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in Scam Awareness
10news.com
· 2025-12-08
An 11-year-old boy in Oceanside, California received a $100 gift card for his birthday that had been tampered with by scammers who replaced the barcode with a sticker and scratched off the last four digits, allowing them to drain the funds when the card was activated. The incident reflects a broader trend of gift card fraud linked to organized crime, with authorities conducting Operation Red Hook to crack down on schemes involving Chinese crime syndicates. The mother is advising consumers to inspect gift cards carefully for tampering signs, retain receipts, and watch for visible damage to packaging before purchase.
cleveland.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, Americans lost over $4.8 billion to financial scams across 147,127 reported complaints—a 46% increase in complaints and 43% increase in losses compared to 2023, according to FBI data released ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Massachusetts was particularly hard hit, with over 3,200 victims losing nearly $100 million, while the broader Boston Division reported $135 million in losses. Scammers exploit trust, loneliness, and fear by posing as romantic partners, tech support agents, government officials, or advisors, pressuring victims to send money through untraceable methods like wire transfers or gift cards.
chicago.suntimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A Chicago resident was targeted by scammers posing as AT&T who used social engineering to obtain two-factor authentication codes, gaining access to his account and compromising his sister's phone line within 24 hours. Two-factor authentication scams are increasingly common nationwide, with criminals obtaining victim information through data breaches and phishing, then manipulating the security codes to control accounts and devices. The key defense is to hang up on unsolicited calls claiming account problems and instead contact your bank, carrier, or company directly using known phone numbers, as legitimate companies won't pressure you to provide security codes over the phone.
abstractaf.in
· 2025-12-08
A two-part documentary titled "RomCon: Who the F**k is Jason Porter?" exposes romance scammer Jason Porter, who used aliases like "Jace" and "Don" to manipulate multiple women on dating apps, establishing long-term relationships while stealing from them and dating others behind their backs. Toronto real estate broker Heather Rovet, who dated Porter for three years before discovering his criminal past and infidelity, leads the documentary by sharing her experience and detailing her effort to gather evidence and pursue legal action for fraud and theft. The documentary highlights that romance scams cost Canada an estimated $59 million annually in reported cases alone, serving as a cautionary tale about recogn
northcentralpa.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI Philadelphia marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) to highlight the growing crisis of elder fraud, reporting that Americans over 60 filed over 147,000 complaints in 2024 with losses totaling approximately $4.8 billion nationally, while Pennsylvanians over 60 alone reported 6,300 complaints resulting in $151 million in losses. The FBI emphasizes that elder abuse takes multiple forms and urges the public to recognize scam attempts, resist pressure to act quickly, protect personal information, and report suspected fraud to law enforcement. Education, community outreach, and victim support services are identified as critical tools in protecting vulnerable seniors from exploitation.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
Elderly adults worldwide are increasingly targeted by sophisticated digital scams using AI, voice cloning, and psychological manipulation, with Americans over 60 losing $4.8 billion in 2024 and India projecting ₹1.2 lakh crore in losses for 2025. Scammers exploit cognitive vulnerabilities, cultural conditioning, and loneliness among seniors—exemplified by cases like a Delhi woman losing ₹5 lakh to an impersonated telecom provider and a 72-year-old Ohio man defrauded in a romance scam. Experts call for urgent systemic interventions including tailored security measures, platform accountability, digital literacy programs
tamaractalk.com
· 2025-12-08
The Broward Sheriff's Office hosted a free Senior Safety Summit on June 21 in Tamarac, Florida, designed to educate seniors about prevalent scams and fraud threats. The event covered the latest scams targeting seniors, practical recognition and avoidance strategies, and steps for victims to take if defrauded.
news4jax.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, Americans over 60 lost nearly $5 billion to elder fraud schemes in a 43% increase from the previous year, with approximately 150,000 complaints reported to the FBI. Common scams targeting seniors include tech support fraud, romance schemes, investment fraud, and government impersonation, increasingly enhanced by artificial intelligence technology that can mimic voices and create more convincing deceptions. The FBI recommends seniors protect themselves by avoiding sharing personal information with unverified contacts, researching unsolicited communications, resisting pressure for quick financial decisions, and reporting suspected fraud to law enforcement or the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
indeonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating process servers in phishing calls, claiming victims have non-existent court cases, liens on their homes, or unpaid debts, and threatening immediate legal consequences or arrest. The callers use intimidation tactics and secrecy about details to pressure victims into quick action, often to unknown or blocked numbers. To protect yourself, verify any legal claims directly with courts or official agencies rather than responding to unsolicited calls.
irishexaminer.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article identifies common scams affecting Irish people and provides warning signs to recognize them. Key scam types include phishing through fake bank alerts, fake competition wins, malicious pop-ups, counterfeit online shopping sites, emotional manipulation scams (including voice cloning and deepfakes), hacked social media accounts, and pressure tactics using urgency. The article advises verifying suspicious messages by contacting organizations directly, checking for personalization in communications, avoiding clicking unfamiliar links, and reporting confirmed scams to local gardaí with supporting documentation.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
A social media engagement scam targets job seekers, particularly students aged 16-25, through unsolicited texts and calls offering remote work earning up to £800 per day by liking and sharing TikTok content. Victims are initially sent small fraudulent payments, then asked to pay fees for "training" to unlock higher earnings; typical losses range from hundreds to thousands of pounds, with cases escalating from initial contact to confirmed fraud within days. The scammers use victims' banking details for money laundering and may recruit them as "money mules," and the scam's rapid cycle and high volume pose a significant threat despite individual loss amounts being lower than traditional investment fraud.
thebulletintime.com
· 2025-12-08
Heather Rovet, a Toronto real estate broker, discovered that her live-in handyman "Jace" (Jason Porter) was running a romance fraud scheme targeting multiple women, resulting in over C$200,000 in stolen valuables and cash from her family over three years. After gathering evidence and reporting Porter to police in 2021, Rovet became a leading advocate against romance fraud, helping secure charges against him and warning other victims through a Prime Video docuseries that premiered in June 2025. She now mentors survivors, speaks publicly on fraud prevention, and works to raise awareness about online dating scams and intimate partner violence.
futurecio.tech
· 2025-12-08
A LexisNexis Risk Solutions study found that the Asia Pacific region is experiencing a surge in fraud, with human-initiated attacks rising 61% year-on-year, while countries like Japan and Hong Kong face significant losses from romance scams, investment fraud, and authorized push payment (APP) fraud. To combat these evolving threats, financial institutions in APAC are increasingly adopting AI-powered fraud detection systems that analyze user behavior and intent rather than relying solely on traditional anomaly detection, alongside explainable AI (XAI) approaches that provide transparent reasoning for flagged transactions to build customer trust and meet regulatory requirements.
wbhm.org
· 2025-12-08
On World Elder Abuse Day, officials warned that seniors lost $4.8 billion to financial scams in 2024, with common schemes including romance scams, sweepstakes fraud, impersonation of government agencies and tech support, and family emergency requests. The FBI and IRS recommend seniors avoid sending money to strangers, sharing personal financial information online, and responding to pressure to act quickly or sign unfamiliar documents. Suspected fraud can be reported to the IRS Atlanta Field Office at 470-639-2228 or via email.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
UK victims lost over £106 million to romance fraud in the 2024/25 financial year, with 9,449 reported cases representing a 9% increase, according to City of London Police data. The average loss per victim was £11,222, with the 50-59 age group suffering the highest financial impact (£22.1 million total), though male victims slightly outnumbered female victims for the second consecutive year. Police believe the actual figure is significantly higher due to underreporting caused by victim shame and embarrassment, and they have launched a public awareness campaign to educate people about the emotional manipulation and financial exploitation tactics used by romance scammers.
ca.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Canada reported over $50 million lost to romance scams, though actual losses are likely higher due to underreporting driven by victim embarrassment. One retired woman lost $270,000 to a romance scammer and did not report it to authorities, compounding her financial crisis with an additional $40,000 in credit card debt and forcing her to sell her home during a divorce. Recovery steps include securing remaining accounts, blocking the scammer, and filing a police report to potentially recover lost funds.
wbiw.com
· 2025-12-08
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 to encourage vigilance against elder financial abuse, exploitation, and scams targeting vulnerable seniors. The Indiana Securities Division provides ongoing education through events at churches, retirement homes, and civic organizations, offering prevention strategies such as naming trusted contacts on accounts, shredding personal documents, and recognizing common scam tactics like threats of arrest or demands for payment via wire transfer, cryptocurrency ATMs, or gift cards. The state partners with IN-CASE (Indiana Council Against Senior Exploitation) and encourages organizations to request fraud prevention presentations by calling 317-232-6681.
13newsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Virginia ranked 11th nationally for elder abuse financial losses in 2024, with approximately 3,800 complaints filed with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center as part of a broader national trend showing $4.85 billion in losses from over 140,000 elder fraud complaints—a 43% increase from 2023. The FBI recommends protecting yourself by verifying the identity of unfamiliar contacts through independent research, resisting urgency tactics used by scammers, and avoiding sharing personal information or sending money to unverified individuals. Victims should immediately contact financial institutions and report suspected fraud to their local FBI field office or the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
jacksonville.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service warned of rising phishing, smishing, and brushing scams, noting that USPS will never text customers requesting addresses for package delivery. Florida residents lost over $1 billion to internet scams in 2024, and the agencies advise against clicking links in unsolicited messages and recommend reporting suspicious communications to combat mail-related fraud.
stories.td.com
· 2025-12-08
**Smishing Scams Surge as Mobile Fraud Rises**
Online scams generated $16 billion in 2024, a 33% increase from 2023, with smishing (fraudulent text messages impersonating banks, government agencies, and delivery services) emerging as a prevalent threat. To protect against smishing, individuals should verify sender IDs, never share personal information via text, avoid clicking unsolicited links, enable spam filtering, and take time to pause before responding to urgent requests. Victims should immediately stop communicating with scammers, report the message to their bank and carrier, monitor accounts for unauthorized activity, change passwords, and watch their credit reports for
irishexaminer.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines common scams affecting Irish people and warning signs to watch for, including phishing scams (fake bank alerts and delivery notifications), fake competition wins, malicious pop-ups, counterfeit online shopping sites, emotional manipulation scams (including deepfakes and voice cloning), hacked social media accounts, and high-pressure tactics. The piece advises always verifying suspicious messages by contacting organizations directly, checking for personalization in legitimate communications, ignoring unsolicited alerts, and reporting confirmed scams to local authorities with documentation of emails and account details.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned approximately 150 million iPhone and Android users about a surge in text message scams impersonating state DMVs, which increased over 700% in a single month. The fraudulent messages falsely claim unpaid tolls or fines and direct recipients to click links that install malware or redirect to phishing sites designed to steal credit card and personal information. The FBI urged users to delete these messages immediately without clicking links and report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Maryland officials, the FBI, and AARP launched "Protect Week" to educate seniors and families about avoiding scams, following reports that more than 3,200 Marylanders over age 60 lost a combined $80 million to fraud in 2024. The statewide initiative highlighted common scam tactics including urgency, emotional manipulation, and impersonation, with officials advising seniors to verify sources before sending money and to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
lompocrecord.com
· 2025-12-08
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office warned that seniors in the community face increasingly deceptive financial exploitation and scams, emphasizing that this is both a national and local threat. The office provides educational outreach to senior centers and community organizations, and encourages immediate reporting of suspected fraud to local law enforcement or their fraud hotline at 805-568-2442. Chief Investigator Kristina Perkins also hosts a weekly podcast called Scam Squad that educates the public about common and emerging scams and offers protective strategies.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a reinvigorated effort to combat transnational elder fraud schemes that cost billions of dollars annually, with several recent prosecutions targeting romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Key cases included Troy Murray, who pleaded guilty to selling a database of over 7 million elderly Americans' personal information to Jamaican lottery scammers, and his son Cutter Murray, who pleaded guilty to money laundering $1.6 million in fraudulent proceeds; other defendants were charged for operating Jamaica-based lottery fraud schemes that defrauded seniors across the country, with one victim losing over $400,
newstalkkgvo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Montana woman named Rita lost over $90,000 in an online romance scam where the perpetrator refused to meet in person, taking advantage of her vulnerability during a divorce. According to the FBI, Montana alone saw 44 romance scam victims report losses exceeding $2.2 million in 2024, making these scams particularly costly for seniors. Red flags include rushing declarations of love, isolation from family and friends, claims of inability to meet in person, and requests for money before any face-to-face meeting.
newstalkkgvo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Montana woman named Rita lost over $90,000 in an online romance scam where the perpetrator refused to meet in person and exploited her vulnerability during her divorce. According to FBI data, Montana residents reported 44 romance scam cases resulting in $2.2 million in losses during 2024, with common red flags including rushed declarations of love, isolation from friends and family, excuses to avoid meeting, and requests for money before an in-person meeting.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 57-year-old man from Poojappura lost Rs 19.90 lakh in an investment scam after being contacted by fraudsters posing as stock market experts from "Institution Buyers," a fake government-approved agency. The scammers added him to a WhatsApp group featuring fabricated success stories and convinced him to make 10 transfers over 20 days before he discovered the fraud. The case was reported to city cyber police for investigation.
bangkokpost.com
· 2025-12-08
A 25-year-old Hong Kong man lost HK$4,900 (approximately 20,000 baht) to an online scam when he purchased fake Blackpink concert tickets through Threads and Instagram, transferring money for a fraudulent e-ticket QR code. Hong Kong police reported receiving 200 online shopping scam complaints in one week totaling HK$5.5 million in losses, with 14 cases involving Threads and 10 related to concert tickets. Police advised online shoppers to verify seller credentials, check account creation dates and reviews, meet in person when possible, and abandon transactions if suspicious.
dayakdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
A man identified as "Kenny" rejected an online loan scam offer via WhatsApp in early June, but the scammer subsequently obtained his contact list and harassed Kenny, his wife, parents, in-laws, and siblings using multiple phone numbers, while also posting his identity card on Facebook pages with false accusations. Kenny reported the incident to police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), suspecting his phone may have been hacked during the initial scam communication.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pamela nearly fell victim to a tech support scam after receiving a pop-up warning claiming her computer was locked and her IP was being used on pornographic sites. The scammer impersonated both a Microsoft employee and an FTC official, using fake credentials and pressure tactics to try to extract her full credit card numbers, but Pamela avoided the fraud by verifying the FTC official's identity and refusing to share sensitive information. The article warns against pop-up scams impersonating legitimate companies or government agencies and recommends contacting organizations directly through official channels, using strong unique passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication to protect against such schemes.
cp24.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadians lost $638 million to scams last year, with seniors disproportionately affected across multiple fraud types including romance scams, grandparent scams, investment fraud, and door-to-door scams, with individual losses ranging from $8,000 to $750,000. Experts attribute seniors' vulnerability to their trusting nature and oversharing of personal information online, and recommend that seniors adopt protective measures such as using strong passwords, being assertive in declining requests, and consulting trusted family members before making financial decisions.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced reinvigorated efforts to prosecute transnational elder fraud schemes that cost American seniors billions of dollars. Recent prosecutions in the District of Rhode Island include: a British national convicted in a multi-state construction fraud targeting seniors across four states for over $1 million; eight individuals indicted for orchestrating transnational tech support scams that defrauded approximately 300 seniors across 37 states of over $5 million; and two residents charged with grandparent scams that defrauded seniors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts of at least $230,000. The DOJ urged seniors an
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the U.S. Department of Justice announced reinvigorated prosecutorial efforts against transnational and domestic elder fraud schemes that cost seniors billions of dollars annually, highlighting recent cases involving romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. A notable Montana case resulted in the arrest of a man involved in an India-based scheme impersonating U.S. Marshals that defrauded an elderly victim of over $1 million. The DOJ emphasizes the importance of community vigilance, victim restitution efforts, and encourages seniors and their families to contact the free National Elder Fraud Hotline for assistance with
fox10tv.com
· 2025-12-08
A Chinese national with a revoked student visa was arrested after scamming a retired educator in Spanish Fort, Alabama, out of approximately $400,000 in life savings over three weeks. The suspect posed as a U.S. Marshal and convinced the elderly victim to liquidate her cash into gold bars, which he collected during four in-person meetings before she became suspicious and contacted police. Spanish Fort Police and the FBI collaborated on the arrest, which occurred just before Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the case reflects a broader trend—the FBI reported $219 million in gold bar scam losses nationally in the previous year.
lompocrecord.com
· 2025-12-08
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office issued a reminder that seniors in the community face increasingly sophisticated financial exploitation and scams, emphasizing that this is both a national and local problem. The office provides educational presentations to senior centers and community organizations, and offers resources including a weekly "Scam Squad" podcast hosted by Chief Investigator Kristina Perkins that educates the public about common and emerging scams. Residents suspecting fraud or financial exploitation are encouraged to report immediately to local law enforcement or the District Attorney's fraud hotline at 805-568-2442.
wgrz.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau is warning about a significant rise in text message job scams targeting young adults, with fraudsters using unsolicited texts and emails to advertise remote positions with high pay and flexible hours, often impersonating legitimate companies. Employment scams resulted in average losses of $1,500 per victim among ages 18-34 last year and ranked among the top three scams reported to the BBB, with scammers increasingly using AI to create convincing fake offers and sending fraudulent checks. The BBB recommends verifying the legitimacy of job offers, avoiding sending money to unknown contacts, and watching for red flags like unsolicited contact and pressure to act quickly.
firstalert4.com
· 2025-12-08
Thousands of people across the bi-state region received phishing text messages impersonating the Missouri Department of Transportation, threatening fines and prosecution for outstanding traffic tickets and demanding payment via a link. The scam originated from a Philippines-based number (+63 country code) and aimed to steal personal and financial information, though MoDOT does not actually enforce traffic tickets. Authorities advise recipients never to click links, respond, or reply "STOP" to these messages, as doing so can expose victims to cyberattacks or trigger additional spam.
khou.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers in Bay City, Texas are impersonating business owners via phone calls to deceive employees into withdrawing cash from registers and depositing it into Bitcoin machines. The Bay City Police Department warns that scammers target both main office lines and personal cell phones, building trust through fabricated urgent scenarios before directing employees to empty cash registers. Authorities recommend businesses train staff to verify caller identity with managers and hang up if uncertain, as scammers continuously develop new tactics.
ago.mo.gov
· 2025-12-08
Attorney General Bailey provides consumer protection guidance for post-disaster fraud prevention, identifying construction fraud, price gouging, and charity fraud as the most common schemes. Key recommendations include obtaining written contracts and multiple bids before hiring contractors, avoiding prepayment, reporting price increases on essential goods to authorities, and verifying charity legitimacy before donating. Consumers can contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222 for additional assistance.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 65-year-old Houston man lost approximately $500,000 of his life savings in a government impersonation scam after receiving a call from someone claiming to represent the Vietnamese Embassy warning him of identity theft and money laundering in his name. The scammer exploited the victim's prior receipt of an official IRS identity theft warning, then directed him over five months to transfer funds via wire transfer while communicating through encrypted messaging and using forged documents and AI-generated videos. The loss has forced him to sell his home and reconsider retirement, though his daughter has launched a GoFundMe that has raised five figures to help him recover.
infosecurity-magazine.com
· 2025-12-08
UK romance fraud victims lost £106 million ($144 million) in 2024, with 9,449 reported cases representing a 9% increase, according to City of London Police data. The average loss per victim was £11,222 ($15,211), with the 50-59 age group suffering the highest financial losses at £22.1 million; women were more vulnerable to prolonged manipulation lasting over a year, often culminating in cryptocurrency investment scams (pig butchering). Police emphasized that romance fraud uses sophisticated manipulation tactics and can affect anyone, urging victims to verify identities, avoid switching to personal messaging platforms, and report suspicious activity.
etedge-insights.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams on dating apps have escalated dramatically, with reported losses topping $1 billion globally in 2024 and a projected rise through 2025. Scammers use emotional manipulation, stolen photos, and increasingly sophisticated AI tools (deepfakes, voice cloning) to build fake relationships and extract money from victims, often through fake investment schemes or fabricated emergencies. The article illustrates this trend through Jay's experience with "Alina" and notes that India has been particularly hard-hit, with 39% of daters encountering scammers and 77% seeing AI-generated photos, while crypto-hybrid romance scams grew nearly 40% year-
detroitnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In response to rising scam cases in Metro Detroit, Chase and the Detroit Police Department hosted a workshop for seniors to educate them on common fraud tactics and prevention strategies, coinciding with World Elder Abuse Awareness Month. According to the FBI, individuals 60 and older lost nearly $4.9 billion to scams in 2024, with Michigan residents alone losing over $206 million to fraud last year, and the average victim losing $35,101. The workshop emphasized the motto "trust but verify" and covered common scams including impersonation, spoofing, phishing, and vishing, recommending that seniors verify contacts, avoid sharing personal information, resist pressure to act quickly, an
smnewsnet.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Department of Justice announced reinvigorated efforts to combat transnational elder fraud schemes costing billions of dollars, with recent prosecutions targeting romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Key cases include Troy Murray, who sold a database of over seven million elderly Americans' personal information to Jamaican lottery fraudsters and laundered $1.6 million in proceeds, and Dennis Anderson and Frank Angelori, who brokered lead lists to Jamaica-based scammers from 2015-2020. Individual victims lost significant sums, with one Arizona victim losing over $400,000 to a lottery fraud scheme.
fingerlakes1.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Medicare fraud costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $60 billion annually, with recent investigations uncovering widespread schemes including unordered genetic testing kits, phantom billing for medical equipment, and catheter scams affecting individuals across Indiana and beyond. Notable prosecutions include a North Carolina man laundering $3 million in a $100 million DME scam and two Texas residents charged with $359 million in fraudulent genetic testing claims. Seniors should protect themselves by never sharing Medicare numbers with unverified callers, monitoring billing statements for unauthorized charges, and reporting suspicious activity to Medicare, the Senior Medicare Patrol, or the HHS Fraud Hotline.
uchealth.org
· 2025-12-08
Scammers stole $3.4 billion from older U.S. adults in 2023, a 14% increase from the previous year, using tactics like romance scams, fake investments, and Medicare fraud that exploit fear and greed. Beyond financial losses, elder fraud causes significant psychological harm including anxiety, shame, depression, and in severe cases, suicidal ideation, requiring individualized mental health interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Older adults are particularly targeted due to their assets, trust in authority, unfamiliarity with technology, and potential cognitive changes that impair fraud recognition.
tradingview.com
· 2025-12-08
New Zealand's Financial Markets Authority has reported an increasing number of investment scams targeting residents through unsolicited social media messages on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook, with fraudsters impersonating investment firms or bank employees and promoting unrealistic high-return opportunities often tied to cryptocurrencies or forex. The warning follows similar patterns in Australia, where investment fraud accounts for over half of AU$119 million in scam losses in early 2025, and comes as regulators globally struggle to combat these schemes on messaging platforms.
onfocus.news
· 2025-12-08
A Marshfield woman lost money to a phishing scam on June 16 when she visited a fraudulent website mimicking Target's payment portal (misspelled as "TARGETT") and was tricked into purchasing gift cards by a scammer posing as customer service. After downloading a remote-access app at the scammer's direction and providing multiple gift card codes, she reported the incident to police and was advised to file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. The case illustrates how scammers exploit trusted brands and small details to deceive consumers, with law enforcement urging people never to use gift cards for bill payments and to verify website URLs before entering sensitive information.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
A nationwide DMV scam involves cybercriminals texting people claiming they owe fines for traffic violations or unpaid tolls, threatening license revocation or vehicle registration suspension to pressure victims into clicking malicious links or paying money. These phishing scams, reported in Indiana, Ohio, Maine, Texas, and other states, use official-sounding language, fake ordinance codes, and threats of jail time or credit score damage to create urgency, but legitimate DMVs typically only send texts that users have opted into and never request payment or personal information via text.