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The Nebraska Attorney General's Office warns of an increase in Family Emergency (Grandparents) Scams, where scammers pose as family members or authority figures in crisis and request urgent payments via phone or text. These imposter scams represent the top fraud category nationally, with over 850,000 reports and 21% resulting in financial losses. The alert recommends verifying callers directly with family members, confirming any authority figures' identities independently, refusing payment requests, and staying calm to protect against these emotionally manipulative schemes.

A 73-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska resident lost $29,000 in a computer scam after a pop-up prompted her to call a fraudulent number posing as Geek Squad support, which resulted in the scammer gaining remote access to her computer and instructing her to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM. Lincoln Police reported that fraud cases have been rising with elderly people as primary targets, and advised residents to verify identities of callers, discuss scam awareness with loved ones, and hang up when in doubt.

Right at Home, a home health care service in Nebraska, is warning families about common scams targeting older adults, particularly government impersonation scams (IRS, Social Security, Medicare) and charity fraud. The company advises vulnerable seniors to verify suspicious mailings with family members, be cautious of charity solicitations on social media, and allow trusted individuals to monitor bank statements, while noting that their caregivers are trained to identify and help prevent elder fraud.

A kidnapping scam targeting Nebraska residents has defrauded at least one family of $2,500, with another family targeted for $20,000. The scam involves fraudulent calls claiming a loved one has been kidnapped, using spoofed phone numbers, scripted dialogue, and audio of someone screaming in the background to pressure victims into sending money via ATM. Authorities warn residents never to send money based on such calls and to hang up immediately, as police will never collect money by phone; investigators believe at least one scam originated in Mexico.

Nebraska State Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles warned residents about a text message scam falsely claiming unpaid traffic fines and directing recipients to click a link to pay. The Nebraska DMV clarified that it does not send notices via text message and cautioned residents not to click the links, as scammers are attempting to steal personal and financial information.

Nebraska's Attorney General announced that the Consumer Affairs Response Team recovered $1.4 million for scam victims in 2024. The Better Business Bureau warns that modern scams increasingly use friendly, helpful messaging to target consumers aged 18-24, who experience more scams than other demographics but are least likely to report them, with experts recommending victims trust their instincts and consult trusted contacts before sharing money or personal information.

As fans rush to purchase tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl (Nebraska vs. Boston College on December 28th), the Better Business Bureau warns consumers to avoid ticket scams by purchasing directly from official sources rather than through social media advertisements. Recommended safeguards include buying from NATB (National Association of Ticket Brokers) member resale companies, verifying sellers on BBB.org or VerifyTicketSource.com, and using credit cards for payment protection.

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.

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.