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Search across 22,013 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
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in General Elder Fraud
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CBS Miami
· 2024-05-05
Florida ranks second-highest in the nation for elderly fraud, with adults over 60 reporting nearly $3.5 billion in losses nationally and approximately $300 million in Florida losses, according to FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center data. Tech support scams led fraud cases in 2023, with scammers increasingly using artificial intelligence to disguise their identities. Law enforcement advises seniors not to answer calls from unknown numbers and to be aware that legitimate authorities will not call ahead to warn of warrants or missed jury duty.
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wgaltv
· 2024-05-05
Tech support fraud is the most commonly reported scam targeting older Americans, where scammers impersonate tech support to gain access to sensitive information, though investment scams result in the greatest financial losses (over $50 million reported annually). In Pennsylvania specifically, common scams include tech support fraud, personal data breaches, and delivery scams. To protect yourself, avoid unsolicited contacts, never download attachments from unknown sources, refuse to share personal information or money with unverified people, and resist pressure to act quickly, as scammers use urgency to manipulate victims.
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WLOS News 13
· 2024-05-04
According to an FBI report, elder fraud targeting people aged 60 and older increased by 14% in 2023, resulting in over $3 billion in losses with an average victim loss of $33,900. The five most common fraud types against seniors include personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, non-payment or non-delivery scams, and investment scams, with non-payment scams being particularly prevalent in the Asheville area, where the police department received 48 elder abuse or fraud cases from Adult Protective Services in the year to date.
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FOX NASHVILLE
· 2024-05-04
Romance scams are targeting hundreds of people in Middle Tennessee, with scammers building trust through daily messaging on platforms like LinkedIn before directing victims to invest money in fraudulent schemes involving gold trading, banking, finance, and cryptocurrency. Once victims send money to these scammers, recovery is nearly impossible. The schemes typically involve scammers posing as trustworthy individuals from overseas who gradually shift conversations from personal matters to investment opportunities.
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CBS Evening News
· 2024-05-01
The FBI reported that elder fraud complaints among Americans over 60 jumped 14% last year with total losses ballooning 11%, resulting in $3.4 billion stolen across more than 100,000 complaints filed to federal law enforcement. Scammers use tactics such as fake computer warning messages to trick victims into transferring thousands of dollars, with organized criminal networks operating from West Africa and Asia driving much of the fraud. AARP estimates the actual annual losses from elder fraud may exceed $28 billion, prompting a nationwide public awareness campaign to protect seniors.
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ABC News
· 2024-05-01
The Department of Justice charged 16 suspects in a multinational "grandparent scam" operating between the Dominican Republic and the United States, in which scammers called senior citizens claiming a loved one needed thousands of dollars for emergency expenses like car accidents, then collected cash via couriers or mail. Senior citizens lost $3.4 billion to scams in 2023, up from $3.1 billion in 2022, with this particular scheme stealing millions of dollars and highlighting the FBI's warning about the explosion of fraud targeting elderly Americans.
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WHNT News 19
· 2024-04-30
Online romance scammers target people on dating sites like Zoosk using emotional manipulation tactics such as claims of illness or financial hardship to extract money. Red flags include rapid relationship escalation, requests to move conversations off the dating platform to less traceable channels, and requests for payment via untraceable methods like gift cards or wire transfers. The Better Business Bureau advises caution, noting that one Madison County victim lost $105,000 to a romance scammer.
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WENY TV NEWS
· 2024-04-25
This is an educational interview featuring Sheila Brewer-Montero, a scams prevention coordinator from Lifespan of Greater Rochester, discussing fraud schemes targeting older adults. The conversation introduces the top scams affecting seniors in the Southern Tier area, with government impersonator scams (Social Security Administration and IRS) identified as a primary threat, though the full details of prevention strategies and other scam types are cut off in the provided transcript.
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CTV News
· 2024-04-18
A Canadian crime syndicate was dismantled following a multi-province investigation, resulting in the arrest of 14 suspects in the Montreal area for conducting grandparent scams that defrauded seniors of at least $2.2 million. The organized criminals contacted seniors via landlines, impersonating police officers, judges, lawyers, and family members to convince victims that grandchildren needed emergency financial help, ultimately victimizing 126 people across Canada, including 15 who were scammed multiple times.
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CityNews
· 2024-04-18
A multi-million dollar "grandparent scam" targeting Canadian seniors has been shut down after defrauding over 100 grandparents of $2.2 million. Scammers impersonated police officers, judges, lawyers, and family members, calling seniors on landlines claiming a grandchild needed bail money, exploiting their desire to help family in distress. Fourteen suspects operating from the Montreal area have been arrested and charged in a joint investigation by Ontario and Quebec police.
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Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF (MyStateline)
· 2024-04-12
I cannot provide a summary of elder fraud, scams, or abuse from this text. The provided content is a weather forecast broadcast from WTVO news dated April 12th, 2024, which discusses temperatures, wind conditions, and weather predictions for the Rockford, Illinois area. It does not contain information relevant to the Elderus database's focus on elder fraud or abuse.
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WAAY 31 News
· 2024-04-11
A 92-year-old Lauderdale County man lost $3,600 in a home repair scam after a man named Jack Ivill Jr. promised to pave his driveway but never completed the work. Ivill was arrested and charged with financial exploitation of the elderly and home repair fraud. Senior assistance leaders advise never paying for work upfront and to verify credentials before hiring contractors.
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WAAY 31 News
· 2024-04-11
A 92-year-old Lauderdale County man lost approximately $4,000 to a driveway paving scam in which fraudsters promised work but never completed it. Care experts from the American Senior Assistance Program advise that elderly individuals are frequent scam targets due to their trusting nature, and recommend families maintain communication with seniors, watch for red flags like unexplained spending and wire transfers, verify businesses through the Better Business Bureau, and avoid paying upfront costs.
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The Deshbhakt
· 2024-04-02
This video essay discusses political corruption allegations in India, focusing on how the BJP appears to avoid corruption charges while opposition parties face various scams and legal actions. The video then explains the 2G spectrum scam of 2008, where the Indian government allocated mobile spectrum to companies at artificially low prices through administrative allocation rather than auction, resulting in an estimated loss of 1.76 lakh crore to the national treasury—a controversy that contributed to the fall of the UPA government and led the Supreme Court to cancel 112 spectrum licenses in 2012.
**Note:** This is a political commentary/educational piece rather than a scam affecting individual elders, so it falls outside the typical scope of
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KPAX-TV
· 2024-03-21
Montana's Commissioner of Securities and Insurance is conducting community education on scams targeting seniors, who are particularly vulnerable because they typically have accumulated more wealth through paid-off homes and mature investments. The office has identified a rising trend of "pig butchering" schemes—a cryptocurrency-based variation of romance scams where scammers initiate contact through text messages, social media, or dating apps, build a relationship, and then solicit money or fraudulent investment advice, resulting in significant financial losses.
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WHNT News 19
· 2024-03-02
**Romance Scams: Protection Advice**
Romance scams, where online dating contacts request money, gift cards, or wire transfers, are on the rise according to the Better Business Bureau, with median losses increasing from $900 in 2021 to higher amounts by 2022. Scammers use emotional manipulation tactics like "love bombing" followed by fabricated emergencies (health issues, family deaths) to pressure victims into sending money, and elderly individuals should be particularly cautious. To protect yourself, avoid sending money through gift cards or wire transfers, never share credit card or banking information, and be skeptical of online contacts who quickly request financial assistance.
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FOX 13 Seattle
· 2024-02-23
Former Wells Fargo branch manager Brian Davy was sentenced to over three years in federal prison for stealing nearly $1.3 million from elderly customers in Clark County over a five-year period through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and fraudulent checks. Davy specifically targeted vulnerable populations including elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and those who spoke different languages, with one victim losing $566,000 from her retirement accounts. Federal prosecutors partnered with the FBI and Wells Fargo to investigate and prosecute the case, highlighting the serious threat of financial abuse by trusted financial professionals.
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KVUE
· 2024-02-19
Romance scams typically begin online through dating platforms, social media, or messaging apps, with scammers' goal being financial gain. Red flags include declarations of love very quickly, elaborate backstories (such as working in oil/gas or military deployment) to explain communication gaps, and reluctance to video chat; scammers may spend months or even years building trust before requesting money. People should recognize these warning signs early to avoid becoming victims of these prevalent scams.
theatlantic.com
· 2023-07-15
The Atlantic examines the systemic failure to protect America's elderly from financial fraud and exploitation. The article argues that the scale of elder fraud represents a societal neglect, with institutions, regulators, and families all falling short of providing adequate protection to vulnerable older adults. A powerful argument for treating elder fraud as a systemic crisis rather than a series of individual failures.