista.com
· 2026-08-14
Colorado's new ASSET Act, effective August 12, 2026, authorizes banks and credit unions to delay withdrawals for up to 90 days (extendable to 180 days) when employees reasonably suspect a vulnerable adult is experiencing financial exploitation. The law aims to give institutions time to investigate suspicious transactions and notify law enforcement or adult protective services, while protecting institutions and employees from liability for good-faith interventions. Colorado residents age 60 and older reported over $74 million in fraud losses during 2024 across more than 3,100 cases, prompting the protective measure.
tag24.com
· 2026-08-14
Romance scams on dating apps cost victims billions of dollars annually, with scammers using fake profiles to deceive users across major platforms. The article highlights how Seeking.com addresses this issue through proactive measures including AI technology and real-time selfie verification, reporting that over 90% of potential scammers are blocked before they can interact with legitimate users. The platform prioritizes user safety by preventing fraudulent accounts from being created rather than relying solely on after-the-fact reporting of scams.
tech.yahoo.com
· 2026-08-14
WhatsApp is testing a new Scam Alert feature that uses on-device machine learning to detect and warn users about incoming scam messages before they respond, with options to block senders or report them. The feature compares messages from non-contacts against known scam patterns without sending message content to WhatsApp or Meta servers. The limited beta rollout is starting with WhatsApp's Bug Bounty research community and will eventually expand to all users as an optional, toggleable feature to combat the millions of daily scams targeting the platform's 3 billion users.
glasgowlive.co.uk
· 2026-08-13
Consumer group Which? has warned of a "dangerous" scam where fraudsters manipulate victims into approving card payments, often by impersonating bank staff or police and claiming the account is under attack. Unlike unauthorised push payment (APP) fraud, which has mandatory reimbursement protections, victims of authorised card fraud approved by the cardholder may struggle to recover their money through standard refund mechanisms like chargeback or Section 75. Which? advises victims to file claims with their card provider and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service, noting that specific refund protections for this type of fraud remain limited.
getsurrey.co.uk
· 2026-08-13
Criminals are exploiting a gap in fraud protections by manipulating victims into authorizing card payments rather than tricking them into bank transfers, according to consumer group Which?. Unlike authorized push payment (APP) fraud, which has mandatory bank reimbursement protections, victims of authorized card payment fraud may struggle to recover their money even when they've been manipulated by scammers impersonating banks or authorities. The scam typically involves cold calls claiming account security issues, with fraudsters pressuring victims to approve card payments or share security codes.
thealpenanews.com
· 2026-08-13
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert warning of imposter scams in which fraudsters use spoofing technology to pose as banks or credit unions, falsely claiming account problems and requesting account credentials or personal information to access and drain accounts. The scammers exploit urgency to manipulate victims, with older Michiganders being particularly targeted. Consumers are advised to hang up on unexpected calls, verify caller identity through independent contact with their financial institution, and never share personal information or transfer money to unknown parties.
straitstimes.com
· 2026-08-13
Police in Singapore arrested 270 people (185 men and 85 women) suspected of involvement in over 660 scam cases that defrauded victims of approximately $5.4 million. The scams included e-commerce, phishing, job impersonation, government official impersonation, investment, and lucky draw schemes, with suspects ranging from ages 15 to 80 investigated for cheating, money laundering, and operating unlicensed payment services.
cbsnews.com
· 2026-08-13
Multiple elderly residents in the Buffalo Township area lost nearly $100,000 to sophisticated scams where perpetrators hacked victims' phones, impersonated banks or claimed loved ones were in jail, then coerced them into sending cash or gift cards through local postal offices. A postal store manager has intercepted several shipments including $16,000 in a coffee pot, $60,000 in cash, and $27,000 in books by recognizing red flags like unusually expensive shipping fees for low-value items. Police are urging residents to verify any requests to send money with family, friends, or authorities before complying.
ilmattino.it
· 2026-08-13
A 30-year-old man from the Naples area was arrested in Avellino for running a "fake carabiniere" scam targeting elderly victims across six municipalities between May and June 2026. The suspect posed as a law enforcement officer over the phone to convince seniors that relatives had legal problems, then sent accomplices to collect cash, jewelry, and other valuables worth tens of thousands of euros from their homes. Investigation evidence including surveillance footage, phone records, and witness testimony led to his identification and pre-trial detention.
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.
aol.com
· 2026-08-13
A 76-year-old Rhode Island woman nearly fell victim to an impersonation scam in which a fraudster posing as a Department of Criminal Investigations officer convinced her to withdraw $250,000 from her Fidelity account and $70,000 in cash from Washington Trust Company, claiming he was investigating her involvement in money laundering. The scam was stopped when a bank manager at Washington Trust recognized suspicious behavior and alerted authorities, protecting the woman's assets. Banks are increasingly training employees through programs like AARP's BankSafe to identify and intervene in elder fraud cases, as Americans age 60 and older lose an estimated $28 billion annually to financial exploitation.
en.ilsole24ore.com
· 2026-08-13
As e-commerce shopping in Europe grows, online fraud has surged dramatically, with approximately 45% of EU consumers falling victim to scams in 2024. In Italy alone, documented losses in the first half of 2024 reached 114 million euros—a 71% increase year-over-year—with one in five Italians victimized by online shopping fraud. Scams typically employ fake shops, fake reviews (cited by 66% of victims), and unrealistic discounts to lure consumers, then defraud them through non-delivery, counterfeit goods, payment credential theft, or refused refunds.
techtimes.com
· 2026-08-13
President Trump signed an executive order authorizing vetted private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations—including covert access and system disruption—against foreign criminal networks for the first time in U.S. history, addressing the $20.8 billion in cyber-enabled crimes Americans lost in 2025 to ransomware, pig-butchering scams, and financial fraud. The program creates "Participating Companies" that gain legal immunity from the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act when conducting government-approved surveillance and sabotage operations against foreign cybercriminals, with safeguards including dual approval requirements from DOJ and DHS directors and potential $1 million bond requirements for non-compliance.
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.
cnet.com
· 2026-08-13
Meta is rolling out a new AI-powered tool called Scam Alert on WhatsApp that uses on-device machine learning to flag potential scam messages from unknown senders by identifying common fraud patterns like urgent requests and romance-baiting tactics. The optional feature, currently in beta testing, analyzes communication patterns without accessing private conversations and alerts only the recipient, who can then block, report, or ignore the warning. In 2025 alone, Americans lost $425 million to WhatsApp scams, making this fraud detection tool part of Meta's effort to combat the growing threat on its platform with over 3 billion daily users.
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.
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.
techbuzz.ai
· 2026-08-13
Meta is rolling out an optional AI-powered Scam Alert feature to WhatsApp's 2 billion users that uses on-device machine learning to detect and warn users about suspected fraud attempts in real-time without compromising end-to-end encryption. The system analyzes incoming messages for red flags like urgent money requests, fake delivery notifications, and romance scam tactics, then provides users options to block, report, or dismiss warnings. The feature is currently in limited beta with no disclosed timeline for global expansion or accuracy metrics, marking Meta's expanding use of on-device AI for fraud prevention across its messaging platforms.
patch.com
· 2026-08-12
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is hosting telephone town halls focused on scam prevention for seniors in New Baltimore, Michigan, with sessions scheduled for August 26th and September 9th. Residents can register to receive a phone call and participate in discussions about stopping crimes against seniors, with the option to ask questions or listen during the approximately 60-90 minute sessions. No in-person attendance is required.
patch.com
· 2026-08-12
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is hosting a telephone town hall on September 9th focused on senior fraud prevention through their SCAMS (Stopping Crimes Against Macomb Seniors) program. Residents can register to receive a phone call and participate in the 60-90 minute discussion with Prosecutor Lucido, either asking questions or listening about scams targeting seniors in the community.
newsbreak.com
· 2026-08-12
In port-out or SIM-swap attacks, criminals convince wireless carriers to transfer a victim's phone number to a device they control, allowing them to intercept one-time verification codes and gain access to bank accounts, email, and investment accounts. The FBI recorded SIM-swap complaints rising over 400 percent in three years with reported losses exceeding $68 million, with older adults holding large account balances being frequent targets. Protection requires adding a port-out PIN to wireless accounts and using app-based authentication instead of text-based verification codes.
newsbreak.com
· 2026-08-12
Grandparent scams exploit emotional urgency and family details mined from social media to manipulate retirees into sending tens of thousands of dollars via untraceable methods like wire transfers and gift cards. Scammers now use AI voice-cloning technology to impersonate grandchildren convincingly, and the FBI reported $352 million in AI-related scam losses to victims over 60 in a recent year, with grandparent scams alone accounting for over $5 million in 2025 losses. The most effective defense is to hang up and verify the emergency by contacting the family member directly through a saved phone number before sending any money.
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
bu.edu
· 2026-08-12
Boston University Police Department offers safety recommendations for students, including traveling in groups, using secure bike locks and storage, locking residence doors and windows, avoiding unattended property, and verifying rideshare vehicles before entering. The guidance emphasizes personal awareness, neighborhood vigilance, and utilizing campus resources like bike registration to prevent theft and protect against crime both on and off campus.
unionleader.com
· 2026-08-12
Scammers steal an estimated $7 billion annually from senior citizens, with those living with dementia facing heightened vulnerability due to cognitive decline affecting memory and judgment. The Alzheimer's Foundation of America recommends the S.A.F.E. approach—solidifying security practices, applying blocking tools, finding monitors for financial activity, and establishing stronger safeguards—to help caregivers protect loved ones with dementia from fraud and identity theft.
kcra.com
· 2026-08-12
Scammers are targeting relatives of inmates at Placer County jail, calling victims and falsely claiming the incarcerated person needs money for items like ankle bracelets, then requesting payment via Venmo or gift cards. At least four victims reported the scam in one month. The Placer County Sheriff's Office advises victims to hang up and independently contact the sheriff's office to verify requests, and to report any incidents to law enforcement for potential account freezing and money recovery.
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.
ohiohouse.gov
· 2026-08-12
Ohio State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan is warning seniors about increasingly sophisticated phone scams where callers impersonate government agencies, police, banks, and utilities to pressure victims into making immediate payments or revealing personal information. The representative advises seniors to hang up on suspicious calls, verify caller identity independently, and emphasize that legitimate organizations never demand urgent payments over the phone. Victims should contact their financial institution immediately and report incidents to law enforcement and consumer-protection agencies.
issafrica.org
· 2026-08-12
Cybercriminals in Cameroon and Chad are targeting young jobseekers with fake employment offers via WhatsApp and Facebook, using advance-fee fraud schemes that steal victims' savings and sometimes lead to trafficking for forced labor or sexual exploitation. The scams exploit rapid digital expansion and economic vulnerability in regions with weak law enforcement, outdated cybercrime laws, and limited social media platform accountability. These frauds are increasingly linked to conflict-driven displacement and irregular migration networks in Central Africa.
vancouver.citynews.ca
· 2026-08-12
A Sechelt resident lost over $100,000 in a scam where fraudsters impersonated Vancouver Police and bank employees using caller ID spoofing technology. The victim was convinced to transfer $70,000 and then $38,000 to a specified account under the false pretense of assisting with a fraud investigation and testing bank systems. RCMP warn that police never request money transfers for investigations and advise residents to hang up and verify caller identity through official phone numbers before providing any financial information.
azag.gov
· 2026-08-12
Since Arizona's Cryptocurrency Kiosk License Fraud Prevention law took effect in September 2025, the state Attorney General's office has helped 35 victims of cryptocurrency ATM scams recover full refunds totaling $171,332. Under the law, victims must report fraudulent transactions to the Attorney General's office or local law enforcement within 30 days to qualify for refunds that include all associated fees. The law also implemented additional protections including lowered daily transaction limits, mandatory on-screen warnings, and required transaction receipts.