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ABC News
· 2025-09-25
A 91-year-old woman named Shirley Morrow lost $9,000 in a "grandparent scam" after receiving a phone call from someone posing as her grandson, claiming he was in jail following a car accident and needed bail money. The scam involves fraudsters impersonating a grandchild in distress and requesting immediate payment, with tens of thousands of cases reported nationwide targeting senior citizens. Scammers use voice mimicking technology and social engineering tactics to convince victims to withdraw cash before they realize they've been deceived.
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ABC News
· 2025-09-25
**Grandparent Scam - Voice Technology Fraud**
Scammers are using advanced voice technology to impersonate grandchildren in what the FBI identifies as an escalating problem targeting older adults. A 91-year-old victim (Shirley Morrow) was convinced by a call mimicking her grandson's voice that he was in legal trouble and needed $9,000; older adults collectively lost $4.9 billion to these scams, which typically involve fraudsters posing as family members in supposed emergencies to pressure immediate payment.
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KTVB
· 2025-09-23
Idaho enacted a new "Report and Hold" law that authorizes banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to temporarily freeze suspicious transactions when fraud is suspected. The law protects financial professionals from legal liability when reporting suspected fraud and applies to adults over 65 as well as younger adults with physical or mental impairments.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-09-22
Congressman Warren Davidson emphasizes that elder fraud represents a pressing threat to American families and calls for stronger legal protections against these schemes, which he characterizes as particularly deceptive and now operating as global enterprises. He advocates for bipartisan action to address the issue and references the Guard Act as an example of bipartisan legislation designed to better protect seniors from financial fraud.
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13WHAM ABC News
· 2025-09-18
Thirty-five-year-old Esther Marie Jones of Rochester appeared in federal court as one of eight suspects accused of running fraud schemes targeting dozens of senior citizens in Western New York. According to the criminal complaint, Jones was found in possession of 31 fraudulent identification cards, 4 stolen social security cards, and 65 fraudulent bank cards, which she allegedly used to steal money from seniors and open businesses under their identities. A fraud prevention expert noted that elder fraud victims often suffer devastating consequences, as seniors who lose their life savings lack the financial resources to recover, unlike younger fraud victims.
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13WHAM ABC News
· 2025-09-17
Eight suspects were charged federally for operating fraud schemes targeting over 139 senior citizens across Western New York, resulting in approximately $11 million in losses. The schemes employed multiple tactics including romance scams, account hacking, and identity theft, and were dismantled by a newly formed Department of Justice task force based in Rochester.
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WMAR-2 News
· 2025-09-11
A Parkton woman received unsolicited medical braces (knee, wrist, and back) that she never ordered and her doctor never prescribed, only to discover that fraudulent companies billed Medicare approximately $1,100 for a back brace worth $25 on eBay, with Medicare covering nearly $400 of the fraudulent charge. The companies involved were difficult to reach and unresponsive when contacted, raising concerns about how they obtained the victim's personal health information to perpetrate the Medicare fraud scheme.
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ABC11
· 2025-09-05
Brian Talton was arrested and charged with stealing thousands of dollars from homeowners in Wake County through driveway repair scams targeting elderly residents. Talton and associates would claim to have extra asphalt supplies and offer to repair driveways, then charge exorbitant fees (one victim was charged nearly $16,000), perform substandard work, and disappear after cashing checks. At least one 95-year-old victim reported that Talton falsely claimed to work for the city, and victims discovered cracks in the new driveways almost immediately after completion.
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ABC10
· 2025-09-04
California seniors lost $1.7 billion to fraud in 2024, with scammers increasingly targeting older adults through digital devices using evolving tactics like spoofing and gift card scams. Experts from AARP and Chase Bank conducted educational workshops in Sacramento to help seniors recognize common scams and protect their identities, emphasizing that awareness and vigilance are key to prevention.
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FOX6 News Milwaukee
· 2025-08-22
**Title:** Preventing scams and fraud | FOX6 News Milwaukee
A Hartford staffing support company received a convincing phone call from someone impersonating their bank, with a spoofed caller ID, claiming fraudulent transactions required setting up a new account and requesting current account credentials. The company president recognized red flags when asked for sensitive information despite the caller's friendly demeanor and trust-building tactics, ultimately refusing to provide the information and avoiding financial loss. The segment provides awareness about how financial fraud scams use social engineering and caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate and manipulate victims into revealing account information.
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ABC News
· 2025-08-20
This Nightline special examined the "Tinder Swindler," a notorious romance scammer who defrauded multiple victims of substantial sums including $20,000, $30,000, and $140,000 by posing as a wealthy man with a luxurious lifestyle on dating apps. Two victims lost their savings and homes after falling for his love-bombing scheme and have since become advocates, publishing a book titled "Swindle, Never After" to warn others about romance scams. The program featured an investigation into the scammer's methods and aims to help prevent future victims from falling for similar con artists.
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FOX 5 Atlanta
· 2025-08-20
Peach Tree City Police identified cryptocurrency ATMs as the leading cause of fraud in their jurisdiction, with victims losing $2 million in just eight months of 2024. Scammers deceived residents into depositing cash into cryptocurrency accounts via ATMs located in stores and gas stations, often wiping out life savings and retirement accounts. Police emphasized that any unsolicited request to use a crypto or Bitcoin ATM is a scam, and warn this problem is occurring in communities nationwide.
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WHNT News 19
· 2025-08-19
Scammers are tricking consumers into paying fees for passport renewal forms that are actually free downloads from the U.S. government website. These fraudulent sites mimic the official government website (ending in .com instead of .gov) and may trick victims into providing personal and financial information, potentially leading to identity theft. Consumers should verify they are using the official site (travel.state.gov) and avoid clicking sponsored search results, while monitoring their bank accounts if they suspect they've been victimized.
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wgaltv
· 2025-08-13
Thirteen suspects were arrested in connection with a sophisticated international grandparent scam ring that stole over $5 million from more than 400 seniors, with call centers in the Dominican Republic and money-collection runners across the United States including Massachusetts. The scam involved criminals posing as grandchildren in distress and pressuring elderly victims to withdraw cash from banks, with one victim's family losing $18,000 in the scheme. Authorities recommend families establish a code word that grandchildren must provide when calling, as a protective measure against this type of fraud.
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Western Mass News
· 2025-08-13
Thirteen individuals have been charged for operating a transnational elder fraud scheme centered at a call center in the Dominican Republic that defrauded over 400 U.S. seniors of more than $5 million. The perpetrators used fake emergency scripts claiming victims' loved ones needed money, sometimes orchestrating ride-share drivers to transport elderly victims to banks for additional withdrawals, before laundering funds back to the Dominican Republic. Nine suspects are in custody while four remain at large; all face multiple fraud charges.
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WCVB Channel 5 Boston
· 2025-08-12
Thirteen members of a transnational elder fraud ring operating from a call center in the Dominican Republic were charged, with nine arrested and four still at large. The sophisticated operation targeted more than 400 victims, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, using the "grandchild in trouble" scam and even arranging Uber rides to banks to collect cash from seniors. Many victims lost their life savings and suffered lasting emotional trauma, with full financial recovery unlikely as authorities work to seize assets.
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CBC News
· 2025-08-07
Cecil and Sam Victor, elderly customers at TD Bank for over 40 years, lost approximately $10,000 in a "grandparent scam" after receiving calls claiming their grandson needed bail money for a car accident; they made two wire transfers within a day of each other. Their daughter questions the bank's fraud prevention practices, arguing that tellers should have flagged the suspicious back-to-back transfers from senior customers as unusual activity, though TD Bank stated the transactions were authorized and declined to intervene.
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BBC News
· 2025-08-02
This BBC documentary exposes multi-million pound whiskey investment scams targeting investors in Scotland's unregulated whiskey trade. Criminals deceive investors into purchasing worthless assets (such as picture frames instead of actual whiskey), with victims losing between £47,000 and over £300,000 each. The investigation tracks perpetrators exploiting the industry's lack of regulation while investors are left financially devastated with no recourse.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-08-01
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand highlighted that elder abuse and neglect significantly impacts older adults in communities and long-term care settings, with only one in 24 cases reported to authorities, indicating the problem is far more widespread than realized. She emphasized that community programs—including long-term care ombudsman programs, protection advocacy agencies, and adult protective services—are essential systems that must be strengthened and protected to combat elder abuse and financial fraud. Gillibrand called for Congress to ensure these programs remain available to seniors and to empower law enforcement in preventing financial abuse as scams continue to evolve.
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WMTW-TV
· 2025-07-29
Maine's Kennebunk Police Department has hired Officer Candice Seomoni as the state's first dedicated elder justice investigator to research and investigate crimes against elderly residents. Seomoni reports that financial crimes are the most common abuse cases, with over 85% perpetrated by someone the victim knows and trusts, and she is already working on nearly a dozen cases while partnering with law enforcement across Maine to train officers on combating elder fraud and abuse.
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KOAA 5
· 2025-07-25
A Colorado author lost over $100,000 in a combined romance and cryptocurrency investment scam after meeting someone on a dating app who convinced him to invest in what appeared to be a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity. The incident is part of a larger trend in Colorado, where residents lost more than $240 million to scams in the previous year according to FBI data. The scammer used video calls and seemingly normal conversation tactics to build trust before pivoting to the fraudulent investment scheme.
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Al Jazeera English
· 2025-07-24
**Cyber Kidnapping Scams Target Chinese International Students**
Chinese international students worldwide are falling victim to "cyber kidnapping" scams where fraudsters impersonate authorities and coerce victims into staging fake abductions to extract ransom payments from their families, with demands reaching $1 million. A notable case involved 17-year-old exchange student Kai Wang, who went missing in Utah in December 2023 after being targeted by scammers threatening violence. Victims experience significant financial losses and psychological trauma from these sophisticated schemes that exploit their trust in authority figures.
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19 News
· 2025-07-23
A 66-year-old woman from Mentor, Ohio lost over $400,000 in a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam after being contacted by a scammer posing as an online friend offering investment advice. The scammer displayed fake returns to lure her in, then demanded six-figure fees to withdraw her funds—a classic fraud tactic. The victim is one of nearly 30 people across multiple states targeted by this same scam operation.
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ITV News
· 2025-07-18
Patricia Owen, a postmistress in Canterbury, was wrongly convicted of theft based on faulty Post Office accounting software called Capture and died without clearing her name; her case is now the first to be referred to the Court of Appeal for potential overturning. The Capture system, which preceded the more notorious Horizon system, caused estimated hundreds of thousands of people to lose their livelihoods, yet the government has only overturned 900 Horizon-related convictions while approximately 30 people with Capture-based convictions remain unexonerated.
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CHCH News
· 2025-07-18
A Hamilton senior couple lost nearly $70,000 after a scammer impersonating a Scotiabank employee called on June 23rd, claiming their debit cards had been compromised. The fraudster convinced them to surrender their cards to a courier and promised replacement cards within 24 hours, but instead used the cards to drain their bank account, max out their credit cards, and deplete their line of credit within two days.
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Newsmax
· 2025-06-30
Scam artists, including foreign nationals living in the country illegally, are impersonating federal agents to defraud senior citizens by threatening them with false fraud investigations. In Spanish Fort, Alabama, a Chinese national posing as a federal agent swindled a retired educator out of over $400,000 through weeks of coercion involving cash withdrawals, gold purchases, and psychological intimidation about wire fraud cases. Law enforcement reports this is an organized, deliberate scheme targeting retirees' life savings and extends beyond Alabama.
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CTV News
· 2025-06-26
A Manitoba senior lost his entire life savings of $2 million in a cryptocurrency investment scam involving a fake website called "Fargo Investor" created using artificial intelligence. Scammers, reportedly operating from outside Canada, used social media ads featuring celebrity endorsements to promote the unregistered investment opportunity, which the Manitoba Securities Commission warns is part of a rising trend of fraud targeting seniors.
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CP24
· 2025-06-19
Toronto Police arrested 11 people in Project Fair, a major fraud investigation targeting a large-scale taxi scam that defrauded customers of over $500,000 across more than 300 incidents over a 10-month period. The suspects used stolen debit and credit cards with PINs to withdraw cash from ATMs, deposit fraudulent checks, and purchase high-value items including electronics, gift cards, and luxury goods, with investigators seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property during search warrants executed in May 2024.
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NewsX Live
· 2025-06-19
Two Indian nationals studying in the United States were sentenced to federal prison for phishing scams impersonating US government officials to defraud elderly Americans. Kishan Rajkumar Patel, age 20, targeted at least 25 elderly victims and caused $94,156 in losses, while another Indian student named Muhammad was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a similar scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of nearly $6 million.
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KPRC 2 Click2Houston
· 2025-06-10
A 65-year-old Vietnamese American man in Houston lost his entire life savings of $500,000 in an elaborate elder fraud scheme that began with a legitimate IRS identity theft letter. Scammers posing as Vietnamese embassy officials then contacted him via phone calls in Vietnamese, claiming his identity was being used to launder money overseas, and convinced him over nearly five months to send money by using AI-generated videos and fake documents impersonating government officials. The victim, now forced to continue working past retirement age, is seeking assistance to recover from the fraud.
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The Dallas Morning News
· 2025-06-05
Two Keller, Texas residents—Felix Clark and Esther Ampiel—pleaded guilty to federal charges for operating a romance scam that targeted elderly victims across the United States between June and September 2022. The scheme used fake online dating profiles to deceive vulnerable seniors, including recent widows, into sending money under false pretenses such as claims about accessing gold in Ghana, with funds subsequently transferred abroad. Clark pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud, while Ampiel pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter business.
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The Straits Times
· 2025-06-02
This educational piece for children ages 9-12 explains what scams are and how they work. A scam occurs when someone tricks you into giving them money or personal information by impersonating trusted entities like banks, government agencies, or celebrities, typically through phone calls, messaging apps, or social media while offering fake prizes or credits in return. The article emphasizes that scams affect people of all ages and warns viewers to be cautious about unsolicited offers and requests for personal information.
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CBS Chicago
· 2025-05-31
This article is about property theft, not elder fraud. It describes burglaries of homes under construction in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, where thieves steal copper wire and power tools during evening hours and resell them at scrapyards, pawn shops, and Facebook Marketplace for approximately $1,000 per day. Chicago police issued a warning after four construction sites were burglarized in two weeks.
This content does not fit the Elderus database focus on elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse.
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ABC 10 News
· 2025-05-29
A Carlsbad couple nearly lost $50,000 in a sophisticated scam that began with a fraudulent text about a $499 Norton purchase. When the senior called the provided number, a polished and professional scammer named "Roger" convinced him to enter $500 to reverse the charge, but the amount mysteriously changed to $50,000 in his bank account. The FBI has warned of increasing scams targeting elderly residents in the county using tactics that exploit trust and create a false sense of urgency.
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therhodeshow
· 2025-05-20
This educational segment discusses common senior scams affecting millions of Americans annually, including identity theft schemes, grandparent scams (falsely claiming a relative needs bail money), tech support scams, and romance scams. Key prevention strategies include educating seniors about scam tactics, maintaining regular involvement in their financial affairs, and reporting suspected fraud to state police or adult services, while noting that many scams go unreported due to victim embarrassment.
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NBC 7 San Diego
· 2025-05-16
Carlsbad Police shut down an elaborate fraud scheme targeting elderly residents that stole over $145,000 in cash and gold bullion. Scammers used fake computer popups and impersonated Apple and Wells Fargo representatives to convince victims to liquidate assets, which were then packed into shoebox parcels for courier pickup; in one case, a victim lost $130,000 before police made an arrest during a second pickup. A separate incident involved an elderly resident losing $10,000 to someone impersonating an FTC investigator using authentic-looking agency letterhead and logos.
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FOX 13 Tampa Bay
· 2025-05-02
A 92-year-old man from Sun City Center lost approximately $800,000 in a romance scam perpetrated by 37-year-old Otis Swinton Jr., who posed as a romantic interest online while communicating from jail. Swinton, a repeat offender previously convicted in 2019 of stealing over $1 million from more than 50 seniors using credit card fraud schemes, targeted the isolated elderly victim who was living in an assisted living facility and seeking companionship.
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CBS 13 News
· 2025-04-27
Maine residents lost $31 million to cybercrime and scams in 2024, a 65% increase from $19 million in 2023, according to FBI data. Adults aged 60 and older accounted for $13 million (40%) of these losses, with tech support scams, government impersonation, and investment fraud being the primary threats to this age group. The FBI recommends reporting wire transfer fraud within 72 hours through IC3.gov to trigger a financial fraud response.
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CBS Chicago
· 2025-04-18
The Better Business Bureau warns of a surge in Real ID scams targeting consumers rushing to meet the May 7th federal deadline. Scammers impersonate government officials through fraudulent alerts and emails, claiming problems with applicants' Real IDs or warning about the deadline to steal personal information, a tactic previously seen during the 2021 deadline extension.
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Graham Cluley
· 2025-04-16
This is a transcript excerpt from the Smashing Security podcast (Episode 413) featuring hosts Graeme Cluey and Carol Tero discussing cybersecurity topics, including a mention of a Swiss cybersecurity company launching a "CIS initiative" and references to Nigerian fraud schemes (419 scams). The transcript appears to be a partial, auto-generated recording with significant repetition and unclear audio quality, making it unsuitable for detailed summarization of specific fraud cases or elder abuse incidents.
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CTV News
· 2025-04-14
Police in Ontario are warning of a fake gold investment scheme that has defrauded at least three elderly residents of approximately $1.3 million. Scammers impersonate bank or security officials, claiming victims' bank accounts have been compromised, then convince them to purchase large quantities of gold as a security measure—gold that is never actually picked up. Police emphasize that legitimate banks never ask customers to withdraw funds and buy gold, nor do they request customer participation in investigations.
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The Economic Times
· 2025-04-14
In 2024, India experienced a surge in online messaging and calling fraud, with victims losing over ₹177 crore across 29,082 cases, including a significant rise in high-value transactions exceeding ₹1 lakh. Common scams include OTP cons (where fraudsters impersonate banks requesting one-time passwords) and job scams. Authorities are implementing measures such as blacklisting spam callers and launching awareness campaigns, with government websites available for reporting grievances and tracking cases.
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4 News Now
· 2025-04-04
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Spokane Valley Police Department warned of a scam in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials and contact family members of recently arrested individuals, claiming they can secure early jail release in exchange for immediate payment. Authorities advise recipients of such calls to verify the caller's identity independently by hanging up and calling the agency directly before providing any payment.
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FOX 4 Now
· 2025-04-03
Lee County Sheriff's Office reported approximately 20 fraud cases daily in 2024, with 2,400 total reported cases—60% resulting in losses exceeding $10,000 each. The most common scam involved fraudsters impersonating law enforcement and claiming victims missed court dates, demanding payment via untraceable methods like Bitcoin or gift cards, though recent high-dollar wire fraud cases totaled $395,000, $475,000, and $158,000. Most suspects operate outside the United States, making recovery of stolen funds difficult once money is transferred overseas.
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NDTV
· 2025-03-29
An elderly couple in Karnataka's Bellagavi district lost Rs 50 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as telecom and crime branch officials who threatened them with a "digital arrest" scam, ultimately leading to their deaths by suicide. The scammers, identified as Sume Birra and Anil Yadav Bira, falsely claimed a SIM card had been fraudulently registered in the victims' names and demanded increasingly larger transfers. The incident underscores the vulnerability of senior citizens to digital fraud schemes and the critical need for public awareness that no official "digital arrest" procedure exists.
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NDTV Profit
· 2025-03-29
An elderly couple in Belagavi, Karnataka died by suicide after losing 50 lakh rupees (approximately $60,000 USD) to cyber fraudsters who impersonated telecom and crime branch officials and threatened them with a fabricated "digital arrest." The scammers, identified as Sumit Birra and Anil Yadav, claimed a SIM card had been fraudulently purchased in the couple's name and was being used for illegal activities, then demanded increasingly large payments before the victims took their own lives. The incident underscores the vulnerability of elderly citizens to "digital arrest" scams, which are not a legitimate law enforcement action.
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CNBC Television
· 2025-03-25
Tax season is a prime time for fraud, with Americans losing $9.1 billion to tax fraud and financial crimes in 2024 according to the IRS. Scammers target individuals filing taxes to steal identities, usernames, passwords, and access to financial accounts and tax prep software. To protect yourself, the IRS recommends setting up an identity protection PIN, using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly monitoring or freezing your credit.
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60 Minutes
· 2025-03-23
This 60 Minutes segment examines why investment fraud and Ponzi schemes continue to thrive despite public awareness of high-profile cases like Bernie Madoff's multi-billion dollar fraud. The piece features expert Ricky Jay discussing how con artists exploit human psychology—including greed and excessive trust—and identifies key warning signs such as dealings with well-established figures who rely on exclusive affiliations to build credibility. The segment highlights that despite financial disasters and skepticism, investors remain vulnerable to sophisticated scams, a phenomenon regulators refer to as "ponzi-monium."
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CBC News
· 2025-03-19
Police in Montreal arrested 23 people in June operating an elaborate grandparent scam network targeting American seniors, allegedly defrauding them of $21 million USD ($30 million CAD) through coordinated call centers. The scam typically involved one caller impersonating a grandchild in financial distress, followed by another impersonating a police officer directing victims to wire money (usually around $10,000). Montreal has emerged as a major hub for these large-scale grandparent scam operations, which cause significant financial loss to vulnerable elderly victims in the United States.
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Valley News Live
· 2025-03-19
Romance scams spike around Valentine's Day, with nearly 65,000 people reporting such scams to the Federal Trade Commission in 2023, resulting in $1.14 billion in total losses. Scammers create fake online dating profiles to gain victims' trust before manipulating them into sending money. The article recommends using reverse image search as a simple protective step to verify the authenticity of online dating profiles.