Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 22,013 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
8,319 results
in General Elder Fraud
▶ VIDEO
FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-08-29
The FBI warns that scammers are targeting older adults by posing as police, the FTC, or bank representatives and convincing them to cash out retirement accounts like 401(k)s and convert the funds into gold or bitcoin. From May to December 2023, this scheme resulted in over $55 million in losses, with scammers either claiming to hold the gold for safekeeping or pressuring victims to convert it into cryptocurrency. Authorities advise verifying any urgent financial requests by independently contacting your bank and discussing suspicious calls with trusted family members.
▶ VIDEO
Eyewitness News WEHT WTVW
· 2024-08-26
Crimes against senior citizens totaled over $3.4 billion in the past year, with family scams and identity theft being among the most common schemes. Family scams exploit seniors' emotions by impersonating relatives and requesting urgent money for car repairs, rent, tuition, or bail, while fishing scams use deceptive emails posing as legitimate vendors to steal personal information.
▶ VIDEO
ABC7 News Bay Area
· 2024-08-24
The FBI launched a "Take a Beat" awareness campaign to educate the public about common fraud and scam tactics that exploit people's emotions through urgent phone calls, texts, and emails requesting money or passwords. The campaign highlights scams such as impersonation of bank fraud departments, with one victim losing $950 after a caller claiming to be from her bank convinced her to transfer funds and disclose banking information.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-08-22
Bait-and-switch scams on social media exploit emotional posts about missing children or lost pets by using localized Facebook groups with minimal oversight. Scammers edit these posts to redirect users to sales listings, rental scams, job opportunities, or donation requests, then manipulate victims' social networks when they share the content. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to watch for red flags including urgent emotional language, disabled comments, missing contact information, and newly created profiles, and to report suspected scams to both the BBB Scam Tracker and Facebook directly.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
· 2024-08-20
**Summary:**
This is an educational piece from IRS Commissioner Danny Worel explaining how to recognize tax scams that operate year-round, not just during filing season. The IRS warns that scammers impersonating the agency typically demand immediate payment via phone calls, texts, or emails and threaten legal action or deportation—tactics the real IRS never uses, which instead communicates through official letters to homes or businesses.
▶ VIDEO
FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
· 2024-08-20
Connecticut residents lost over $1 billion to online scams in 2023, affecting victims across all age groups and professions. Common scam tactics include unexpected contact that builds rapport, followed by requests for personal information or money accompanied by urgency, secrecy demands, or threats. Law enforcement advises protecting personal information and money by recognizing these warning signs and consulting IC3.gov for protection resources.
▶ VIDEO
News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2024-08-20
Arizona Attorney General Chris Mayes issued a warning to senior citizens about cryptocurrency scams that commonly target vulnerable populations through social media, dating apps, and fake investment advisor schemes promising unrealistic returns. Scammers typically pose as trusted contacts or investment professionals and pressure victims to send Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency as payment. The Attorney General advises seniors to verify claims with independent sources, avoid using scammer-provided contact information, and report suspicious activity, noting that legitimate businesses never demand cryptocurrency-only payments.
▶ VIDEO
ABC 7 News - WJLA
· 2024-08-12
Maryland authorities arrested five people for operating a gold bar scam that targeted elderly residents in Montgomery County, with at least 20 victims losing millions of dollars combined. Notable victims include an 81-year-old woman who lost over $900,000 and a 74-year-old man who lost $240,000, with some victims now at risk of losing their homes. Law enforcement believes this organized criminal enterprise has affected many more cases beyond those identified so far.
▶ VIDEO
FOX54 News Huntsville
· 2024-08-10
This educational piece advises seniors on protecting themselves from scams through awareness and caution. Key recommendations include: never share personal information (Social Security numbers, Medicare details, bank information) over the phone or via unsolicited contact; avoid clicking links in suspicious text messages; and recognize that offers that sound too good to be true usually are. The resource notes that seniors are frequently targeted through digital means like phone calls, emails, texts, and pop-ups, and encourages people to contact local authorities or organizations like TAROG for guidance on unfamiliar scams.
▶ VIDEO
FOX54 News Huntsville
· 2024-08-09
Elderly individuals remain primary targets for scams delivered through digital means including emails, text messages, phone calls, and computer popups. Law enforcement officials recommend avoiding clicking suspicious links, refusing to share personal information over the phone, and reporting incidents to police without embarrassment or delay.
▶ VIDEO
WHNT News 19
· 2024-08-08
The Alabama Securities Commission held a Fraud and Scam Summit in Huntsville to educate seniors about common scams targeting older adults, with elder fraud reports rising 14% in 2023. A local woman, Theresa Hazard, shared her experience of losing $700 after clicking on a fraudulent Netflix phishing email and providing her credit card information, though her bank recovered the funds. The summit covered topics including cybersecurity, consumer fraud definitions, and legal implications, emphasizing the importance of seniors reporting scams to law enforcement to help authorities track perpetrators.
▶ VIDEO
WHNT News 19
· 2024-08-08
Elder fraud reports to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center rose 14% in 2023, with the trend continuing upward. The Alabama Securities Commission held a fraud and scam summit to educate community members about common scams targeting seniors in the state, including utility scams offering discounts before requesting financial information and phone scams that have compromised bank accounts at alarming rates. Experts and law enforcement emphasized the importance of seniors sharing their experiences to help prevent others from becoming victims.
▶ VIDEO
WNEM TV5
· 2024-08-08
A Senior Fraud Alert Protection Workshop was held at the Community Action Center where dozens of seniors received educational training from Huntington Bank on recognizing and avoiding scams, along with guidance from the CAC on saving money on Medicare. The event, supported by the Sagen Housing Commission's Family Self-Sufficiency department, aimed to help seniors protect their finances and understand available resources to prevent scammers from exploiting their hard-earned money.
▶ VIDEO
WENY TV NEWS
· 2024-08-07
This educational episode of The Senior Notebook Show features Stacy Pierce, a member service specialist with Corning Credit Union, discussing fraud prevention for seniors. Pierce identifies seniors over 60 as primary fraud targets because they are more likely to be home, answer phone calls, and open mail, and emphasizes that fraud affects people of all races and backgrounds without discrimination. The discussion provides awareness about who is vulnerable to scams and encourages seniors to be informed about fraud risks.
▶ VIDEO
Lawfare
· 2024-08-07
This is a podcast introduction featuring Arun Rao, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Consumer Protection Branch, discussing the growing sophistication of fraud schemes targeting consumers and elders. Rao explains how technological advances such as robocalls, text, email, and social media have enabled fraudsters to refine their tactics and target victims with greater precision. The discussion covers the DOJ's consumer protection work, cybercrime, elder fraud, and data privacy issues.
▶ VIDEO
WHNT News 19
· 2024-08-02
The Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments is hosting a Senior Fraud and Scam Summit on Thursday, August 8th at the Bob Harrison Wellness Center in Huntsville to educate seniors about common scams and fraud prevention strategies. The event features speakers from the Alabama Securities Commission, Huntsville Police Department, the Better Business Bureau, and a local attorney, with limited seating for 150 participants available by calling 256-830-0818. This educational initiative addresses the rising prevalence of identity theft and scams targeting seniors in the Tennessee Valley region.
▶ VIDEO
News 5 Cleveland
· 2024-07-31
Strongville United Methodist Church in Ohio became a target of phishing scams when cybercriminals impersonated Reverend Abby Almond in emails sent to congregation members, requesting money and gift cards. Phishing scams have nearly doubled to over 9,000 reports annually in the Better Business Bureau's Northeast Ohio region, ranking as the second-most common scam type locally.
▶ VIDEO
WGN News
· 2024-07-31
A Chicago widow lost over $100,000 in an online romance scam after meeting a man named "Gregory" on a dating site who gradually requested increasing amounts of money under various pretexts, eventually stopping contact once she ceased sending funds. The victim, living on a fixed income, cashed out an annuity to meet his escalating demands despite growing suspicions, driven by fear of losing the promised relationship and money. The case highlights how romance scams—which reported nearly 1.3 billion in losses nationally in 2022—use emotional manipulation and increasingly sophisticated AI-altered photos and videos to deceive victims, with arrests remaining rare and funds rarely recovered.
▶ VIDEO
Central Florida Public Media
· 2024-07-19
Volusia County Sheriff's Office partnered with a free community screening of the film "Thelma"—which depicts a 93-year-old grandmother being scammed—to raise awareness about elder fraud, which costs older Americans billions of dollars annually and significantly affects Central Florida seniors. Law enforcement officers provided prevention advice to attendees, emphasizing strategies such as not answering unknown phone numbers, ignoring unfamiliar text messages, and contacting police or trusted neighbors when uncertain.
▶ VIDEO
WFXR NEWS
· 2024-07-18
In May 2023, a 72-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia woman named Marsha Burks had over $8,000 stolen from her credit card by her in-home caregiver. The incident highlights a broader problem: Virginia reported over 2,000 complaints of elder financial fraud in 2023 with victims losing over $90 million. The case prompted the family to advocate for "Larry's Law," which took effect in the state to prevent elder financial abuse by allowing financial institutions to contact emergency contacts when fraudulent charges are suspected.
▶ VIDEO
KOAA 5
· 2024-07-18
Seniors are increasingly vulnerable to scams delivered through suspicious texts and calls, with police noting that the high volume of daily attempts contributes to successful fraud. Some seniors have lost their entire savings to scams impersonating Microsoft, banks, law enforcement, and retailers like Amazon, with loneliness and a generational tendency to trust authority figures making older adults particularly susceptible to manipulation.
▶ VIDEO
KRQE
· 2024-07-17
This New Mexico news podcast episode features an educational discussion on avoiding financial scams, hosted by Gabrielle Burkhart with guest Brian Watson, a former federal law enforcement officer who spent 28 years investigating financial crimes, including work as an IRS criminal investigator. The segment addresses how scams—particularly phishing and online fraud—affect people across demographics, including older adults, and aims to help listeners and their families recognize red flags and protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 26 Houston
· 2024-07-15
Following Hurricane Beryl's power outages in the Pasadena area, scammers targeted senior citizens by advertising fake hotel room bookings through fraudulent websites impersonating legitimate booking platforms like Booking.com. Affected seniors reported being quoted low rates (such as $27 for two nights) with incorrect hotel phone numbers, leaving them without actual accommodations during the disaster when they were seeking shelter from the heat and power loss.
▶ VIDEO
NBC 7 San Diego
· 2024-07-11
San Diego seniors lost approximately $100 million to scams in the past year, with the District Attorney's office tracking nearly $98 million in elder-related fraud across the county—a figure that excludes unreported cases. Common scams target seniors' lifetime savings through tactics like fake tech support pop-ups on computers, and scammers exploit seniors' vulnerability and lack of technical knowledge. The San Diego County Elder Task Force reports a 70% increase in elder fraud cases and emphasizes that these scams devastate victims' ability to pay basic living expenses like rent, mortgage, and food.
▶ VIDEO
FOX23 News Tulsa
· 2024-07-10
A scam targeting seniors uses fake romantic relationships to manipulate victims into making fraudulent investments. According to cybersecurity experts, crimes against seniors increased 11% in the past year, resulting in $3.4 billion in losses, with victims averaging $34,000 lost each; scammers pose as wealthy individuals on dating sites, build trust over time, and eventually pressure victims to invest in fake schemes.
▶ VIDEO
WCBD NEWS 2
· 2024-07-09
The City of Charleston is working to protect senior citizens from phone and online scams through educational workshops that teach seniors to recognize common fraud tactics and warning signs. Scams targeting elderly people cost the United States $36 billion annually, with seniors being particularly vulnerable due to their trusting nature; the city's initiative focuses on raising awareness about scam types and advising victims on appropriate responses.
▶ VIDEO
WCBD NEWS 2
· 2024-07-09
The City of Charleston is hosting educational workshops to protect seniors from phone and online scams, which generate $36 billion annually in the United States with older adults as primary targets. The initiative focuses on teaching seniors to recognize common scams—such as lottery/prize winnings requiring upfront payments—and know what steps to take if targeted, as demonstrated by one senior who avoided losing money to a fake lottery scheme promising half a million dollars.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-06-28
Gino Reaves was convicted of defrauding an elderly woman of over $1 million for a home remodel that was never properly completed, exploiting her loneliness and medication-induced confusion to manipulate her into the scheme. Evidence revealed minimal work was done despite the massive payment, and the victim eventually lost control of her assets after being moved to a nursing home, where a public administrator discovered the fraud. The judge sentenced Reaves, calling his actions "evil, callous and egregious," while prosecutors work to recover the stolen funds.
▶ VIDEO
NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-06-25
According to the FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Complaint Center report, seniors over 60 reported approximately $3.4 billion in losses to fraud and scams in the past year. Common scams targeting older adults include tech support fraud, investment scams, and grandparent scams, which continue to exploit the nation's senior population. The article highlights the ongoing problem of elder financial exploitation and emphasizes the need for awareness and prevention strategies to help protect vulnerable seniors from becoming victims.
▶ VIDEO
KMOV St. Louis
· 2024-06-24
This appears to be a casual podcast or talk show transcript rather than a formal news article. The content discusses a survey of 2,000 Americans showing that 55% of people feel older than their actual age, primarily due to joint pain, fatigue, and reduced activity levels, with Generation X and older generations reporting the most significant misalignment between their perceived and actual age. The transcript does not contain information about elder fraud and appears to be incomplete or poorly transcribed.
▶ VIDEO
CBS 8 San Diego
· 2024-06-21
The U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego and the FBI recovered $3.3 million for elderly fraud victims through a coordinated task force that began in January, freezing accounts and seizing transferred funds before criminals could access them. U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath emphasized that victims who report fraud within 12 hours have the best chance of fund recovery, while noting that San Diego County alone loses between $3-6 million monthly to elder fraud, with California statewide experiencing $2.1 billion in losses last year.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-06-20
This educational piece from the Better Business Bureau provides prevention strategies for older adults and caregivers to protect against scams. Key recommendations include verifying requests with trusted contacts before sharing personal information, never voluntarily providing Social Security or Medicare numbers to unsolicited callers, avoiding clicking suspicious links, and being cautious of urgent language designed to pressure quick decisions. Caregivers should watch for warning signs such as increased junk mail, secretive behavior, unexpected account charges, or sudden financial difficulties, while also helping reduce solicitations by registering on do-not-call and do-not-mail registries and screening incoming calls.
▶ VIDEO
WTRF
· 2024-06-17
Elder fraud is rising, with elderly victims increasingly targeted through phone, email, and romance scams in which scammers pose as romantic partners to convince victims to send money for purported investments. US Attorney William Enfeld notes that victims often resist intervention even from bank officials and law enforcement, as they believe the relationships are genuine and are emotionally invested. Early reporting to the US Attorney's office is critical, especially for victims experiencing cognitive decline, to prevent complete depletion of savings.
▶ VIDEO
KTSM 9 NEWS
· 2024-06-17
The FBI El Paso office reports a double-digit increase in elder fraud cases, with the most common schemes involving tech support scams, romantic/confidence scams, investment fraud, and government impersonation. The agency recommends elders verify unknown contacts through independent online research, be wary of unsolicited phone calls and mailings, and never share personally identifiable information.
▶ VIDEO
KTSM 9 NEWS
· 2024-06-16
The FBI reports a significant surge in elder fraud cases, with older Americans losing over $1.6 billion to financial scams from January to May 2024—a nearly $300 million increase compared to the same period in 2023. The most common schemes targeting seniors include tech support scams, romance/confidence schemes, investment fraud, and government impersonation scams, with Texas alone reporting $278 million in losses and the nation totaling $3.4 billion in 2023.
▶ VIDEO
WFMY News 2
· 2024-06-05
This is an educational segment featuring AARP representatives discussing elder fraud and abuse prevention, with a focus on the Piedmont Triad Area Agency on Aging's Elder Abuse Awareness Day event scheduled for June 15th at Triad Park. The free event will include document shredding, medication disposal, and informational vendors to help seniors and families protect themselves against financial elder abuse and fraudulent activities.
▶ VIDEO
WTHR
· 2024-05-29
A free elder fraud workshop is being held Monday, June 10th in Westfield, sponsored by the FBI Indianapolis Citizens Academy alumni association, with registration closing Friday. The workshop will educate seniors on evolving scams, with a particular focus on how artificial intelligence can be used against older adults, given that scams targeting people 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses last year alone.
▶ VIDEO
News 5 WCYB
· 2024-05-27
According to the FBI, financial scams targeting senior citizens are rising, with 80,000 seniors losing $3.1 billion in 2022. The Smyth County Chamber of Commerce hosted an educational event where Virginia's Attorney General and local law enforcement warned seniors about common scams (phone, computer, and mail-based) and emphasized the importance of never sharing personal or financial information unsolicited, as legitimate institutions like banks and the Social Security Administration will never request such details over the phone.
▶ VIDEO
First Alert 6
· 2024-05-24
A Nebraska eighth grader partnered with the Better Business Bureau to raise awareness about senior scams after his grandmother fell victim to fraud. The student wrote an essay on the topic and created prevention flyers, which he distributed to local senior centers, inspiring a collaboration aimed at preventing others from experiencing similar scams.
▶ VIDEO
FOX59 News
· 2024-05-24
Elder fraud scams targeting seniors in Indiana have increased in sophistication, with over 1,100 victims age 60 and older reporting approximately $26 million in losses last year. Scammers are leveraging evolving technology—including AI-generated voices and deepfakes—alongside traditional techniques to make frauds more convincing, with common red flags including artificial urgency and unsolicited requests for personal information like Social Security numbers or bank account details. The FBI Indianapolis and Citizens Academy Alumni Association are hosting a free workshop on June 10th at Westfield High School to educate the public on recognizing and preventing these scams.
▶ VIDEO
WTHR
· 2024-05-24
American Senior Communities partnered with U.S. Attorney Zachary Meers to educate seniors about elder fraud, defined as any deceptive act targeting older adults. Common scams exploit emotions by falsely claiming loved ones need bail money, posing as romantic interests, offering fake investment opportunities, or claiming the victim has won money. The organization hosts educational events to help residents and families identify and protect themselves against these schemes.
▶ VIDEO
News 4 (WOAI) San Antonio
· 2024-05-18
The FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Report reveals that Texas has the third-highest rate of elder fraud in the nation, with over 7,000 complaints from seniors age 60+ resulting in nearly $300 million in losses. One elderly couple lost approximately $170,000-$200,000 to a computer popup scam, and local authorities report that in the prior year nearly 300 elderly residents in Bexar County fell victim to various scams including identity theft, wire fraud, and forgery, with 91 additional cases reported in the current year.
▶ VIDEO
wgaltv
· 2024-05-15
FBI reports on elder fraud increased 14% last year with actual losses rising 11% to $3.4 billion, with tech support scams being the number one threat targeting seniors. In this scheme, scammers send fake emails claiming computer protection charges (such as $549) and gain remote access to victims' computers and bank accounts when they call seeking refunds. Key protective measures include resisting pressure to act quickly, avoiding unsolicited communications and requests for gift cards or wire information, not opening unknown email attachments, and having open conversations with elderly family members about their online and phone interactions.
▶ VIDEO
FOX 13 Tampa Bay
· 2024-05-15
An 80-year-old veteran in Braton lost $1.5 million in a multi-state scam involving impersonators posing as federal agents who claimed to need his help with a Social Security fraud sting operation. Over the course of a month, the scammers convinced him to transfer his retirement funds into gold bars and conduct organized drop-offs at multiple locations, ultimately leading to the arrest of one woman allegedly connected to the operation. Police report this is a trending scheme affecting multiple states and have launched a new unit to combat elder fraud.
▶ VIDEO
FOX NASHVILLE
· 2024-05-11
In Tennessee, 1,577 seniors over age 60 lost a combined $43 million to fraud in one year, according to the FBI. A retired insurance salesman fell victim to a sophisticated impersonation scam where fraudsters posing as Amazon and Social Security Administration officials convinced him his identity had been compromised and involved in money laundering. Remarkably, this victim recovered his stolen money—an extremely rare outcome in elder fraud cases.
▶ VIDEO
CBS 17
· 2024-05-11
An FBI report revealed that elder fraud complaints increased 14% and financial losses to seniors rose 11% in the previous year, with people over 60 disproportionately targeted by scammers. In response, Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Garner hosted a community shredding day to help seniors safely dispose of documents containing personal information that could be used for identity theft and fraud.
▶ VIDEO
WETM 18 News
· 2024-05-10
This educational piece highlights that scams disproportionately target older Americans and provides key protective strategies. Authorities recommend not sending money to anyone without verification, avoiding urgency-based pressure tactics, and hanging up on suspicious callers, while local law enforcement and aging departments use social media to alert the community about prevalent scams.
▶ VIDEO
KETV NewsWatch 7
· 2024-05-09
A middle school student named Parker Cusimano created an informational flyer about elder scams based on a school essay, which he initially distributed to five senior living homes in the Omaha metro area in late March. The Better Business Bureau was impressed with his work and partnered with him to expand the effort, planning to distribute his flyer to every senior living home throughout Nebraska to help protect seniors from fraud.
▶ VIDEO
NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-05-07
According to the FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Annual Report, seniors over 60 lost $3.4 billion to fraud and scams in that year, a nearly 11% increase from the previous year, with Ohio seniors alone reporting over $64 million in losses across nearly 3,300 cases. Tech support fraud emerged as the leading scam targeting older Americans, exploiting their increasing use of technology and computers.
▶ VIDEO
10 Tampa Bay News
· 2024-05-06
According to an FBI report, Florida seniors over age 60 lost more than $290 million to fraud in 2023, ranking the state second worst in the nation, with scams targeting this age group increasing 11% from 2022 and averaging nearly $34,000 per victim. The most common fraud schemes include investment scams, fake tech support, online romance scams, and law enforcement impersonation schemes, with many cases going unreported due to victim shame.