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**Article:** 10 States Where Retiree Fraud Is on the Rise According to analysis of government elder fraud complaint data, ten states experienced significant increases in elder fraud cases between 2022 and 2023, with Arizona leading at a 36% increase (212 to 289 cases per 100,000 seniors). Other notably affected states include Utah (23% increase), Rhode Island and North Carolina (22% and 20% increases respectively), and Texas, Washington, Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas, and Oklahoma (ranging from 18-20% increases). The data underscores the need for retirees in these high-risk states to heighten financial vigil

A Sapulpa, Oklahoma woman who had previously fallen victim to scammers shared her experience with a phony toll bill text message scam, where fraudsters sent increasingly threatening texts claiming she owed toll money and threatening license suspension and legal action. A Bankrate study found that 68% of Americans have encountered scams, with baby boomers experiencing the highest rate of scam encounters (39%) despite Gen Z suffering the greatest financial losses (53%), and notes that economic pressures and inflation make individuals more vulnerable to fraud. Victims are advised to report fraud to the FTC, local law enforcement, and their financial institutions while taking steps to freeze credit and monitor accounts.

Former Gateway Church elders Tom Lane and Kevin Grove were dismissed from a federal lawsuit alleging the church misused tithing funds designated for missionary work, though the dismissal was without prejudice, allowing for potential refiling. The lawsuit, filed by former church members seeking over $1 million in damages, claims church leadership misrepresented how donations would be used and that founder Robert Morris offered congregants a money-back guarantee on tithes; Morris and founding elder Steve Dulin remain defendants as Morris faces separate criminal charges in Oklahoma for child sexual abuse allegations from the 1980s.

Former members of Gateway Church filed a class action lawsuit in October alleging that the Southlake megachurch and its former senior pastor Robert Morris misrepresented how tithes were spent, claiming the church promised at least 15% would go to foreign missionary work but failed to deliver, and that Morris offered a "money back guarantee" on donations. A federal judge ruled Monday that Gateway does not have to immediately produce financial documents and denied the plaintiffs' motion to compel discovery, with the court now considering whether to dismiss the case entirely. The lawsuit emerged after Morris was publicly accused in June of sexually abusing an Oklahoma woman beginning when she was 12 years old in the 1980s, leading

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Pawnee was arrested for laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) between September and December 2024. One victim sold her house and sent $600,000 after believing she was in a romantic relationship with a scammer; Echohawk converted the illicitly obtained funds through bank accounts and cryptocurrency before sending payments to an unidentified suspect. She faces five counts carrying 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines.

Christine Joan Echohawk, a 53-year-old from Pawnee, Oklahoma, was arrested and charged with laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting senior women between September and December 2024. The victims, all between ages 64 and 79, believed they were sending money to men they were in online relationships with before the funds were diverted through Echohawk's accounts.

Christine Echohawk, 53, of Pawnee, Oklahoma, was arrested and charged with laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) across Utah, Texas, and Florida. One victim sent over $600,000 between April 2023 and March 2025 to a man using the alias "Edward Lotts," who claimed he needed to pay off a debt to access $2 million, and she sold her house to fund the payments. Echohawk facilitated the fraud by opening multiple bank accounts to receive the funds, converting them to cryptocurrency, and transferring them to wallets controlled by

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Oklahoma was arrested and charged with laundering approximately $2.4 million obtained through online romance scams targeting elderly women ages 64-79 between September and December 2024. The victims, believing they were in relationships with men, sent money, gift cards, and checks to accounts owned by Echohawk, who converted the funds into cryptocurrency and sent them to unknown suspects; one victim sold her house to send $600,000. Echohawk faces five counts of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and computer fraud, carrying potential sentences of 24-62 years and up to $260,000 in fines.

Christine Joan Echohawk, 54, of Pawnee, Oklahoma, was arrested and charged with laundering approximately $1.5 million from online romance scams targeting elderly women aged 64-79 in Florida, Texas, and Utah between September and December 2023. The victims, believing they were in relationships with men, sent money through various methods including Apple gift cards, cash, and wire transfers, which Echohawk deposited into her bank accounts, converted to cryptocurrency, and transferred to an unidentified male subject. Echohawk faces five felony counts carrying potential sentences of 24 to 62 years in prison and fines up to $260,000, with notable individual

Christine Joan Echohawk, 54, of Pawnee was charged with laundering approximately $1.5 million from elderly women (ages 64-79) in Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, and Utah who believed they were sending money to romantic interests between September and December. Echohawk received funds through various methods, converted most to cryptocurrency, and transferred the funds to an unidentified male subject while using some proceeds personally and lying to banks about the money's source. She faces multiple felony charges including unlawful use of criminal proceeds and violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, with charges filed by the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office.

An Oklahoma woman, Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, was arrested in April 2025 for laundering approximately $1.5 million from four elderly victims (ages 64-79) in an online romance scam between September and December 2024. One victim sold her house to send $600,000 to the scammer, while others sent gift cards, cash, and cashier's checks; Echohawk allegedly converted the funds through cryptocurrency accounts and sent payments to an unidentified suspect. She faces charges carrying 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines.

Christine Joan Echohawk of Oklahoma orchestrated multiple online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) from September to December, defrauding them of $1.5 million total using fake male personas like "Jason Morris," "Edward Lotts," and "Glenn Goadard" with elaborate stories requiring urgent cash payments. One victim sold her paid-off home to send over $600,000 after being promised debt relief, while another sent $250,000 for a supposed financial portfolio from Syria; Echohawk deposited all funds into a bank account under her name and converted the money into cryptocurrency for money laundering. The scam was uncovered when a

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, was arrested in Oklahoma for allegedly laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting elderly women ages 64-79 between September and December 2024. Victims believed they were sending money to male romantic interests via wire transfers, gift cards, and checks to accounts owned by Echohawk, who then converted the funds to cryptocurrency; one victim sold her house to send $600,000 to the scammer. Echohawk faces charges of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and computer crimes carrying potential sentences of 24 to 62 years in prison.

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, from Oklahoma, was charged with money laundering and computer crimes after stealing approximately $1.5 million from four elderly women (ages 64-79) through romance scams that operated from April 2023 through October 2024. Echohawk used multiple fake male identities to convince victims they were in romantic relationships and needed money for various schemes, including debt payoff, business investments, and ship fuel, with one victim selling her home to send $600,000. After receiving payments via cash, gift cards, and wire transfers, Echohawk converted the funds to cryptocurrency and sent them to an unknown accomplice; she faces 24 to 62

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, was arrested in Oklahoma for laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting elderly women ages 64-79, who believed they were sending money to male romantic interests. Between September and December 2024, victims transferred funds, gift cards, and cashiers' checks through Echohawk's bank accounts, with one victim selling her house to send $600,000; Echohawk allegedly converted the proceeds to cryptocurrency and sent them to an unidentified suspect. She faces five felony charges carrying 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines.

In December 2024, Oklahoma officials charged Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, with operating a romance scam ring that defrauded four elderly women (ages 64-79) out of $1.5 million between September and December 2024. Echohawk used fake male identities (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, Glenn Goadard) to convince victims she was in romantic relationships with them, then manipulated them into sending cash, checks, wire transfers, and gift cards under false pretenses (fake oil rigs, business investments, debt payoffs). The funds were deposited into accounts Echohawk controlled and converted into cryptocurrency, with one

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Oklahoma, was charged with scamming four elderly women (ages 64-79) out of $1.5 million between September and December through elaborate online romance scams using fake male personas (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, and Glenn Goadard) who claimed to need money for various schemes like oil rigs and debt payoff. The victims sent cash, checks, wire transfers, and gift cards, which Echohawk deposited into her bank account and converted into cryptocurrency before sending the funds to an unidentified person; the scam was discovered when a bank flagged a $120,000 transaction from one victim.

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Oklahoma was accused of laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) during late 2024. Using aliases including Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, and Glenn Goadard, Echohawk convinced victims they were in romantic relationships and persuaded them to send funds ranging from $120,000 to $600,000, with one victim selling her house to participate; she converted the stolen money through various accounts and cryptocurrency before sending payments to an unidentified suspect. Echohawk faces four counts of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and one count of violating Oklahoma

Christine Joan Echohawk, a 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, was charged with money laundering after allegedly orchestrating online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) that netted approximately $1.5 million. Using fake male personas including "Edward Lotts," "Jason Morris," and "Glenn Goddard," Echohawk convinced victims they were in romantic relationships and persuaded them to send funds for various schemes (debt payoffs, oil tanker purchases, financial portfolios), which she then converted to cryptocurrency and sent to an unidentified accomplice. The scam was uncovered when MidFirst Bank flagged suspicious wire transfers in late December 2024, an

In December 2024, Oklahoma officials charged Christine Joan Echohawk with orchestrating romance scams that defrauded four elderly women (ages 64-79) of $1.5 million between September and December 2024. Echohawk used fake male personas including "Jason Morris," "Edward Lotts," and "Glenn Goadard" to convince victims to send money under false pretenses such as paying off debts or investing in oil rigs, then laundered the funds through bank accounts and cryptocurrency. A bank's suspicious hold on a $120,000 transfer led to the investigation, and Echohawk was charged with unlawful use of criminal proceeds and computer

A 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, Christine Joan Echohawk, was arrested for defrauding four elderly women (ages 64-79) of approximately $1.5 million in an online romance scam conducted over three months in late 2024. One victim sold her house to send $600,000 to Echohawk, who posed as a man online and convinced the women to send money via wire transfers, gift cards, checks, and cash. Echohawk laundered the proceeds through multiple bank accounts and cryptocurrency before a $120,000 wire transfer was intercepted by a bank in January 2025, triggering the investigation; she now faces

Christine Joan Echohawk, a 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, scammed four elderly women (ages 64-79) out of $1.5 million between September and December 2024 through romance scams using fake male personas such as "Jason Morris," "Edward Lotts," and "Glenn Goadard," with elaborate schemes involving fake oil rigs, debt payoffs, and financial portfolios. Echohawk received the funds via cash, checks, wire transfers, and gift cards, then laundered the money through bank accounts and cryptocurrency. She was charged with unlawful use of criminal proceeds and computer fraud after a bank flagged suspicious activity and an investigation by the

Christine Joan Echohawk was charged with money laundering after operating a romance scam targeting four elderly women across multiple states, fraudulently obtaining over $1.5 million by posing as a man named "Edward Lotts" and convincing victims to send money under false pretenses. Operating from April 2023 through October 2024, Echohawk convinced her first victim to sell her home and send $600,000, and continued targeting additional victims despite a police confrontation in January 2024; she was arrested in April and now faces 24 to 62 years in prison plus up to $260,000 in fines.

Christine Joan Echohawk, a 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, created multiple fake male personas (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, Glenn Goadard) to conduct a months-long romance scam that defrauded four senior women ages 64-79 of $1.5 million. The victims were manipulated into sending money under false pretenses (oil rig rescue, financial portfolio management, relationship promises), with one woman selling her paid-off home and sending over $600,000; Echohawk laundered the funds through multiple bank accounts, cryptocurrency, and gift cards until MidFirst Bank flagged a suspicious transaction in January 2025, leading to her

A 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, Christine Joan Echohawk, posed as multiple men (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, and Glenn Goadard) in an elaborate romance scam that defrauded four senior women, ages 64-79, of $1.5 million between late 2024 and January 2025. The victims were manipulated into sending money under false pretenses including oil rig rescues and financial portfolio management, with one victim selling her paid-off home to send over $600,000; Echohawk laundered the funds through multiple accounts, cryptocurrency, and gift cards before being caught when a bank flagged a suspicious transaction. She

A 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, Christine Joan Echohawk, posed as multiple men (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, and Glenn Goadard) in an elaborate romance scam that defrauded four senior women aged 64-79 of $1.5 million between late 2024 and January 2025. The victims were manipulated into sending money under false pretenses including oil rig rescues, financial portfolio management, and promises of future cohabitation; Echohawk laundered the funds through multiple bank accounts, cryptocurrency, and gift cards before being caught when a $120,000 transaction was flagged by MidFirst Bank. She now

A 70-year-old Massachusetts woman experienced two separate fraud incidents—identity theft involving her name and social security number years earlier, and unauthorized debit card charges in February 2024 that were caught when she received a text alert for a fraudulent taxi charge in Oklahoma City. Her bank successfully stopped the fraudulent charges and issued a new card, advising her to use credit cards for online purchases and tap (rather than insert) debit cards in person to reduce fraud vulnerability. The article emphasizes the emotional toll of fraud on victims and recommends monitoring accounts regularly and staying alert to suspicious activity.

Oklahoma seniors lost approximately $50 million to scams in 2024, more than doubling the $22 million lost in 2023, according to FBI data. The most common scams targeting seniors include tech support, investment, romance, and phishing schemes, often delivered via cellphone. The FBI advises seniors to stop and walk away from any situation involving pressure for financial transactions, and to contact trusted loved ones or institutions through independently verified channels.

Christine Joan Echohawk, 54, of Pawnee, Oklahoma was charged with five felonies for laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) in Florida, Utah, and Texas between September and December 2024. The victims, who believed they were in romantic relationships with a man using the alias "Maurice Dinero," sent funds via Apple gift cards, cash, checks, and wire transfers to accounts Echohawk controlled, which she converted to cryptocurrency and forwarded to an unknown suspect. If convicted, Echohawk faces 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,

Oklahoma seniors lost more than $50 million to fraud in 2024, a 66% increase from $22 million in 2023, with nearly 2,000 fraud complaints filed according to FBI reports. Law enforcement emphasizes that education is the primary defense, with studies showing individuals aware of specific scam tactics are 80% less likely to become victims, and recommends people verify and confirm before sharing personal information or conducting financial transactions. Many of these crimes are perpetrated by organized crime rings outside the U.S., making prosecution difficult, but authorities continue to encourage reporting at state and federal levels.

Oklahoma's OG&E energy company warned customers of a phone scam where fraudsters pose as company employees after victims locate fake OG&E phone numbers through Google search results. When customers call these fraudulent numbers, scammers trick them into paying bills and stealing their money. OG&E advises customers to pay bills only through their official website or verified phone numbers and to verify caller identity before sharing financial information.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a National Senior Fraud Awareness Day advisory noting that seniors lose more than $3 billion annually to fraud, including technical support and romance scams. The AG's office provided guidance to protect against fraud, recommending seniors avoid sharing personal information unsolicited, be skeptical of urgent payment demands and email links, monitor bills for unauthorized charges, and report incidents to law enforcement.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a warning on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, noting that elder fraud causes seniors over $3 billion in annual losses nationally through schemes including fake lotteries, tech support scams, government impersonation, and romance scams. The advisory recommends protective measures such as never sharing personal information unsolicited, avoiding clicking suspicious links, rejecting high-pressure payment demands, and reporting suspicious activity to financial institutions and law enforcement.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond highlighted precautions against elder fraud on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, noting that seniors lose over $3 billion annually to scams including fake lotteries, technical support schemes, government impersonation, and romance fraud. The advisory provides ten key protective measures including: not sharing personal information unsolicited, verifying email sources before clicking links, being wary of upfront payment demands, monitoring bank statements, resisting high-pressure tactics, researching offers, and reporting suspected scams to the Attorney General's Office.

Scammers are sending phishing text messages to Nevada residents (and victims as far as Oklahoma) impersonating Las Vegas Courts with fake .gov addresses, demanding immediate payment for outstanding traffic tickets to avoid fines or legal action. Clark County and Las Vegas officials warn that legitimate court entities do not solicit payments via text, and advise residents to delete suspicious messages and verify tickets directly through official channels rather than clicking links.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Service Oklahoma are warning drivers of a text message scam falsely claiming to be from the Oklahoma DMV requesting payment for overdue traffic fines. Recipients should not respond to or click links in these fraudulent messages, which threaten penalties for unpaid traffic violations.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond warned residents about a resurgent scam targeting seniors in Tulsa, in which fraudsters send fake arrest warrants via email and text, impersonate law enforcement or federal public defenders, and demand preemptive bail payments through cryptocurrency kiosks. The Attorney General emphasized that legitimate arrest warrants are never served electronically, government agencies do not demand unsolicited personal information or money, and fines or bonds are never paid in cryptocurrency. Residents are encouraged to verify claims directly with law enforcement or courts and report suspected scams to the Consumer Protection Unit at 833-681-1895 or [email protected].

I'm unable to provide a summary for this content. The text appears to be only a news section header and headline list without article details. To create a meaningful summary for the Elderus elder fraud database, I would need the full article text or transcript containing substantive information about a scam, fraud, or elder abuse incident. If you have a complete article about elder fraud or elder abuse, please share that and I'll provide a 2-3 sentence summary focusing on what happened, who was affected, the type of scam involved, and relevant outcomes.

Vietnam veteran Leroy Theodore, Sr., a quadriplegic stroke survivor, became the subject of a guardianship dispute after St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa initiated efforts to obtain legal control of his finances and medical decisions in April 2024, despite his daughter Valerie Parks holding power of attorney and having been cleared of neglect allegations by Adult Protective Services in March. The hospital and state denied the family access to Theodore for 1.5 months while competing guardianship claims were filed in two different courts, raising concerns that Theodore's case exemplifies a growing nationwide pattern of guardianship fraud targeting vulnerable elderly patients for financial gain.

I don't see a full article text in your submission—only a title and a news section header. To provide an accurate summary for the Elderus database, I would need the actual content of the "How to avoid romance scams, on Playing It Safe" article. Could you please provide the complete article text so I can summarize the key advice or findings about romance scam prevention?

I appreciate you providing this article, but I need to note that this content is **not relevant to the Elderus database scope**. This article describes a criminal case involving a child's death, not elder fraud, financial scams, or elder abuse. The Elderus database focuses specifically on scams and fraud targeting older adults. If you have an article about elder fraud, financial exploitation of seniors, or elder abuse, I'd be happy to summarize it for the database.

Deputy Tara Hardin from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office discusses the rising threat of romance scams and emphasizes the need for increased vigilance as scammers employ increasingly sophisticated tactics. The segment provides prevention strategies to help people protect themselves from this growing type of fraud.

Multiple scams are currently targeting Oklahomans, including fake bank fraud calls where scammers impersonate financial institutions to obtain personal information and conduct unauthorized wire transfers, as well as grandparent scams where callers impersonate relatives claiming to be in emergencies. To protect themselves, Oklahomans are advised to hang up on unsolicited calls, avoid sharing personal information like passwords or account numbers, independently verify emergencies by directly contacting the person or institution involved, and report suspected scams to police, banks, and the state attorney general's office.

A federal court ordered five defendants—two Chinese residents (Qian Bai and Chao Li), one Oklahoma resident (Lan Bai), and two UK companies (Aipu Limited and Fidefx Investments Ltd.)—to pay approximately $19 million in civil penalties and restitution for operating fraudulent trading websites that misappropriated at least $3.6 million from at least 34 customers over 18 months. The scheme involved soliciting victims through fake platforms claiming to offer leveraged commodity and foreign currency trading contracts. The CFTC advises the public to verify company registration before investing and warns of increasing romance scams that lure

AARP testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging about significant gaps in systems protecting older adults from fraud and exploitation, including inadequate family caregiver training, unchecked guardianship powers, and insufficient law enforcement training. The FBI reported that individuals over 60 lost nearly $4.9 billion to fraud in 2024, a 43 percent increase from the previous year, and AARP advocates for reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and enhanced federal and state protections including increased law enforcement resources and guardianship regulations.

Scam losses in Oklahoma exceeded $72 million in 2024 and have tripled over the past five years, with increasingly emotionally manipulative tactics targeting older adults. Common scams include phishing, grandparent scams, tech support fraud, romance scams, and cryptocurrency schemes. Protection strategies include pausing before clicking links, researching contacts independently, using strong passwords with two-factor authentication, avoiding cryptocurrency and gift card payments, and reporting suspected fraud to the Oklahoma Attorney General, FTC, or AARP's Fraud Watch helpline.

AARP is hosting a free telephone town hall on September 4 featuring fraud prevention experts Liz Buser and Staff Sergeant Tara Hardin to educate older adults and caregivers about evolving scam tactics, how to identify red flags, and reporting procedures. The event will cover current fraud trends targeting seniors, response strategies for suspicious communications, available support resources, and practical protection tools from AARP and law enforcement.

A 26-year-old woman in Detroit lost $4,300 in a fake LinkedIn job scam in 2023 when fraudsters impersonating a legitimate Oklahoma school district contractor tricked her into purchasing a laptop with a fraudulent check, and subsequently used her identity to file false tax returns. The scam involved a sophisticated fake recruitment process that mimicked the real company's website and email domain, with the victim only discovering the fraud after her bank reversed the fraudulent deposit. The incident contributed to a broader trend where job scam losses tripled from $90 million to $501 million between 2020 and 2024.

An Oklahoma woman developed an online friendship with someone claiming to work on an oil rig, which led to a scam targeting senior adults in the state. The article highlights various types of scams that exploit older Oklahomans, including online relationship-based fraud where perpetrators build trust before exploiting victims financially.