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Maine seniors lost $12.7 million to fraud in 2022, a dramatic increase from $2 million in 2021, according to FBI data. One victim fell prey to a tech support scam involving fake virus warning popups that prompted her to call scammers who attempted to access her savings account information. Experts emphasize that education and community awareness are critical tools in combating fraud targeting Maine's elderly population, the oldest in the nation.

Maine seniors lost $12.7 million to fraud in 2022, a dramatic increase from $2 million in 2021, with victims over 60 nationwide experiencing skyrocketing losses according to FBI data. One Maine senior fell victim to a tech support scam involving deceptive popups claiming she had a virus and requesting access to her savings account information. Experts emphasize that education and awareness are critical to protecting Maine's aging population, the oldest in the nation, from increasingly prevalent fraud schemes.

Mega Millions and Powerball issued warnings about lottery scams coinciding with nine-figure jackpots, noting that scammers use emails, text messages, social media, and phone calls to deceive people into believing they won prizes and either extract money or personal information. Red flags for lottery fraud include requests for upfront fees or taxes to claim prizes, notifications of wins from lotteries the person never entered, and instructions to keep winnings secret—practices legitimate lotteries never employ.

In 2023, the Hudson Valley region experienced over $2 million in losses from online purchase scams alone, where fraudsters used fake checks and refund requests, with over 1,000 cases reported. The region also faced nine other major scam types including employment scams ($692,389 lost), investment scams ($1.2 million lost), advance fee loan scams ($281,474 lost), and various imposter schemes targeting government agencies and healthcare programs, collectively affecting thousands of residents across the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island.

An 81-year-old Alberta woman lost $250,000 over 10 months after receiving a sweepstakes letter claiming she'd won a Bank of America prize, then being asked to pay taxes to claim it. Her information was subsequently shared among multiple scammers, leading to additional fraud including a CRA phone scam, with weekly payments totaling far more than her savings. Police warn Albertans to avoid sharing personal information with unknown callers and to consult family or authorities before sending money, noting increased scam activity during tax season.

Online purchase scams were the top fraud affecting upstate New York residents in 2023, with nearly 30,000 reported cases resulting in over $525 million in losses, according to the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. Overall, scams cost Rochester-area residents and those in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse a combined $653 million in 2023, with employment scams, phishing schemes, sweepstakes/lottery scams, and tech support scams among the other major fraud types reported. The scams employed various tactics including fake checks, impersonation of trusted entities and government agencies, and promises of unearned prizes or loans.

Government imposter scams caused consumers to lose nearly $2.7 billion in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission, with scammers posing as government employees via phone, email, text, or social media. These scams follow a consistent pattern using the "5 P's"—pretend, problem, pressure, pay, and prize—to manipulate victims into sending money via gift cards or wire transfers. To protect yourself, ignore unsolicited contact from purported government agencies, avoid clicking links or attachments, and report suspected scams to the FTC or Social Security Administration.

In 2022, seniors over 60 reported $3.1 billion in cybercrime losses to the FBI across 88,262 incidents, representing an 82% year-on-year increase, though many cases remain unreported. Digital fraudsters increasingly target senior citizens, believing they have more savings but less digital awareness to recognize scams. Common schemes include phishing, romance scams ($734 million in 2022), Medicare impersonation, tech support fraud, online shopping scams, robocalls, government impersonation ($1 billion in combined losses in 2022), and lottery fraud.

March 7 marks the 5th annual National Slam the Scam, a awareness campaign by the Social Security Administration and partners to educate consumers about government imposter scams, which cost Americans over $10 billion in reported losses last year—a 14% increase from 2022. The article outlines how imposter scams typically operate (contact, problem notification, pressure to act, payment demand) and advises people to hang up on unsolicited requests, verify through official channels, and report suspected fraud to help law enforcement identify trends and take action.

Scammers are targeting people with elaborate fraud schemes involving fake claims of suspicious account activity, pressuring victims to transfer money to "protect" their savings and requesting verification codes—tactics that result in significant financial losses. Key protective measures include never transferring money based on unsolicited calls, never sharing verification codes, independently verifying caller identity using official account statements, and reporting incidents to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, as banks typically do not reimburse funds lost to these scams.

Wayne County, Ohio has launched a free scam education and awareness program for residents ages 60+ with incomes below 300% of the poverty line, partnering the Gilcrest Center with county commissioners and Job and Family Services through an Ohio Department of Aging grant. The initiative addresses the growing vulnerability of older adults to sophisticated online scams, including COVID-19 fraud, medical equipment sales, and phishing schemes, by providing mentoring and practical safety tips such as verifying sender identity, avoiding suspicious links, and protecting personal information.

Wayne County, Ohio is launching a free scam education and awareness program for residents ages 60 and older through a partnership between the Gilcrest Center, county commissioners, and Job and Family Services, funded by an Ohio Department of Aging grant. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to online financial scams due to declining cognitive abilities, lower technology familiarity, and susceptibility to tactics using fear or urgency, with common 2023 scams including COVID-19 fraud, fake medical equipment sales, and bogus genetic testing. The program emphasizes protective measures such as verifying sender identity, avoiding suspicious links, and protecting personal information to help seniors safely navigate digital transactions.

In 2020, scammers perpetrated a sweepstakes fraud against a Hennepin County couple in their 80s, stealing over $110,000 by convincing them to pay upfront taxes on a fake prize, with the perpetrators never identified and funds never recovered. AARP Minnesota is advocating for legislation to create a state-level restitution fund for fraud victims, funded by civil penalty payments from consumer fraud cases, as Americans reported 2.5 million fraud cases in 2022 totaling $9 billion in losses. The organization is also pushing to ban long-term real estate contracts (like those offered by MV Realty) that bind home

Scammers contact victims by phone, email, or in person impersonating police or government officials, using intimidation tactics and false urgency to demand money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or gold by threatening arrest or claiming a family member has been arrested or injured. Legitimate law enforcement never calls to demand immediate payment, drop charges for money, or request sensitive information over the phone. Victims should verify caller identity independently, stay skeptical of pressure tactics, guard personal information, and report suspicious activity to local authorities.

**Nigerian Romance/Sweepstakes Scam Targeting Elderly Americans** Dotun Alonge, a 47-year-old Nigerian national living in Providence, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison as the fifth defendant convicted in a sophisticated fraud operation that defrauded elderly Americans across multiple states of over $1.7 million. The scam involved fabricated romantic relationships on social media and dating sites, fake sweepstakes winnings requiring upfront payments, and fraudulent rental property schemes to extract money from victims. Four other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from time served to 42 months, with joint restitution ordered at approximately

SMiShing is a text message-based phishing scam where fraudsters impersonate legitimate organizations like banks and government agencies to trick people into revealing personal or financial information or clicking malicious links, with recent attacks specifically designed to bypass multi-factor authentication like DUO. The scam is particularly dangerous because it bypasses email security filters and exploits people's trust in text messages, using urgency and familiarity to manipulate victims into responding without verification. To protect yourself, delete suspicious messages without clicking links, verify sender authenticity through official channels, change passwords for potentially affected accounts, monitor financial activity, and report the message to your carrier or the FTC.

This educational piece warns that gift cards are exclusively for gift-giving occasions; if someone is pressuring you to buy gift cards to pay for taxes, tech support, prizes, or other non-gift purposes, it is a scam. Scammers use various tactics including impersonating government officials, tech support, family members (via AI voice cloning), or prize notifications to create urgency and extract money. The article advises victims to immediately report the scam to the gift card company and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov to potentially recover funds and help protect others in their community.

A 40-year-old man from Jajpur, Odisha, lost Rs 53,000 to an online fake lottery scam after receiving text messages claiming he had won Rs 1 lakh and requesting processing fees and GST payments; the fraudsters then gained access to his bank account through a shared link and debited an additional amount. The victim filed a police complaint, and authorities registered a case against unidentified fraudsters while warning the public to verify lottery claims and avoid sharing banking details with unknown contacts.

Shawn Thompson, a Fort Lauderdale-based moving company operator, faces 38 complaints under active review by the Florida Attorney General for an extortion scheme involving moving services. Thompson's companies allegedly added unauthorized charges to binding estimates and held customers' possessions hostage until inflated amounts were paid, with customers reporting damaged or ruined belongings upon retrieval. A Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge ruled in January 2024 that Thompson engaged in an "unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent scheme" and ordered him to pay a customer $3,243 in fraudulent charges plus additional penalties.

The U.S. Attorney's Office partnered with Winchester and Waltham Police Departments to host financial fraud awareness seminars for older adults, featuring presentations from federal prosecutors, the IRS, and U.S. Postal Service on common scams and protective measures. According to FBI data, victims over 60 experienced an 84% increase in losses from 2021 to 2022, totaling over $3 billion, with nearly 5,500 victims losing more than $100,000 each to schemes including tech support, romance, and sweepstakes scams.

State Representative Jasper R. Martus and Attorney General Dana Nessel will present "Senior Scams Awareness" at the Krapohl Senior Center in Mt. Morris Township to educate seniors about common scams targeting older adults, including grandparent scams, IRS scams, and sweepstakes scams, as well as prevention strategies. The presentation aims to teach seniors how to recognize these frauds and what steps to take if they encounter a scam.

Georgia residents lost $234.3 million to fraud in 2023 across 65,825 reported incidents to the FTC, ranking the state 15th most defrauded nationally. The three most common scam types were Credit Bureaus/Information Furnishers (25% of reports), Identity Theft (23%), and Imposter Scams (9%), with victims advised to monitor credit reports, avoid sharing personal information unsolicited, and never send money to unknown parties.

FinCEN issued an advisory in June 2022 highlighting the rising trend of elder financial exploitation (EFE), noting that at least 10% of older adults in the U.S. are affected annually, with losses exceeding $3 billion as of 2019. Common EFE schemes include government imposter scams, romance scams, emergency scams, lottery scams, and tech support scams, though most cases go unreported due to fear, embarrassment, and lack of resources. Financial institutions and analysts are encouraged to identify red flag indicators of suspicious activity and report potential cases of elder financial exploitation.

In 2022, Americans lost nearly $9 billion to scams and fraud, with seniors being particularly vulnerable targets, according to FTC reports. The Community Foundation Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and Men's Club of Sun City Center partnered to present a free educational seminar on March 5 featuring speakers who covered common scams including charity fraud, lottery schemes, romance scams, and grandparent scams, while providing prevention strategies and resources to protect older adults from financial exploitation.

A Florida couple, Monique C. Clarke and Jon-Michael Hudson, were indicted for operating a lottery scam that defrauded 51 elderly victims of over $6.6 million between October 2020 and January 2021. The scheme involved calling victims claiming they won lottery prizes, then pressuring them to pay upfront fees for taxes and shipping, with money mules depositing the victims' checks and forwarding cash to the conspirators; Clarke allegedly received over $500,000 and used part of it to purchase a Mercedes-Benz in Jamaica. Both defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

On February 1st, a federal grand jury indicted Jamaican nationals Monique C. Clarke and Jon-Michael Hudson for money laundering conspiracy related to a lottery scam that defrauded 51 elderly U.S. victims of over $6.6 million between October 2020 and January 2021. The defendants allegedly posed as lottery winners and coerced victims to pay various fees through money mules, with Clarke receiving over $500,000 in proceeds, which she partially used to purchase a $150,000 Mercedes Benz. Both defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, as part of the Biden administration's broader crackdown on

A federal grand jury indicted two Jamaica-based individuals, Monique C. Clarke (28) and Jon-Michael Hudson (33), for conspiracy to commit money laundering in a lottery scam that defrauded 51 elderly victims of more than $6.6 million between October 2020 and January 2021. The scheme involved callers falsely claiming victims had won lottery prizes and requesting upfront payments for fees; funds were then funneled through "money mules" who deposited checks and sent cash to the defendants, with Clarke personally receiving over $500,000 and using proceeds to purchase a luxury Mercedes-Benz. Both defendants face up to

Monique C. Clarke, 28, and Jon-Michael Hudson, 33, were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering for their involvement in a lottery scam that targeted 51 elderly victims across the United States, resulting in total losses exceeding $6.6 million from October 2020 through January 2021. The scheme involved calling victims claiming they had won lottery prizes and requesting upfront fees; funds were then funneled through money mules who deposited checks and forwarded cash to Clarke and Hudson, with Clarke personally receiving over $500,000 and using approximately $150,000 to purchase a luxury Mercedes-Benz in Jamaica. Both defendants

On February 1, a federal grand jury indicted Monique C. Clarke, 28, a Jamaican national, and Jon-Michael Hudson, 33, for conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of a lottery scam targeting 51 elderly victims across the United States, resulting in losses exceeding $6.6 million. From October 2020 through January 2021, the defendants allegedly called elderly victims claiming they had won lottery prizes and solicited fees for taxes, shipping, and processing; the funds were then deposited by money mules into accounts controlled by Clarke and Hudson, with Clarke receiving over $500,000 from five victims' losses before allegedly wiring $150

Two older Pittsburgh women lost a combined $29,000 in a tech support scam where fraudsters impersonated Apple customer service representatives and convincing them their devices were hacked, pressuring them to purchase Bitcoin at local convenience stores. A 70-year-old victim withdrew $22,000 and a 72-year-old victim purchased $7,000 in Bitcoin after being transferred between scammers posing as Apple and bank fraud specialists. Pittsburgh police are investigating and warn the public that legitimate tech companies never contact customers about device problems or ask them to call numbers or click links, recommending victims report incidents to local police or the FTC.

Jeff Bank leaders discussed the rising prevalence of fraud and scams targeting their customers, particularly elderly individuals who are being defrauded of substantial sums of money. The bank has increased staff training on scam detection and conducted community outreach to vulnerable populations, while noting that scams often go undetected until money has already been sent. Common scams include the Microsoft pop-up scam, lottery fee schemes, the "grandma scam" involving emergency situations, and unsolicited requests for money through electronic channels or phone calls.

Robert Tobey, a Connecticut man with early-stage dementia, lost at least $5,000 to phone scammers between late 2018 and early 2019 who posed as friends, manipulating him into sending gift cards and money transfers and compromising his Social Security account. The article reports that scams affecting Cape Cod residents include romance scams, government impersonation schemes, sweepstakes scams, and grandchild-in-jail scams, with the National Council on Aging estimating five million older Americans lose $36.5 billion annually to fraud. Law enforcement warns that scams are constantly evolving and advise victims to hang up on suspicious calls

Inheritance scams deceive victims into believing a deceased relative left them money, then request payment for taxes or fees that never result in any funds being returned. A 41-year-old Nigerian man, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, pleaded guilty to defrauding over 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million through personalized letters falsely claiming to be a Spanish bank representative; he and eight co-defendants received prison sentences. To protect against these scams, seniors should recognize red flags like unsolicited claims, requests for personal information or unusual payment methods, and pressure tactics, and should report suspected fraud immediately to the FTC or law enforcement.

Older adults aged 60-plus lost $3.4 billion globally to financial scammers in 2023, with fraudsters targeting this population because they believe older adults have substantial savings and are less likely to report crimes. The article describes five common scams targeting seniors: grandparent scams (emotional manipulation using impersonation), financial services scams (impersonating banks or debt collectors), tech support scams (the most frequently reported type), government impersonation scams (IRS/Social Security threats), and romance scams, all of which exploit trust, fear, or emotion to extract money or personal information.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, a Nigerian national extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational romance/inheritance scam that defrauded American seniors over five years by falsely claiming they had won multimillion-dollar inheritances from Spain and requesting upfront fees. Victims were instructed to send money through a network of U.S.-based former victims who forwarded funds to the defendants, with none of the promised inheritances ever materialized. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison; two co-conspirators have already been sentenced to 97 months each for their roles in the scheme.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance scam that defrauded American seniors over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters claiming victims were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased Spanish relatives, then requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes; victims sent money through a network of U.S.-based accomplices but never received the promised funds. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison, and two co-defendants have already been sentenced to approximately 8 years each.

Internet scams have evolved from crude 1990s email cons like Nigerian prince schemes to sophisticated AI-powered deepfakes that can convincingly impersonate voices and faces, with phishing attacks emerging in the early 2000s as online banking adoption grew. Despite technological advances making fraud more convincing and difficult to detect, successful scams continue to rely on exploiting fundamental human emotions—greed, fear, compassion, and loneliness—through predictable psychological manipulation patterns that create urgency and isolate victims from support systems. Understanding how scam tactics have evolved reveals that technological complexity often masks simple psychological manipulation, and recognizing consistent underlying patterns can help potential victims identify manipulation attempts regardless of delivery method.

This educational piece outlines how to identify and respond to social media scams targeting users. Common scams include fake celebrity accounts, phishing links, romance scams, fraudulent job offers, giveaway schemes, and investment fraud—all designed to steal personal information, credentials, or money through deceptive friend requests and messages. The article recommends verifying profiles for authenticity, reporting suspicious accounts, blocking scammers, and maintaining strong privacy settings to protect against these threats.

According to Citizens Advice, one in five UK residents fell victim to financial scams, prompting cybersecurity companies to develop protective tools. McAfee launched a Scam Detector feature within its Total Protection and LiveSafe packages that identifies suspicious text, email, and video messages across multiple platforms and devices, starting at £10.99 per year. The tool works alongside antivirus protection to help users avoid malware infections and financial fraud schemes.

Mesquite Police detectives informed nearly 100 residents of Del Webb Sun City about prevalent scams targeting seniors, including grandparent scams, tech support fraud, romance scams, and investment schemes that exploit trust through calls, emails, and online platforms. Gift card scams are particularly prevalent locally, with thieves using untraceable cards or tampering with physical cards before purchase, while imposter scams involving government agencies and voice-cloning technology also pose significant risks. Residents were advised to verify claims independently, protect personal information, avoid public Wi-Fi, and report suspicious activity to the FTC or their bank immediately.

Marquette University Police Department issued a warning about online and phone scams targeting emails, calls, and text messages designed to steal personal information or money. The advisory provides prevention tips including: verifying suspicious contacts by calling organizations back using trusted numbers, not clicking email links, reporting phishing emails directly, and resetting passwords if compromised. Additional safeguards include spotting imposters, conducting online searches before trusting requests, not relying on caller ID, avoiding upfront payments, using secure payment methods, and consulting trusted contacts before sharing information or money.

This is an educational awareness piece in which California Assemblymember Catherine Stefani announces two free "Senior Scam Stopper" workshops designed to help seniors and their families recognize and prevent fraud. The events, held in partnership with the California Department of Consumer Affairs and featuring experts from state agencies and law enforcement, will cover common scams including fraudulent contractors, identity theft, Medicare fraud, lottery schemes, and mail fraud.

Nigerian national Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, was extradited from Poland and charged in federal court in Miami for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded American seniors over five years. The scheme involved sending letters falsely claiming recipients were entitled to multi-million-dollar inheritances from Spain, then requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes; victims' money was routed through U.S.-based money mules and never resulted in any inheritance payments. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison, and two co-conspirators previously extradited from Portugal and the United Kingdom were each sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly American victims over five years by falsely claiming they had unclaimed inheritances from Spain and requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes. Victims sent money through a network of compromised U.S. accounts and never received promised funds, with Nnebocha facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted; two co-conspirators have already been sentenced to 97 months incarceration each.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, was extradited from Poland to the United States to face federal charges for allegedly operating a large-scale inheritance scam that defrauded elderly Americans over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters claiming victims had inherited millions from deceased relatives in Spain, then requesting fees and taxes upfront that victims never recovered. Nnebocha faces mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy charges carrying potential sentences up to 20 years, while two co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty and received sentences exceeding eight years each.

Financial management difficulties can be an early warning sign of dementia, with common indicators including missed payments, unexplained cash withdrawals, unusual purchases, and trouble with online banking. A neuropsychologist from the University of Miami notes that while normal aging causes occasional memory lapses, regularly missing payments and confusion about time or people warrant medical evaluation. To protect seniors with cognitive decline, families should set up automated bill pay, use spending trackers with fraud alerts, enable power of attorney arrangements, and remain vigilant against sophisticated scams targeting the elderly.

Tochuwku Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian, was extradited from Poland to face federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of millions of dollars over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters to seniors falsely claiming they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives in Spain, then requesting upfront fees that were routed through U.S.-based accomplices. Nnebocha faces charges including mail and wire fraud carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years, with two co-conspirators having already pleaded guilty and received 97-month sentences each.

**Summary:** Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national extradited from Poland, was charged in federal court for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme targeting American seniors over more than five years. The scheme sent fraudulent letters falsely claiming victims had inherited millions from deceased relatives in Spain and demanded upfront fees for delivery and taxes, with victims sending money through a network of compromised U.S. bank accounts and never receiving promised funds. Nnebocha faces charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and two co-defendants have already been sentenced to approximately 97 months incarceration.

The Boston Police Department warns that older residents are being targeted by multiple scam types, including cryptocurrency investment schemes (which caused Boston residents over $9 million in losses in 2024 alone), home improvement fraud by door-to-door contractors, imposter scams, and unwitting money mule schemes. Police advise seniors to research investments thoroughly, verify contractor credentials, be skeptical of unsolicited offers on social media and dating apps, and hang up on suspicious callers to independently verify identities before transferring money or cryptocurrency.

Older adults are frequent targets for financial scams because they have accumulated wealth, may experience cognitive or sensory decline, and often grew up in a more trusting era, making them vulnerable to exploitation. The FBI estimates seniors lose over $3 billion annually to fraud through common schemes including robocalls, government impersonation scams, romance scams, tech support scams, and emerging threats like deepfakes and grandparent scams. Protection strategies include hanging up on high-pressure calls, verifying caller identities independently, and familiarizing oneself with common scam tactics.