Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 19,276 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
10,158 results
in Scam Awareness
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
A 60-year-old retired Air Force officer in Noida was defrauded of ₹1 crore in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam where cybercriminals posing as Mumbai Police and CBI officers kept him isolated via video call for 27 days, gradually coercing him to transfer his savings under the pretense of a money laundering investigation. The scam involved doctored documents, impersonation of senior officials, and psychological manipulation to prevent the victim from contacting anyone, and was only discovered when a relative grew suspicious after being unable to reach him. Noida Police have launched an investigation in collaboration with bank authorities and cyber forensic experts, with preliminary
watfordobserver.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A Watford resident lost £70,000 in a fake job recruitment scam where fraudsters posing as legitimate recruiters convinced victims to complete tasks via an app, then demanded payment equal to earnings before releasing funds. Seven residents across Hertfordshire were scammed in June 2024, totaling £200,000 in losses. Police advise caution with unsolicited job offers via messaging apps and social media, noting that legitimate recruiters never request upfront fees or deposits.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 32-year-old property agent in Singapore narrowly avoided losing a five-figure sum when a bank app warning message alerted her during a government impersonation scam in March 2024. Scammers posing as police officers and bank staff had spent four hours pressuring her to transfer money to a "secure account" by falsely claiming she was under investigation for money laundering and presenting fake court orders. Singapore experienced $151.3 million in losses to such government official impersonation scams in 2024, with experts advising victims to disengage, verify claims with trusted contacts, and recognize that everyone is susceptible to manipulation tactics employed by scammers.
dentonrc.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article presents a quiz-format overview of common elder fraud schemes and prevention strategies, based on insights from a Texas Elder Justice Coalition summit. Key scams covered include romance/pig butchering scams, tech support fraud, impersonation scams using AI, fake lottery schemes, and caregiver theft, with recommendations including reporting to IC3.gov, using family code words, and recognizing warning signs like secretive apps and unusual bank activity.
ktvz.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans lost an estimated $1.14 billion to romance scams, with the FBI reporting 17,910 complaints totaling $672 million in 2024 alone. Romance scammers build fake online relationships on social media and dating platforms to manipulate victims into sending money, gifts, or sensitive information, using emotional manipulation ("love bombing") and moving conversations to private messaging apps to avoid detection. These scams disproportionately affect lonely, grieving, or trusting individuals, and victims experience lasting emotional and financial trauma beyond the immediate monetary loss.
newslj.com
· 2025-12-08
This compilation of scam alerts documents multiple phishing and fraud schemes targeting individuals and organizations: a DocuSign phishing scam redirects victims to a Canva site potentially hosting malware like ScreenConnect; a "phantom payment" email uses hidden text to disguise phishing attempts; a fake "healthcare award" scam impersonates selection for professional programs to solicit video calls; and the University of Wyoming reported voicemail phishing emails with deceptive subject lines and non-audio file attachments. The alerts emphasize that mobile scams are increasingly prevalent, with half of US and UK mobile users encountering scams daily, and advise users to verify sender addresses, avoid clicking
au.pcmag.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are using paid search ads and a technique called "search parameter injection" to redirect customers of major brands like Bank of America, Netflix, Microsoft, PayPal, and Apple to legitimate-looking websites where fraudulent support numbers are displayed in the search bar, tricking users into calling scammers who then attempt to steal personal data, financial information, or remote computer access. Malwarebytes reports a 41% increase in such "malvertising" scams in the US between July and September 2024, with an estimated 90% of perpetrators operating from South and Southeast Asian countries. Users can protect themselves by watching for red flags including urgent language, pre-populated text in
wirralglobe.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Romance fraud reports rose 9% nationally, with Merseyside Police recording 150 incidents in 2024 resulting in £2.4m in combined losses. People aged 50-59 suffered the highest financial losses at £22.1m nationally, targeted due to greater financial assets and vulnerability during life transitions like divorce or bereavement. Scammers use "love bombing" tactics to build trust and emotional dependence before requesting money; authorities advise victims to verify identities, stay within dating app messaging, and report suspicious activity to Action Fraud or Crimestoppers.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Blackmail and sextortion scams targeting students through dating apps are rising sharply in the UK, with nearly 8,000 reported cases referencing sextortion in 2023 compared to just 23 in 2014. Fraud investigators urge victims not to suffer in silence and recommend victims verify profiles through reverse image searches, consult trusted friends before sharing intimate images, and report cases to authorities. A Nationwide survey found 28% of students had been scammed and 50% worried about becoming victims.
8days.sg
· 2025-12-08
Ex-Taiwanese singer Wu Xue Fen was targeted by a scammer impersonating Hong Kong singer Alan Tam on Facebook and WeChat. The scammer, who claimed to have met Xue Fen years ago at a concert, gained her trust by promising to help her struggling music career and provide financial assistance after she shared her financial difficulties; the scam was discovered when the impersonator asked her to purchase Apple gift cards and became hostile when she refused. Though Xue Fen avoided financial loss by not complying with the fraudster's requests, the incident occurred during a vulnerable period when she was attempting a music comeback after 20 years away from the industry.
tradingview.com
· 2025-12-08
A $50 million Telegram-based OTC cryptocurrency scam targeting venture capitalists and crypto investors was exposed in June 2025, involving tokens like SUI, NEAR, and Axelar. The scheme, operated by "Source 1" (identified as Ravindra Kumar, of Indian origin), used a Ponzi structure offering deep discounts on high-profile tokens with vesting periods to build trust before stopping token distributions; despite public warnings from project teams, investors continued participating until the collapse on June 1, 2025, with only $100,000 reportedly recoverable. The scam demonstrates how social hype and initial successful transactions on unregulated platforms can override investor
manchestereveningnews.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Chinese-based scam websites are flooding UK social media with fake advertisements for clothing items, impersonating legitimate UK retailers by using AI-generated owner personas, false Trustpilot reviews, and fake "closing down sale" claims. Customers who purchase from these sites receive poor-quality, overpriced items shipped from China warehouses and face difficult refund processes requiring them to pay return shipping costs to China. One victim, Millie Wiltshire-Kelly, successfully recovered her money through a bank chargeback and refused delivery of her order to avoid the scammers retaining both the item and payment.
tech.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are using sponsored Google ads and a technique called "search parameter injection" to display fake customer support numbers on legitimate websites for major brands including Netflix, Microsoft, Bank of America, PayPal, Apple, Facebook, and HP. When victims call these fraudulent numbers, scammers impersonate company representatives to steal personal data, financial information, or gain remote access to computers. Malwarebytes reports that malvertising incidents in the US increased 41% between July and September 2024, with an estimated 90% of scammers operating from South and Southeast Asian countries.
pressenterpriseonline.com
· 2025-12-08
I cannot provide a summary for this content. The text appears to be a generic subscription prompt rather than an article about fraud, scams, or elder abuse. Please provide the actual article or transcript you'd like summarized for the Elderus database.
sg.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 32-year-old property agent in Singapore nearly lost a five-figure sum to an impersonation scam in March 2024 when scammers posing as police officers and bank staff convinced her she was under investigation for money laundering and pressured her to transfer funds to a "safety account." A pause prompt on her bank's PayNow app alerting her to confirm the recipient's identity caused her to reconsider, and she hung up before completing the transfer and reported the incident to police. The case illustrates a common tactic in government impersonation scams—using fear, fake credentials, and urgency to manipulate victims—and experts advise disengaging from such
theglobeandmail.com
· 2025-12-08
Multiple finance professionals, including Bank of Montreal's Brian Belski and economist David Rosenberg, have fallen victim to imposter scams using AI-generated deepfake videos and fake social media accounts to lure investors into WhatsApp groups offering fraudulent investment advice. Rosenberg's firm reported collective losses exceeding $1 million from victims who were convinced to invest in stocks that artificially inflated then plummeted in value. Canadian net losses from social media-initiated investment scams have surged 95 percent since 2021 to $128.4 million annually, with law enforcement and social media platforms struggling to remove fraudulent content quickly enough to prevent harm.
fox34.com
· 2025-12-08
Texas DPS issued a warning about scam calls and texts impersonating law enforcement and government agencies, falsely claiming victims have unpaid fees or active warrants and demanding payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or unsecured web portals. The agency advises that legitimate government agencies only contact citizens about fines through official written mail and recommends verifying any warrant or fee claims directly with local authorities or reporting suspected scams to law enforcement or the FCC.
hackread.com
· 2025-12-08
A coordinated cryptocurrency theft operation targeted CoinMarketCap users through a malicious wallet verification pop-up embedded via a compromised homepage doodle image, draining approximately $43,266 from 110 victims using the Inferno Drainer toolkit. The attack used a convincing interface prompt that appeared across multiple pages on the site, tricking users into granting wallet access, with successful hits including stolen tokens like SOL, XRP, and PENGU. CoinMarketCap's security team detected and removed the malicious content, patched vulnerable systems, and confirmed the platform was secure following the incident.
gbnews.com
· 2025-12-08
**Article:** Pension savers at risk of 'worrying scams' as inheritance tax overhaul looms
Pension savers face increased fraud vulnerability as unclear legislation surrounding April 2027 inheritance tax changes on pensions prompts many to hastily withdraw large sums from regulated schemes. Fraudsters are exploiting this uncertainty by targeting worried individuals with fake "IHT-free" investment solutions, with financial experts warning that unprotected withdrawals significantly increase scam risk. Experts recommend savers seek professional guidance before making pension decisions driven by inheritance tax concerns to keep savings protected from fraudulent schemes.
bernama.com
· 2025-12-08
Two men in Penang—a 57-year-old insurance agent and a 73-year-old retired accountant—lost a combined RM2.35 million (approximately RM1.5 million and RM855,001 respectively) to separate online investment fraud schemes. Both victims were lured by social media advertisements promising high investment returns, contacted female suspects via WhatsApp, and made multiple transfers to fraudulent investment applications before discovering they could not withdraw profits or access their funds. Police are investigating both cases under cheating charges and working to identify the fraud syndicate network.
sanjuanjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner advises Medicare beneficiaries to review their quarterly Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) as a primary defense against health care fraud. The article provides guidance on how to read MSNs effectively, identify red flags such as duplicate charges or unrecognized services, and report suspected fraud through Medicare or local Senior Medicare Patrol offices. Regular MSN review is presented as a critical tool to protect individual benefits while helping safeguard the broader Medicare program against billions in annual fraud losses.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI has filed to seize nearly $680,000 in cryptocurrency from a sophisticated romance scam targeting professionals on LinkedIn and dating apps. Two victims—a Solon, Ohio resident who lost $500,000 and an Arizona woman who lost $63,000—were deceived into investing in cryptocurrency after scammers built trust through social media before moving conversations to encrypted platforms. Investigators traced the stolen funds across blockchain networks, identifying how criminals converted the stolen assets to Tether stablecoin, demonstrating law enforcement's growing ability to track cryptocurrency fraud despite the technology's irreversible transactions and pseudonymous nature.
expressandstar.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance fraud caused over £2.6 million in losses across 332 cases in the West Midlands during 2024/25, with victims averaging £11,222 each stolen, as part of a UK-wide total exceeding £106 million. Scammers create fake identities and build trust through "love bombing" before requesting money for fabricated emergencies, with the 50-59 age group suffering the largest aggregate losses (£22.1 million nationally) and female victims particularly vulnerable to prolonged manipulation. West Midlands Police are backing a public awareness campaign urging victims to report the crime and providing guidance on protective measures such as avoiding quick money transfers
expressandstar.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance fraud cost victims in the West Midlands £2.6 million across 332 reported cases in the past year, part of a UK-wide total exceeding £106 million with a 9% increase in reports. Fraudsters create fake identities and build trust through emotional manipulation before requesting money for emergencies, with the 50-59 age group suffering the largest losses. West Midlands Police are supporting a public awareness campaign to educate victims about common tactics such as "love bombing," avoiding in-person meetings, and isolating targets, while urging affected individuals to report incidents and seek support.
hellorayo.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Over the past three years, Essex residents lost more than £5.5 million to romance fraud, with 549 reported cases averaging £10,142 per victim, often targeting vulnerable older adults seeking companionship. One Kent woman lost nearly £100,000 and her home after being deceived by a scammer posing as an American serviceman on social media, and subsequently victimized again by extortion and impersonation scams. Police advise potential victims to avoid sending money to online contacts they haven't met in person, verify profile photos through reverse image searches, limit personal information sharing, and consult trusted friends and family rather than allowing fraudsters to isolate them.
blog.knowbe4.com
· 2025-12-08
According to the FTC's October 2024 report, Americans lost an estimated $158.3 billion to scams in 2023 (approximately $433 million daily), with roughly 21 million U.S. citizens successfully scammed annually after adjusting for significant under-reporting. The top scams include investment fraud (often initiated through fake text messages leading to cryptocurrency schemes), fake job postings on legitimate employment sites, romance scams enhanced by AI deepfakes, tech support scams impersonating major tech companies, and fake vendor schemes.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
One month after Telegram banned two major Chinese-language cryptocurrency scam marketplaces (Haowang Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee) that had facilitated $35 billion in transactions, the black market operations have largely reconstituted themselves on the platform. Smaller competing marketplaces, particularly Tudou Guarantee (which has doubled in size to 289,000 users and now processes approximately $15 million daily), have filled the void left by the bans and continue enabling money laundering for investment scams operating from Southeast Asian compounds that victimize millions worldwide and exploit forced labor. Telegram's enforcement appears ineffective, as the same illicit services—money laundering, stolen
koreaherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai police arrested 21 people (20 South Korean nationals and one Chinese national) operating an online romance scam from a luxury villa in Chon Buri Province after a tip from the South Korean Embassy revealed a kidnapped victim being forced to work for the operation. Officers discovered scripted investment pitch materials and confiscated electronic devices, indicating the group was part of a larger transnational fraud network. All suspects remained in custody facing legal proceedings under Thai law.
thebridgechronicle.com
· 2025-12-08
Three separate fraud cases in Pune resulted in combined losses exceeding ₹30 crore: an elderly woman from Bibwewadi lost ₹40 lakh in a share market IPO investment scam, a 39-year-old man from Kothrud lost ₹18 lakh in a similar share trading fraud, and Silver Jubilee Motors Company lost ₹30 crore when former Reliance Commercial Finance officers forged documents to create a false loan against the company's name. Police have registered cases at multiple stations and appeal to citizens to verify investment offers before committing funds.
liherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Nearly 25 seniors at General Douglas MacArthur Village in Hempstead attended a scam awareness workshop presented by the Office of Crime Victim Advocate on June 9, where they learned to recognize and avoid common fraud schemes including romance scams, identity theft, deed theft, and "grandparent scams." The training, which covered tactics like phishing and bogus official calls that create artificial urgency, statistically reduces victimization risk by 80 percent according to studies. The New Greater Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Committee on Aging continues to provide resources and will host another awareness workshop in September.
12news.com
· 2025-12-08
A Jamaican man, Sherwayne Benjamin Bellinfantie, was extradited to Arizona and charged with wire fraud and money laundering for deceiving an 85-year-old woman in Vail, Arizona into sending nearly $400,000 between 2015 and 2019 through a romance scam involving fake lottery winnings. The FBI reports that online lottery scams targeting seniors in Arizona increased 400% between 2023 and 2024, with such international prosecutions being exceptionally rare. The article notes common scams include "pig butchering" schemes involving cryptocurrency and tech support frauds, and recommends avoiding unknown contacts, urgent messages, an
jambroadcasting.com
· 2025-12-08
The Dietert Center in Kerrville is offering free scam awareness seminars this week, including an Elder Fraud/Exploitation Seminar on June 24 presented by Texas Partners Bank covering how to identify legitimate bank alerts versus scams, and a Scam Awareness Presentation on June 26 by Kerrville Police Department addressing phishing and other criminal scamming tactics. These educational sessions aim to help community members protect themselves from fraud and exploitation.
ohioattorneygeneral.gov
· 2025-12-08
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost convened a sold-out World Elder Abuse Awareness Month conference at Ohio State University to address emerging threats to older adults, including cryptocurrency scams, modern financial fraud, and AI-enabled schemes in the digital era. Yost announced a new partnership with the Ohio Pharmacists Association to train pharmacists in recognizing abuse warning signs and promoting the Elder Abuse Hotline (1-855-OHIO-APS), leveraging pharmacists' regular contact with seniors over 60. The state's Elder Justice Unit and newly expanded Electronic Fraud Investigations unit work to identify criminal operations targeting older adults, recover stolen funds, and support victims across all demographic backgrounds
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
San Diego seniors lost $108 million to scams in 2024, with at least 1,300 residents aged 60 and older averaging $80,000 in losses each, though the actual figure is likely higher due to underreporting. Scammers are becoming increasingly brazen, with a common scheme involving fake tech support or overpayment notifications followed by couriers being sent to victims' homes to collect cash in person. The FBI has established the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force to combat elder fraud, which has already recovered $7.5 million for victims, and notes that fraud targets intelligent professionals including doctors, lawyers, and judges.
wnegradio.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Justice Department announced increased prosecution efforts against elder fraud schemes, which cost victims billions of dollars annually and often deplete life savings. The Northern District of Georgia has prosecuted multiple cases including an Indian call center scam where perpetrators impersonated government officials to fraudulently obtain funds, resulting in convictions and money laundering charges against Pradip Parikh, Alpesh Patel, and others. The Justice Department employs a two-pronged approach combining criminal prosecution with community outreach and education about common elder fraud schemes including romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams.
techradar.com
· 2025-12-08
Scam robocalls have declined 75% since fall 2021, but financial losses have increased significantly—rising from $692 million in 2021 to $948 million in 2024, with median losses per victim climbing from $1,200 to $1,500. Scammers have become far more efficient by using curated victim lists obtained from data breaches and the dark web, targeting specific customers with convincing impersonation rather than making indiscriminate calls. The article advises individuals to assume their personal information is already exposed and practice skepticism toward unexpected calls by using call-blocking technology and verifying callers through legitimate institutional contact numbers.
techradar.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2025, scammers are expected to leverage AI-driven tactics to conduct increasingly sophisticated fraud, building on the $1.03 trillion stolen in 2024. The article identifies five emerging scams including AI-powered robocalls with cloned voices, SIM swap attacks targeting two-factor authentication weaknesses, and OTP bot attacks, while noting common warning signs such as unsolicited urgent communications, requests for money transfers or app downloads, and suspicious video or audio inconsistencies. Consumers are advised to recognize these red flags and use enhanced security tools to protect themselves against evolving fraud schemes.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
Cindy Burns of Winter Springs, Florida, lost $15,000 to scammers who impersonated bank and Apple employees through a text message phishing scheme, ultimately convincing her to convert the money to Bitcoin. The Federal Trade Commission reported Americans lost $12.8 billion to fraud last year, with imposter scams ranking third; experts emphasize that social engineering exploits trust and manipulation to compromise personal information. To protect yourself, independently verify suspicious account alerts by calling official numbers directly, never provide information to unsolicited callers, and immediately recognize cryptocurrency conversion requests as likely scams.
sg.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
While reported U.S. losses to online and phone scams reached over $50 billion in 2023, actual losses may exceed $100 billion when accounting for the 80-90% of incidents that go unreported. WhatSpam, an AI-powered app launched in 2025, aims to protect Americans by blocking spam and scam calls, texts, and emails before they reach users, using artificial intelligence to counter increasingly sophisticated AI-generated scams while maintaining user privacy by storing data locally on devices.
3newsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Reports of AI-enabled scams surged 456 percent between May 2024 and April 2025, with predicted generative AI-driven fraud losses in the US potentially exceeding $40 billion by 2027. Dr. Victor Winter, a computer science expert at the University of Nebraska Omaha, explains that AI now enables attackers to conduct sophisticated, personalized phishing attacks at scale—including voice duplication and deepfake videos—making scams harder to detect. Key protective measures include never clicking links or responding to calls without independently confirming the sender's identity, and using "safe words" or personal information that AI cannot access to verify legitimate contacts.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article identifies eight prevalent online scams in 2025, including phishing, verification malware, impersonation, fake job offers, holiday delivery fraud, donation scams, romance scams, and fake police calls. The article advises readers to watch for red flags such as urgency in messaging, requests for sensitive information (OTPs, passwords), unsolicited job offers asking for upfront payment, suspicious links, and emotional manipulation tactics. Key protection strategies include verifying sender identity through official channels, avoiding clicking links in unsolicited messages, never running commands from unknown websites, and being skeptical of legitimate-seeming requests from companies or government agencies.
bisinfotech.com
· 2025-12-08
AI-powered romance scams have become increasingly sophisticated, using deepfake videos, voice cloning, and emotionally intelligent chatbots to create convincing fake identities that exploit victims' psychological need for connection. India has experienced a 300% rise in online romance scams between 2022 and 2024, with victims losing an estimated ₹270 crore in 2024 alone, predominantly affecting educated urban professionals aged 25-40. These scams are particularly effective because the AI technology is now scalable, automated, and difficult to distinguish from genuine interactions, making even tech-savvy users vulnerable to emotional and financial exploitation.
valadao.house.gov
· 2025-12-08
The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 2481, the Romance Scam Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Congressman David Valadao that requires dating apps to notify users who have interacted with accounts removed for fraudulent activity. According to the FTC, romance scams cost Americans over $1.1 billion in 2023, disproportionately affecting seniors who are often conned out of their life savings by scammers using fake profiles.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia man lost over $1 million in two consecutive scams orchestrated by a fraudster posing as "Daisy" from Apple customer support. The scam began when he called a fake Apple support number, and evolved from a customer service fraud (where he was tricked into buying gift cards) into a romance scam that built trust over months of daily communication, ultimately resulting in him handing over $780,000 in precious metals to a money mule. The article warns consumers to watch for red flags including fake customer support numbers, lookalike websites, unsolicited contact, and suspicious requests for money or assets.
yubanet.com
· 2025-12-08
On June 20, 2025, Rushabh Rajesh Desai, 35, of San Jose, was arrested by Nevada County Sheriff's Office deputies after attempting to scam a 75-year-old woman out of $30,000 through a phone scam; a concerned friend called 911 during the scam in progress, and deputies located Desai's vehicle near the victim's residence before the money could be handed over. Desai was charged with conspiracy to commit crime, attempting to obtain money by false pretense, and elder theft. The incident highlights the importance of contacting law enforcement or a trusted person immediately when suspicious contact occurs, as this quick action prevented the
myfox28columbus.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece highlights that approximately 1 in 10 seniors experiences elder abuse, with Ohio alone receiving over 40,000 abuse referrals in the past year. The Franklin County Office of Aging director emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs to protect vulnerable seniors during World Elder Abuse Awareness Month.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada and FBI Las Vegas Division are reinforcing efforts to combat elder fraud during World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, noting that such schemes cost billions annually and affect over 100,000 elder Americans each year. The office charged Aurora Phelps with 21 counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, and identity theft for allegedly defrauding older men she met through online dating services; Phelps is currently in custody in Mexico. The Justice Department provides a National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-FRAUD-11) offering personalized support to victims age 60 and older, with case managers helping victims report fraud an
tcsheriff.org
· 2025-12-08
Travis County Sheriff's Office warns residents about phone scams impersonating law enforcement and financial institutions to demand immediate payment via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gift cards. Common scams include jury duty fines, grandchild-in-jail schemes, and fake bank fraud alerts that trick victims into withdrawing money or providing personal information. Residents should never send money over the phone to unknown callers and should independently verify requests by contacting official agencies directly rather than calling back spoofed numbers.
shreveportbossieradvocate.com
· 2025-12-08
Louisiana residents lose millions annually to identity theft, with the state ranking eighth nationally at 350 cases per 100,000 residents, costing nearly $47 million in fraud losses in 2023. Common methods include database breaches, phishing, malware, and dumpster diving, though experts recommend setting up fraud alerts, credit freezes, and responding quickly to suspicious activity to prevent theft, particularly during peak spending seasons like summer travel. AARP Louisiana and Georges Media Group are partnering on a June 26 town hall to educate residents about local scams and fraud prevention strategies.
wgme.com
· 2025-12-08
AI-powered scams are increasing in sophistication and financial impact, with the Identity Theft Resource Center reporting fewer overall identity crime reports but significantly higher losses per victim. Impersonation scams rose 148% year-over-year, with criminals using AI to create convincing fake websites, emails, and messages impersonating banks and businesses, while also targeting victims through employment fraud and Google Voice scams. The positive trend is growing public awareness, with more people seeking prevention advice before becoming victims.