Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 19,276 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
7,257 results
in General Elder Fraud
▶ 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
WGN News
· 2024-08-31
Federal Trade Commission data shows American consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud in 2023, with digital platforms making it easier for scammers to target victims. Common scams include romance/relationship scams on Facebook where perpetrators build trust before requesting money, "pig butchering" investment schemes promising fake returns, and grandparent scams, with reported losses ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Protection strategies include verifying urgent requests by hanging up and calling back the person directly, avoiding quick money transfers, researching websites and investment opportunities, and reporting scams to law enforcement and platforms to help track and recover stolen funds.
▶ VIDEO
WFMJ
· 2024-09-03
U.S. seniors lost over $3 billion to scammers in the past year. Common scams targeting elderly individuals include relationship scams where fraudsters impersonate family members (grandchildren, nieces, nephews) claiming urgent financial needs such as bail, rent, or tuition, often using personal information gathered from social media to appear credible. Experts recommend awareness and education to help protect seniors from these emotionally manipulative schemes.
▶ VIDEO
FOX8 WGHP
· 2024-09-03
An elderly woman in Asheboro was defrauded of $25,000 after scammers used fear tactics and impersonation of law enforcement to manipulate her into withdrawing cash and purchasing gift cards. The suspect met the victim at a gas station to collect a large cash withdrawal before fleeing in a white van, and Detective Marcus Pierce is actively investigating the case while advocating for awareness of common red flags like requests for gift card payments.
▶ VIDEO
WMTW-TV
· 2024-09-05
The Maine RX Elder Fraud Program, a partnership between Hannaford pharmacies, the U.S. Attorney's Office, AARP, and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse, launched an educational initiative distributing informational brochures about elder fraud prevention in prescription bags starting this month. The effort aims to reach older Mainers with awareness about common scams and 10 protective strategies, following data showing that in the prior year, 397 Maine residents aged 60+ filed fraud complaints for losses totaling over $7.1 million, part of a national trend affecting more than 101,000 seniors defrauded of $3.4 billion.
▶ VIDEO
NEWS CENTER Maine
· 2024-09-05
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Maine announced the Maine RX Elder Fraud Program, an initiative to combat elder fraud by distributing informational brochures at 60 Hanford pharmacy locations across the state. The brochures, attached to prescription drug bags, educate seniors on recognizing common scams and reporting fraud, with the program beginning this month. According to the FBI, Maine residents filed 397 elder fraud complaints in the previous year, resulting in losses exceeding $7.1 million.
▶ VIDEO
NEWS CENTER Maine
· 2024-09-05
The US Attorney's office in Maine launched a new initiative to combat elder fraud, following FBI reports that 397 Maine residents aged 60 or older filed complaints reporting losses exceeding $7 million, with experts noting the actual number of victims is likely much higher due to underreporting. The program distributes informational brochures through pharmacy prescription bags statewide to educate older adults about common scam warning signs and how to report elder fraud, recognizing that sophisticated criminal networks conduct ongoing attacks against vulnerable populations.
▶ VIDEO
WHO13
· 2024-09-08
Congressman Zach Nunn introduced legislation to combat "pig butchering" scams, which target elderly victims into investing in fraudulent opportunities; authorities seized $300 million in stolen funds from these schemes in 2023 alone. The bill would provide federal grant funding to local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate these fraud cases. Iowa's Attorney General's office reported receiving over 13,000 fraud complaints related to these scams.
▶ VIDEO
WYFF News 4
· 2024-09-09
Bill Vickery, owner of Just Call, provides elder fraud prevention advice, emphasizing that most scams begin with phone calls, texts, or emails targeting seniors unfamiliar with modern technology. Key prevention strategies include not answering calls from unknown numbers, hanging up immediately if feeling suspicious, avoiding saying "yes" (which scammers may record and manipulate), and never verifying personal information over the phone with unknown callers. Vickery advocates for a proactive, educational approach to help seniors and their families recognize and avoid scams before they occur.
▶ VIDEO
WYFF News 4
· 2024-09-09
This segment from WYFF News Four's "For the Record" series features Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride discussing the growing scam problem affecting community members of all ages, though elderly victims are particularly targeted. The sheriff highlights multiple prevalent scam types including Facebook Marketplace deposit schemes (where sellers request $250-$1,000 deposits for vehicles that don't exist), fake jury duty calls falsely claiming to be from law enforcement demanding payment or gift cards, and other phone and internet-based fraud tactics that exploit personal information obtained from legitimate people-search websites.
▶ VIDEO
13News Now
· 2024-09-11
Elder fraud complaints increased 14% in 2023, with Americans losing $1.6 billion to scams nationally and Virginia residents losing $265 million, according to FBI data. Virginia reported approximately 2,700 elder fraud complaints in 2023, with investment scams being the most common type targeting seniors with regular income by exploiting their loneliness or desire to earn additional money. The FBI emphasizes that scammers are skilled manipulators who deliberately identify and exploit vulnerable elderly individuals.
▶ VIDEO
Which?
· 2024-09-15
I cannot provide an accurate summary of this article. The text appears to be a garbled or poorly OCR-scanned transcript of a consumer advice program introduction that repeatedly duplicates phrases and lacks coherent content about specific scams or fraud prevention tips. While it mentions that scams are becoming more sophisticated and references a discussion about ticket scams, the actual substantive advice or details about scams are not clearly present in the provided text. A proper summary would require a clearer, complete version of the source material.
▶ VIDEO
Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-17
Senator Katie Britt discusses the surge of financial scams targeting seniors, noting that nationwide elder fraud losses exceeded $1 billion last year, with Alabama experiencing $74 million in losses (up from $55 million the previous year). She highlights that elder fraud cases in Alabama have increased dramatically, from 23 cases in 2016 to over 250 cases in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, and emphasizes the need for better education about common scams including romance schemes, sweepstakes scams, and impersonation fraud.
▶ VIDEO
WTAJ News
· 2024-09-17
Representative Mike Armanini is hosting two Senior Scam Jam educational events for older adults—one at Parkside Community Center in Dubois and another at Ridgeway Senior Junction in Elk County, both from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The seminars will teach older Pennsylvanians and their families how to protect themselves from scams and how to report suspected fraud cases.
▶ VIDEO
Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-18
The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on romance confidence scams (also called "pig butchering"), examining this multi-billion dollar fraud scheme that targets everyday Americans. The scam operates by building trust with victims over weeks or months before exploiting that confidence to extract money, with text-based contact attempts increasing dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.
▶ VIDEO
WJZ
· 2024-09-18
Baltimore's State's Attorney's Office launched a dedicated Elder and Disabled Persons Unit in September to prosecute financial crimes targeting vulnerable adults, fulfilling a campaign promise by State's Attorney Ivan Bates. The office has begun holding offenders accountable, including prosecuting a former contractor accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars from 15 victims for incomplete home improvement projects, with officials noting that such crimes often involve perpetrators known to the victims and are discovered when bank accounts become depleted.
▶ VIDEO
WMAR-2 News
· 2024-09-18
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates restored an economic crimes unit focused on prosecuting financial predators targeting seniors and older adults. The unit investigates cases including a granddaughter who allegedly stole $48,000 from her 90-something-year-old grandmother through forged checks and unauthorized ATM withdrawals, and a home improvement contractor who defrauded 15 elderly victims of approximately $300,000 and received a three-year prison sentence.
▶ VIDEO
Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-19
Senator Bob Casey led a Senate Aging Committee hearing on fraud targeting older Americans, during which the committee released its annual "Fighting Fraud" resource book. The hearing addressed multiple scam types affecting seniors including grandparent scams, investment fraud, government impostor schemes, lottery scams, and tech support scams, while noting that scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics over recent years. The committee discussed both fraud prevention strategies and how federal law enforcement agencies respond to fraud reports.
▶ VIDEO
KXAN
· 2024-09-20
An elderly Austin woman lost thousands of dollars in a warrant scam when a caller impersonating a sheriff's department official claimed she had missed jury duty and faced arrest, instructing her to withdraw cash and convert it to Bitcoin at an ATM. The FBI reports that Texans over age 60 collectively lost billions of dollars to elder fraud schemes last year, with scammers continuing to demand additional payments after initial contact.
▶ VIDEO
KGUN9
· 2024-09-20
Scammers stole over $100 million from older Americans last year, with Arizona ranking sixth nationally for elder fraud according to the FBI. A 77-year-old Arizona woman hired a landscaper who worked one day, then disappeared after she gave him a check and gift card—he never completed the job and she had to stop payment at her bank. Experts note that older adults are vulnerable because they tend to trust people who make promises, and it's difficult to change that mindset, making them targets for financial scams involving home services and other schemes.
▶ VIDEO
CBS 8 San Diego
· 2024-09-20
A Harris poll report reveals that Hispanic Americans are being disproportionately targeted by phone scams and are twice as likely to fall victim compared to other populations, contributing to the $25 billion in annual losses Americans collectively suffer from communications fraud and robocalls. The report highlights this emerging trend alongside the continued vulnerability of seniors, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and protective measures across vulnerable communities.
▶ VIDEO
WTRF
· 2024-09-24
Senior Services of Belmont County created "Fraud Bingo" as an innovative educational program to raise awareness about common scams targeting seniors, after residents in the area lost significant amounts of money, property, and in one case, a home to fraud. The program used bingo cards featuring different fraud and scam scenarios to engage hundreds of attendees in a format more appealing than traditional lectures. Local vendors donated prizes and participated in the event to increase both awareness and attendance.
▶ VIDEO
ABC7 News Bay Area
· 2024-09-25
Police report that business email compromise scams are stealing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, including a San Jose case where a suspect posed as a business employee to reroute a $500,000 wire transfer to a personal account. Pennsylvania resident Ala Torres was identified as the primary suspect in that case, with most funds recovered and an arrest warrant issued as police investigate other victims. Law enforcement advises that this growing fraud scheme operates both locally and nationally with multiple perpetrators, many of them international.
▶ VIDEO
CBS News
· 2024-09-27
Young men operating out of underground "boiler rooms" in Accra, Ghana run sophisticated romance scams targeting elderly Americans through online dating sites, creating fake identities to build romantic relationships and extract victims' life savings. Led by syndicate bosses like "Voodoo," these criminal operators use tactics including hiring porn stars for video calls to maintain deceptions with victims. The scams break hearts and empty bank accounts of American seniors who believe they are in genuine romantic relationships.
▶ VIDEO
CBS Mornings
· 2024-09-27
A CBS News investigation spanning three continents uncovered internet romance scams originating in Ghana, where criminal syndicates operating from underground "boiler rooms" in Accra target elderly Americans by creating fake romantic profiles and manipulating victims into sending money. The investigation tracked criminal operations run by syndicate bosses who train young men to pose as romantic interests online, stealing victims' life savings through sophisticated schemes that exploit emotional connections.
▶ VIDEO
CBS Evening News
· 2024-09-27
A U.S. man lost $700,000 in an elaborate romance scam orchestrated by criminal syndicates operating from underground "boiler rooms" in Ghana. The scammers pose as romantic partners to gain the trust of elderly Americans and convince them to send money, devastating victims both emotionally and financially. The investigation revealed that unemployed youth in Ghana are recruited into these operations, viewing the scams as an alternative to other forms of theft or crime.
▶ VIDEO
WPRI
· 2024-09-30
Two men face federal charges for defrauding Rhode Island seniors through online popup ad schemes. Jeru Louu, 22, is charged with scamming a 79-year-old Narragansett man out of $35,000 in cash and $130,000 in gold bars, while Kush Patel, 22, defrauded a 72-year-old victim; both face multiple charges including wire fraud.
▶ VIDEO
CBS News
· 2024-10-04
Overseas scammers defrauded a 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles of her life savings by impersonating IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scammers instructed the victim to keep the scheme secret, and despite her daughter's attempts to alert her bank (Charles Schwab) to the suspicious large transactions and wire transfers, the funds were lost. This case exemplifies a widespread epidemic affecting tens of thousands of Americans who fall victim to similar overseas fraud schemes operating through impersonation and deception tactics.
▶ VIDEO
CFPBLive
· 2024-10-09
This is an introductory webinar hosted by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on payments industry practices for combating elder financial exploitation. The session provides participants with access to slides, resources, and a discussion platform to explore strategies and tools for preventing elder financial abuse within the payments sector.
▶ VIDEO
CBS Evening News
· 2024-10-11
A 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles lost her life savings to overseas scammers who impersonated IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scam involved large wire transfers from her Charles Schwab investment account, and the perpetrators instructed her to keep the scheme secret from her family. This case exemplifies a broader epidemic of multi-million-dollar fraud targeting Americans by overseas criminals operating tech support and investment scams.
▶ VIDEO
CTV News
· 2024-10-11
A Newfoundland senior lost $20,000 in gift cards to a romance scam after a man contacted her on Facebook, claimed to be a widow her age, expressed his love, and gradually requested money. The victim was particularly vulnerable as a recent widow undergoing cancer treatment. Romance scams remain among Canada's top three frauds, with Canadians losing over $52 million annually, often targeting lonely individuals through social media.
▶ VIDEO
WPRI
· 2024-10-10
According to the FBI, scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from over 100,000 seniors in 2023, with Rhode Islanders age 60+ losing $7.4 million. Common tactics include creating a sense of panic or urgency, impersonating government agencies like the IRS, and using AI technology to clone the voices of loved ones. State leaders emphasize that public education and awareness are key prevention strategies, advising seniors to verify unexpected calls independently rather than responding to urgent requests.
▶ VIDEO
WKRN News 2
· 2024-10-17
Senior fraud represents a $3 billion problem, with scammers primarily targeting individuals aged 55-64 through contractor scams, Medicare fraud, Bitcoin investment schemes, romance scams, phone fraud, and phishing attacks. Phishing scams work by casting a wide net through texts, emails, and social media to trick victims into clicking malicious links or participating in fake surveys and contests that download malware and compromise personal information.