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in Scam Awareness
kwch.com
· 2025-12-08
A 35-year-old New York man pleaded guilty to mistreating an elder person after defrauding a 78-year-old Wichita woman out of more than $100,000 in a romance scam, where he posed as someone named Victor seeking financial help. Jango Touray was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay full restitution, with a 34-month prison sentence imposed if he violates probation or fails to pay. Romance scams typically begin with social media friend requests or emails from attractive strangers claiming financial difficulties, and are difficult to prosecute and recover funds from because scammers operate across state lines and launder money through multiple accounts
wrrv.com
· 2025-12-08
New York State Police issued a fraud alert warning older residents about a scam in which perpetrators convince victims to withdraw money from their bank accounts for the scammers to pick up. The scam has generated multiple complaints from seniors, and police emphasized that anyone contacted by phone or computer with such requests should immediately call 911 and never withdraw or surrender funds. Scams targeting New Yorkers cost the state over $10 million last year, with other common schemes against seniors including romance, investment, and "grandparents" scams.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
This article provides awareness and prevention tips for common tourist scams across Europe, including pickpocketing in crowded areas, inflated bar bills in Budapest, fake police officers posing as authorities to steal money or valuables, and street vendors offering unsolicited items like bracelets or flowers. The piece advises travelers to stay alert, use anti-theft bags, avoid dingy bars with unclear pricing, insist on going to police stations if approached by officers, and trust their instincts when meeting strangers.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder scams cost banks over $27 billion in 2023, with victims losing an average of $33,000 per case, increasingly facilitated by AI-enabled voice cloning and impersonation fraud. Common scams targeting older adults employ two main tactics: creating urgency (tech support, government imposter, grandparent scams) or offering too-good-to-be-true opportunities (investment, romance, lottery scams). The most effective prevention involves pausing when pressured, verifying identities through independent channels, and consulting trusted third parties before making financial decisions or sharing personal information.
greenwichsentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
The IRS issued a warning about rising impersonation scams targeting senior citizens, where fraudsters pose as government officials (IRS, Social Security, Medicare) or businesses to steal personal information and money. Scammers use pressure tactics, fake caller IDs, and demands for immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency to exploit victims. The IRS advises that it does not initiate contact by phone, email, or text about tax issues, and victims should hang up on unexpected calls and report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
azbigmedia.com
· 2025-12-08
Up to 20% of older Americans fall victim to elder fraud annually, with losses totaling over $3.4 billion in 2023 and averaging $34,000 per victim, using methods like deceptive emails, phone calls, and impersonation scams. Common schemes include government impersonation, sweepstakes scams, robocalls, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams targeting seniors due to isolation and limited technical knowledge. Prevention strategies include staying informed about evolving scams, monitoring accounts regularly, maintaining open communication with family about finances, reporting suspicious activity immediately, and pausing before responding to urgent requests for money or personal information.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder scams cost banks over $27 billion in suspicious activity in 2023, with individual losses averaging more than $33,000 per case, increasingly enabled by AI-powered voice cloning and identity masking technology. Six common scam types target older adults through two main strategies: creating urgency (tech support, government imposter, and grandparent scams) or offering too-good-to-be-true opportunities (investment, romance, and lottery scams). Protective measures include pausing when rushed, verifying identities through independent channels before acting, avoiding nontraditional payment methods, and consulting trusted third parties when emotional decisions are involved.
wvnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud complaints to the FBI increased 14% last year, with over 100,000 people aged 60 and older reporting scam victimization in 2023, compared to only 18,000 people under 20. West Virginia, having one of the nation's oldest populations, is particularly vulnerable to schemes including malware scams (where scammers pose as tech support or federal agents demanding payment), romance scams, and insider fraud perpetrated by family members or caregivers. Law enforcement officials recommend elders avoid clicking unknown links, recognize that legitimate agencies never demand phone payment or gift cards, and encourage younger family members to regularly check in about their online safety.
mtb.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational resource outlines how to protect aging loved ones from fraud and financial abuse, which can be perpetrated by strangers, friends, caregivers, or family members. The piece identifies six common senior scams—suspicious solicitation, counterfeit check schemes, lottery fraud, fake inheritance notifications, romance scams, and internet sale fraud—and provides practical warning signs and preventive advice for each. M&T Bank offers a dedicated helpline (1-800-724-2440) for reporting suspected financial abuse or fraud involving seniors.
foxbusiness.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating the U.S. Postal Service through deceptive text messages claiming delivery issues or suspended accounts to trick recipients into clicking malicious links and providing personal information such as Social Security numbers, account credentials, and payment card details. The USPS warns customers that it only uses 5-digit short codes for SMS and never includes links in unsolicited texts; recipients should verify package status only through USPS.com and report suspicious messages to authorities.
texasattorneygeneral.gov
· 2025-12-08
Following the CrowdStrike service outage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned residents to be vigilant against scams exploiting the cybersecurity incident, particularly unsolicited contacts claiming to be from CrowdStrike requesting login credentials or personal information. Consumers are advised to immediately change any compromised passwords, avoid reusing them across accounts, and report suspected data breaches to their organization's customer support or IT department.
fox10phoenix.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating the USPS through fake text messages claiming package delivery issues, account suspensions, or waiting packages, attempting to trick recipients into clicking malicious links that steal personal information such as social security numbers and credit card details. The USPS was the most imitated brand in phishing scams during the second quarter, prompting an official alert warning customers that legitimate USPS texts only come from 5-digit short codes and never contain links or requests without prior customer tracking number requests.
nationalseniors.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence technologies, particularly generative AI, to create convincing fake content used in various fraud schemes targeting the public. Common AI-enabled scams include deepfake payment redirection scams impersonating company executives, social media investment scams featuring fake celebrity videos, voice-cloning "Hi Mum" scams, sophisticated phishing emails with realistic logos, job scams with fake websites, and romance scams using AI-generated profile pictures and chatbots. To protect against these evolving threats, individuals should verify information independently, maintain strong online security practices, and educate themselves about AI-based scam techniques.
katv.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers impersonating law enforcement officers are calling Arkansas residents and demanding payment via wire transfer, prepaid cards, or gift cards to resolve alleged criminal matters or enroll in fake rehabilitation programs, using caller ID spoofing and pre-recorded messages to deceive victims. Attorney General Tim Griffin advises people never to send money to callers claiming to be law enforcement, to verify caller identity by independently calling the agency, and to never share personal information over the phone. Victims should report fraudulent calls to the Attorney General's Office with details of the call time, number, and message.
ctnewsjunkie.com
· 2025-12-08
**Not an Elder Fraud Summary**
This article does not contain information about elder fraud, scams targeting seniors, or elder abuse. It is an opinion piece advocating for minimal regulation of peer-to-peer payment platforms like Zelle, arguing that proposed Senate oversight would harm small businesses and community banks. While the piece mentions fraud investigations on these platforms, it does not describe specific scams, victims, or cases relevant to the Elderus database.
newsmirror.net
· 2025-12-08
Seniors lost over $3 billion to scams in 2023, with losses reaching $1.6 billion in just the first five months of 2024, representing a significant increase year-over-year. Older adults are particularly vulnerable targets because they tend to be trusting, have financial savings, and good credit, making them attractive to con artists. Common scams targeting seniors include romance scams (where scammers pose as romantic partners to extract money) and tech support scams (where fake pop-ups trick victims into calling numbers and granting remote computer access).
registerguard.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau is warning job seekers about a fraudulent Idaho-based reshipping company called Intelligent Post, which contacts people through career websites like Indeed with fake remote job offers and requests personal information including government-issued ID photos to commit identity fraud and open fraudulent credit accounts. The dissolved company, operating under multiple aliases, has generated 47 scam tracker reports and eight complaints in the past 12 months, with at least two victims in Oregon under age 35. The BBB advises job seekers to verify employment offers through official company websites and avoid sharing sensitive personal information with unknown entities.
abc7ny.com
· 2025-12-08
Following a global tech outage, scammers exploited the disruption by sending fraudulent emails, texts, and robocalls requesting personal information such as passwords, account numbers, and social security numbers. Security experts warned the public to be vigilant against spoofed caller IDs and phishing attempts, noting that Americans lost $2.7 billion to imposter scams in 2023 and fraud is projected to worsen in 2024. Recommended precautions include hanging up on suspicious calls, calling back official numbers from statements or cards, and never surrendering card information to unsolicited callers.
dropboxforum.com
· 2025-12-08
This is a forum post about Dropbox customer service complaints, not an elder fraud case. A user reported being charged for four months without purchasing a plan and characterized the company as a scam with poor customer support, though no details about the specific fraud mechanism or resolution were provided.
**Note:** This article does not contain elder fraud, scam, or abuse content relevant to the Elderus database and should not be indexed.
thespec.com
· 2025-12-08
A Brant County resident lost $34,500 to a romance scammer who initiated contact through a dating app, then moved conversations to another platform and persuaded the victim to invest in cryptocurrency. When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, they encountered additional fees with strict deadlines that resulted in further losses, and the money has not been recovered. Police advise caution when online contacts suggest changing communication platforms, request money, or show inconsistencies in their stories.
coinspeaker.com
· 2025-12-08
Binance collaborated with the FBI in San Diego to investigate a "pig butchering" scam, resulting in the seizure of $2.5 million in cryptocurrency (2.5 million USDT) from accounts controlled by a perpetrator in Thailand. Pig butchering scams involve fraudsters building trust with victims through online communication before manipulating them into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments, often by posing as romantic interests and allowing small initial withdrawals to build false confidence. The U.S. Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover the seized funds, which may be used to compensate victims.
leaderadvertiser.com
· 2025-12-08
Up to 20% of older Americans fall victim to elder fraud annually, with losses exceeding $3.4 billion in 2023. Common scams targeting seniors include government impersonation, sweepstakes, robocalls, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Prevention strategies include staying educated on evolving fraud tactics, monitoring accounts regularly, maintaining open communication with family members, reporting suspicious activity immediately, and avoiding pressure to send money quickly by hanging up and calling back to verify.
ncoa.org
· 2025-12-08
This educational article explains how online scams target older adults, using a real case example where 80-year-old Alice Lin lost over $700,000 to a cryptocurrency investment scam on WeChat. According to the FBI IC3, people over 60 reported $3.4 billion in fraud losses in 2023 (up 11% from 2022), with an average loss of nearly $34,000 per victim. The article details five psychological manipulation tactics scammers use against seniors—including targeting social isolation, impersonating authority figures, and exploiting trust—and provides specific protective measures such as consulting trusted contacts before responding to suspicious requests and verifying organizations through official channels.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
Job scams are increasingly sophisticated and targeting vulnerable job seekers, particularly in tight labor markets like the U.K. which had 904,000 vacancies in May 2024. Experts warn job hunters to avoid offers with vague descriptions, too-good-to-be-true promises, suspicious website URLs, poor communication quality, unsolicited job offers through social media, and any listings requiring upfront payments.
wnem.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned residents about a government imposter scam in which fraudsters pose as government officials claiming to offer "free government money from the CARES Act" to steal personal information. The alert advises consumers to block contact attempts, avoid clicking links or opening attachments, and report suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission and Attorney General's office, while noting that legitimate government agencies will never demand payment via gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or threaten immediate arrest.
thestar.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to create convincing fake profiles and communications on dating apps and social media, making it harder for victims to distinguish real from fabricated interactions. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, $52.4 million in romance fraud losses were reported in 2023, though actual losses are estimated at five to ten times higher due to underreporting; scammers typically target vulnerable individuals by building trust before requesting money for emergencies, investments, or other financial schemes. Experts advise that any request for money is a major red flag, and urge victims to report incidents to police despite potential embarrassment, as information sharing helps investigators identify patterns across
myemail-api.constantcontact.com
· 2025-12-08
This article explains how romance scammers target vulnerable individuals on dating platforms and social media by researching personal information and creating fake profiles to build emotional connections before requesting money. The piece outlines key warning signs including profiles that seem too perfect, requests to move off-platform, fabricated sob stories, and limited contact histories. The article advises users to verify identities through reverse image searches, limit personal information sharing, trust their instincts, and remain skeptical of relationships that develop too quickly.
brantbeacon.ca
· 2025-12-08
A victim lost $34,500 in a romance scam that began on a dating app in April 2024, where a scammer built trust before pivoting to cryptocurrency investment schemes and then exploiting the victim with fake withdrawal fees. The scammer used multiple deception tactics including stolen influencer photos, changing contact information, and creating fake accounts to maintain the illusion of legitimacy. The Brant County OPP advises the public to avoid switching communication platforms with online contacts, never share financial information with people not met in person, and report suspicious activity immediately.
theturtleislandnews.com
· 2025-12-08
An individual in Brant County, Ontario fell victim to a romance scam that began on a dating application in April 2024, where a scammer built trust over several weeks before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency. The victim made multiple transfers to a cryptocurrency account but was unable to recover any funds, as the scammer employed tactics such as changing phone numbers and creating new social media profiles to maintain the deception. The Brant County OPP is warning the public to exercise caution when meeting individuals online and to be skeptical of requests to switch communication platforms or invest in cryptocurrency.
koaa.com
· 2025-12-08
Colorado Springs police report that scams are increasingly catching seniors due to both the volume of daily attempts and seniors' particular vulnerability to emotional manipulation. Victims lose anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars, with romance scams proving especially devastating—one woman lost her life by suicide after being defrauded of thousands of dollars monthly by a romance scammer posing as her fiancé. Experts identify key red flags including requests for non-traditional payment methods (gift cards, cryptocurrency, direct bank transfers) and note that seniors' generation-based tendency to trust authority figures, combined with isolation and loneliness, makes them prime targets for scammers posing as law enforcement, banks, or tech companies.
wlwt.com
· 2025-12-08
Kenton County Sheriff's Office is warning of a phone scam where callers threaten arrest for unpaid fines and claim a judge has issued a "gag order" preventing victims from reporting the call to officials. The scam has affected residents in Northern Kentucky, with one woman recently losing $9,000; law enforcement emphasized they will never call about fines or warrants and never demand payment via cash, check, gift cards, credit cards, or cryptocurrency.
valleybreeze.com
· 2025-12-08
The IRS issued a warning about rising impersonation scams targeting seniors, where fraudsters pose as government officials to steal personal information and money through phone calls, emails, and texts. Scammers pressure victims into immediate payments via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency by fabricating urgent scenarios like fake tax debts or promises of refunds, often using spoofed caller IDs to appear legitimate. The IRS advises seniors to hang up on unexpected calls claiming to be from the agency and verify contact directly at 800-829-1040 rather than using numbers provided by callers.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
**Scam Type:** Distraction Burglary/Home Robbery
The Berkshire District Attorney's Office warned of an active two-person scam targeting senior citizens and homeowners across New England, where one scammer lures residents outside by offering unsolicited services (tree removal or solar panel installation) while an accomplice burgles the home. Authorities advised residents to reject all unsolicited service proposals and never leave their home or allow strangers inside, regardless of professional appearance or claimed legitimacy.
kob.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are targeting University of New Mexico (UNM) email account holders with phishing emails impersonating professors or supervisors, offering fake job opportunities (advertised as $4,500 weekly positions with limited openings) or requesting gift card purchases. The scams use pressure tactics and urgency to manipulate victims, with at least one UNM student falling victim. UNM officials advise recipients to watch for external email warnings and report suspicious messages to the IT Department.
sinardaily.my
· 2025-12-08
The National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 in Malaysia found that 73 percent of 10,893 respondents had experienced some form of scam, indicating a significant gap between awareness and resilience—respondents know scam risks but fail to adopt preventive measures. Key vulnerabilities include only half blocking scammers' phone numbers, less than a third reporting incidents to family or friends, and susceptibility to scammers impersonating authority figures like tax officers or police. The survey revealed that younger adults earning under RM3,000 monthly and those with higher education/income levels were notably targeted, suggesting scammers exploit both financial desperation and educated demographics.
npnewsmm.com
· 2025-12-08
Online scams are escalating in Myanmar by exploiting socio-economic hardship, with fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated methods including fake lottery wins, investment schemes promising high returns (sometimes up to 100%), stock market manipulation, and fake job ads. A 56-year-old housewife lost approximately 6 million kyats after initially investing 200,000 kyats in a scheme involving fake websites, Facebook pages, and in-person meetings that created false legitimacy. Anti-fraud experts note that lack of public education and scammers' constant adaptation of tactics—including use of foreign images, fake accounts, and deepfake technology—are enabling these crimes to proliferate.
cfpublic.org
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud is surging nationwide, costing seniors $3.4 billion annually, with investment scams and cryptocurrency schemes driving dramatic increases in losses. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office formed a dedicated financial fraud unit and launched awareness campaigns, including a screening of the movie "Thelma" that depicted a grandparent falling victim to an impersonation scam—a con that mirrors real schemes targeting seniors' trust and assets. In Volusia County alone, seniors lost approximately $4.6 million over the past year, with detectives recovering only $760,000 of the nearly 575 reported fraud cases.
app.com
· 2025-12-08
A 74-year-old New Jersey resident and other seniors attended an educational event about protecting themselves from identity theft and online scams, which have become increasingly prevalent in their demographic. According to FBI data, over 101,000 people aged 60 and older reported fraud in 2023, resulting in $3.4 billion in losses—an 11% increase from the previous year. Experts advise seniors to protect themselves by using strong passwords, shredding sensitive documents, never sharing personal information, and recognizing urgency tactics as warning signs of scams.
idahocountyfreepress.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, seniors lost $3.4 billion to scams—an 11% increase from 2022—with common schemes including romance fraud, fake tech support, cryptocurrency conversion, and investment scams. The Idaho Attorney General and FBI provide educational resources and warning signs (unexpected contact, pressure to act quickly, requests for untraceable payments, demands for secrecy, and too-good-to-be-true offers) to help seniors identify fraud. Victims are encouraged to report incidents to local police, the FTC, FBI's IC3, or U.S. Postal Inspection Service despite shame or embarrassment, as reporting is critical to combating senior fraud.
prnewswire.com
· 2025-12-08
Telehealth fraud, identified as the New York StateWide Senior Action Council's Medicare Fraud of the Month for July 2024, typically involves telemarketers obtaining seniors' Medicare information, paying providers to sign unnecessary orders without proper patient interaction, and submitting false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment, lab services, or pharmaceuticals. The Council advises seniors to schedule telehealth appointments directly with their providers, guard their Medicare cards, reject unsolicited offers for free services, and review billing statements for suspicious charges, with Medicare fraud estimated to cost taxpayers over $60 billion nationally per year.
levittownnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania House Bill 2064, sponsored by State Representative Joe Hogan, passed the House with bipartisan support (152-49 votes) and is headed to the Senate. The legislation aims to protect seniors from financial exploitation by requiring financial institutions and fiduciaries to report suspected abuse, temporarily halt suspicious transactions, and share information with area agencies on aging, while granting them immunity from liability. According to Hogan, tens of thousands of dollars are lost weekly to scams and fraud in Bucks County alone, making this decade-long legislative effort critical to safeguarding seniors' assets.
wsfa.com
· 2025-12-08
The FTC reported that government impersonation scams cost Americans $2.7 billion last year, with a 90% surge in cash payments to scammers between 2022 and 2023, with median losses reaching $14,740 per victim. Scammers pose as federal agencies (FTC, IRS, SSA, FBI) via texts and emails to demand cash payments, which are preferred by criminals because they leave no paper trail. The FTC and partnering federal agencies warn that legitimate government agencies never request money or personal information via text or social media, and urge victims to report scams at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
dakotanewsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Online shopping scams are among the top three fraud schemes reported annually, with young adults aged 18-24 being the most targeted demographic despite their technology proficiency. To avoid cyber scams, consumers should verify they're on legitimate websites (checking for "HTTPS" and padlock symbols), use credit cards instead of debit cards, research domain age, and be cautious of phishing emails directing them to cloned websites that mimic legitimate retailers like Amazon.
gbc.gi
· 2025-12-08
Not suitable for Elderus database summary. This article is primarily about a religious appointment (Charles Azzopardi's installation as Gibraltar's Bishop) and only briefly mentions fraud statistics. While it does contain relevant fraud information about 18 suspected cases targeting NatWest and Gibraltar International Bank customers with over £1.5 million reported stolen, the main news focus is not on elder fraud or abuse, making it outside the scope of an elder fraud research database.
mynbc5.com
· 2025-12-08
State officials in Vermont warned residents to beware of scams targeting flood recovery efforts following recent flooding in Central Vermont. Attorney General Charity Clark cautioned that scammers exploit vulnerable situations by impersonating contractors and service providers, urging residents to verify the legitimacy of anyone offering relief services. Residents are encouraged to call 211 to report damage and access verified relief resources rather than responding to unsolicited offers.
staffordshire.gov.uk
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Staffordshire consumers are being warned of increased fraud risks as criminals leverage AI technology, including deepfakes, voice cloning, and phishing messages, to make scams more convincing and difficult to detect. Trading Standards officers are concerned that traditional scam tactics are becoming harder to identify when enhanced with AI-generated content such as fake celebrity endorsements and artificial voice recordings. Authorities advise victims to immediately contact their bank and report incidents to Action Fraud or call police on 101.
standard.net
· 2025-12-08
This educational article explains how scammers psychologically manipulate victims by exploiting emotions like greed, fear, and need, and by impersonating trusted authorities to create artificial urgency. The piece outlines key fraudulent tactics including social engineering, building false legitimacy through fake websites and documents, and emotional manipulation, then provides protective strategies such as verifying sources independently, resisting pressure to act quickly, and maintaining healthy skepticism toward unsolicited offers.
ghanaweb.com
· 2025-12-08
Between 2023 and the present, multiple Ghanaians were arrested in the United States for various crimes including romance scams (sakawa), money laundering, and gun smuggling. Notable cases include Abdul Inusah, 32, who was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $128,000 in restitution for operating romance scams that defrauded victims across multiple states using false personas, and Eric Nana Kofi Ampong Coker, who pleaded guilty to illegally exporting firearms from Maryland to Ghana without proper licensing.
blocktelegraph.io
· 2025-12-08
Since 2020, cryptocurrency scams have caused billions in losses to elderly victims, with crypto investment schemes defrauding victims of over $2 billion in 2022 and $4.6 billion in 2023. Scammers increasingly use sophisticated tactics such as romance scams and impersonation schemes (posing as professors or financial advisors) to build trust before luring victims into fraudulent investments, often freezing accounts when victims attempt withdrawals. The complexity of cryptocurrency transactions and limited law enforcement resources have made fund recovery extremely difficult for victims.
tcpalm.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old Port St. Lucie man recovered $315,000 after falling victim to an elaborate online investment scam conducted through WhatsApp that promised large financial returns. The victim was lured into a fake online investment school, given access to fraudulent accounts showing fake returns, and ultimately invested $315,000 across three transactions (including $100,000, $15,000, and $200,000 for cryptocurrency) before realizing the scheme when asked to pay $1 million in taxes to withdraw funds. Police were able to recover the money after PNC Bank detected fraud and shut down the accounts before the scammers could transfer the funds, though no arrests have been