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WCBD NEWS 2
· 2024-07-09
The City of Charleston is working to protect senior citizens from phone and online scams through educational workshops that teach seniors to recognize common fraud tactics and warning signs. Scams targeting elderly people cost the United States $36 billion annually, with seniors being particularly vulnerable due to their trusting nature; the city's initiative focuses on raising awareness about scam types and advising victims on appropriate responses.
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CBC News
· 2024-07-11
This article is about dating trends and is **not relevant to elder fraud research**. It discusses why people are moving away from online dating apps in favor of in-person speed dating events, with participants citing burnout and inauthenticity as reasons for the shift. This content does not involve scams, fraud, or elder abuse and should not be included in the Elderus database.
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KRQE
· 2024-07-17
This New Mexico news podcast episode features an educational discussion on avoiding financial scams, hosted by Gabrielle Burkhart with guest Brian Watson, a former federal law enforcement officer who spent 28 years investigating financial crimes, including work as an IRS criminal investigator. The segment addresses how scams—particularly phishing and online fraud—affect people across demographics, including older adults, and aims to help listeners and their families recognize red flags and protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams.
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KOAA 5
· 2024-07-18
Seniors are increasingly vulnerable to scams delivered through suspicious texts and calls, with police noting that the high volume of daily attempts contributes to successful fraud. Some seniors have lost their entire savings to scams impersonating Microsoft, banks, law enforcement, and retailers like Amazon, with loneliness and a generational tendency to trust authority figures making older adults particularly susceptible to manipulation.
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CTV News
· 2024-07-25
A victim in Canada was defrauded of $14,000 after a four-year romance scam involving a man she met in person twice on a dating site who posed as a wealthy hedge fund manager before soliciting her for a fake investment opportunity. Romance scams are the third most common fraud affecting Canadians, with victims losing $52 million in 2023 and another $23 million already lost in the current year.
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CBS News
· 2024-07-31
Romance scams have become a national epidemic affecting victims across the country, with CBS News investigating a billion-dollar online fraud operation. The report features the tragic case of an Illinois woman who fell victim to a romance scam, developing an intense emotional attachment to a scammer in just 12 days, which ultimately had devastating consequences for her family. These scams exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of victims—often causing psychological harm and financial devastation that extends far beyond monetary losses.
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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.
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Newzroom Afrika
· 2024-08-01
Romance scams exploit psychological vulnerabilities rooted in unprocessed emotional experiences and defense mechanisms that people carry from their past. A case study involving someone who met a person on Tinder and lost over half a million Rand illustrates how scammers manipulate victims by targeting these subconscious vulnerabilities. Clinical experts emphasize that awareness alone is insufficient; understanding the psychological factors that make individuals susceptible to romance fraud is essential for prevention.
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Newzroom Afrika
· 2024-08-05
Law enforcement has reported a rise in romance scams targeting unsuspected women seeking love online through dating apps like Tinder. Scammers build relationships with victims through messaging and video calls, providing false information about themselves and their origins, before eventually requesting money. Victims have come forward to share their experiences of being financially exploited through these deceptive romantic schemes.
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VICE
· 2024-08-05
A Northern Irish digital marketing entrepreneur discovered that scammers had created dozens of fake profiles impersonating him across multiple social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bumble, Tinder, and others) using his photos and personal information to deceive people. After investigating the fraudulent accounts, he uncovered a larger criminal enterprise operating the identity theft and catfishing scheme, which involved fabricating romantic relationships and divorce scenarios to manipulate victims.
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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.
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9NEWS
· 2024-08-13
This article investigates Public Improvement Fees (PIFs) that retailers are adding to receipts as separate line items beyond sales tax. A content creator discovered a 2.5% PIF charge at a Target in Belmar and conducted undercover testing across multiple locations, finding PIFs ranging from 1-2.5% at various businesses in Belmar, Sheridan, and Lakewood. The piece highlights consumer confusion about these fees, as store employees were unable to explain their purpose or where the money goes.
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CNBC
· 2024-08-18
A growing "pig butchering" scam scheme targets victims through dating apps and text messages, with scammers spending weeks building trust before directing them to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms designed to mimic legitimate exchanges. One victim lost $152,000 after being lured through Bumble; the FBI reported $4.5 billion in investment fraud losses in 2023, with 86% involving cryptocurrencies. These scams employ sophisticated social engineering tactics and fake investment apps that have prompted tech companies like Google to take legal action against developers distributing fraudulent apps on their platforms.
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60 Minutes Australia
· 2024-08-25
This 60 Minutes Australia segment exposes a large-scale scam operation headquartered in Myanmar where transnational crime bosses traffic approximately 120,000 people and force them to conduct romance scams, phishing schemes, and investment fraud against Western victims. The scammers employ sophisticated AI-powered deepfake technology and brainwashing techniques to deceive victims, while the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has shut down over 7,300 fraudulent websites but scammers continue generating billions in illegal revenue.
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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.
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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.
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CBS TEXAS
· 2024-09-05
A 72-year-old North Texas woman lost $250,000 in bitcoin and her paid-off home to a romance scam after a man posing as a petroleum engineer on Facebook convinced her over five to six months that he needed financial help, eventually claiming he was in a car crash and needed money for medical evacuation to Turkey. The victim is now living in a motel with only her social security income after selling her house to pay the scammer. Detective John Haker reports that scammers use increasingly sophisticated tactics, from long-term romance schemes to urgent bank impersonation scams, making victims vulnerable to devastating financial losses.
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ABC11
· 2024-09-05
"Pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams involve fraudsters grooming victims over months through social media to build trust before directing them into fake investment schemes promising high returns. Victims reported losing substantial sums—including Pamela Magnum who lost $70,000 and Jim Wilkerson who lost $790,000—after scammers disappeared when victims attempted to withdraw their supposed profits. The FBI has identified this as a widespread scheme stealing billions of dollars from Americans.
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ABC 7 Chicago
· 2024-09-05
A suburban woman lost nearly $1 million of her life savings in a "pig butchering" scam after meeting a man online who posed as an oil rig worker and promised to double her investment returns. The scammer used romantic manipulation to gradually coerce her into sending increasingly large transfers, eventually forcing her to sell her home to cover bank loans. The FBI reports this type of scam cost Americans nearly $4 billion in the past year alone.
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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.
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Dare County
· 2024-09-09
The Dare County Sheriff's Office presented an educational overview of common scams affecting their community, including an explanation of "pig butchering" scams that operate through dating apps. In this scam type, perpetrators use VPNs to hide their location, create fake glamorous personas, and systematically contact potential victims through dating platforms with the goal of manipulating them into financial schemes. The presentation aims to help community members recognize and avoid falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics.
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13News Now
· 2024-09-11
The FBI warns that romance scams are the leading scam reported in the Hampton Roads area, affecting people across all age groups, not just seniors. Perpetrators are skilled manipulators who build emotional connections through online platforms and phone calls, conduct research on victims via social media, and eventually request money, often directing victims to encrypted communication apps to avoid detection. The agency advises vigilance about sharing personal information online and recognizing urgency tactics as red flags for potential fraud.
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WJZ
· 2024-09-12
Cryptocurrency scams cost Maryland residents nearly $94 million in 2023, according to an FBI report, with romance-based schemes being particularly prevalent. Though representing only 10% of financial fraud complaints to the FBI, cryptocurrency scams account for 50% of total money stolen, with approximately 1,400 Maryland complaints among nearly 58,000 nationwide. The scams exploit emotional manipulation and leverage the online nature of cryptocurrency to easily access victims' financial and personal information.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-12
Senator Elizabeth Warren held a hearing examining online dating scams targeting seniors, specifically highlighting romance scams combined with cryptocurrency investment fraud. The typical scheme involves a scammer building trust with an older adult over weeks or months through a dating app, then gradually introducing investment opportunities and encouraging the victim to set up their own trading account—creating a false sense of security and control while the scammer provides "tips" on investments.
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NBC10 Philadelphia
· 2024-09-13
Kate Kleiner became a victim of a romance scam in 2020 when she accepted a Facebook friend request from someone claiming to be "Tony," a surgeon working for the UN in Iraq. The scammer built an emotional connection with Kleiner by mirroring her interests and eventually manipulating her into sending money. According to the Federal Trade Commission, romance scams stole $1.14 billion from Americans last year, though experts believe the actual figure is significantly higher due to underreporting from embarrassed victims.
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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.
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India Today
· 2024-09-16
This educational segment from Tech Today discusses common scams and fraudulent practices on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, particularly among Gen Z users in India. The piece explains key threats including catfishing (when someone creates a fake online profile to deceive others), fake profiles, and dating app scams, while emphasizing the importance of protecting oneself from these deceptive practices.
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News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2024-09-19
The FBI launched a "Take a Beat" awareness campaign in response to a sharp increase in scams, reporting a 25% rise in fraud cases and $300 million in additional victim losses compared to the previous year. The campaign targets various schemes including romance scams, phishing calls, and cryptocurrency fraud, with particular concern for retirees and fixed-income individuals in the Tucson and Phoenix areas who suffer severe financial harm from losses ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
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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.
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KCRG-TV9: Your Trusted Local News Source
· 2024-09-18
AARP Iowa's Fraud Watch Program uses education and support services to help prevent and respond to scams, particularly romance scams targeting older adults. The program offers presentations, hotlines, and personalized assistance to victims, helping them navigate both financial recovery and emotional healing while addressing the shame that often prevents victims from seeking help.
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WQAD News 8
· 2024-09-19
Federal investigators are raising alerts about "pig butchering" scams, which have reached crisis levels, with victims often losing their life savings. Scammers use dating apps and text messages to build trust with victims over months before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes, with $4 billion lost to these scams last year alone. Law enforcement is calling on Congress for increased funding to disrupt these operations, as victims typically cannot recover their money once locked out of fraudulent investment accounts.
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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.
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We Are Iowa Local 5 News
· 2024-09-19
"Pig butchering" scams have reached crisis levels nationwide, with victims losing their life savings after fraudsters build trust through dating apps or text messages before directing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes. Law enforcement and Congress are pushing for increased funding and action to combat these scams, which cost victims $4 billion in the past year alone, as fake investment accounts lock victims out when they attempt to withdraw funds.
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WTVC NewsChannel 9
· 2024-09-22
"Pig-butchering" scams have reached crisis levels in the United States, with victims often losing their entire life savings after scammers build trust through dating apps or text messages before directing them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Law enforcement reports $4 billion was lost to these scams last year alone, with victims unable to recover funds when they attempt to withdraw from fake investment accounts that appear legitimate initially but lock them out once money is deposited.
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WGN News
· 2024-09-23
AARP Illinois launched "Fraud-Fighting Fraudlettes," a collaborative awareness initiative featuring AARP representatives Theresa Jones and Courtney Herman to educate seniors about prevalent scams. The program aims to increase fraud prevention awareness among older adults, who are identified as particularly susceptible targets for scams.
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WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando
· 2024-09-23
In the past year, over 65,000 Americans lost more than $1 billion to romance scams, with Florida ranking second in the nation for victim count according to the Federal Trade Commission. An Orlando woman featured in the investigation fell victim after developing an online relationship with someone claiming to be "Matthew," who built trust through pictures, poetry, and personal conversations before requesting money for an overseas emergency when his credit card stopped working in Nigeria.
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WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando
· 2024-09-23
Over 65,000 Americans fell victim to romance scams in the last year, losing more than $1 billion collectively, with Florida ranking second nationally in victim count according to the Federal Trade Commission. An Orlando woman named Rebecca D'Antonio lost approximately $5,000+ across multiple transactions after developing an online relationship with someone posing as "Matthew Shawn," who fabricated an emergency overseas requiring financial assistance. The scammer used photos, poetry, and false promises of an in-person meeting to build trust before requesting money for a fabricated crisis.
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CBS News
· 2024-09-25
A 92-year-old woman lost her life savings to overseas scammers who impersonated Charles Schwab and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and persuading her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scammers instructed the victim to keep the scheme secret, threatening legal consequences if she told family members, and Leslie's mother complied without notifying her family until the fraud was discovered through the bank's alert system. The case highlights a growing epidemic of online scams targeting vulnerable Americans, with banks stating they have limited ability to prevent such fraud.
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KOAA 5
· 2024-09-25
Romance scams rank among the top 20 most reported scams in the US, with victims losing $652 million nationally in 2023 and $10 million in Colorado alone. Scammers create fake online dating profiles to build relationships with victims and manipulate them into sending money under false pretenses. Experts recommend using established matchmaking services as a safer alternative to online dating apps.
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CBS Colorado
· 2024-09-26
Romance scams orchestrated by organized syndicates based in West Africa, particularly Ghana, target tens of thousands of Americans—especially older men over 60—through fake profiles on dating sites and social media. Scammers pose as American women to build romantic relationships and manipulate victims into sending money, with the operation run from underground "boiler rooms" where individual fraudsters work for larger criminal networks that provide them with equipment and infrastructure. These schemes siphon millions of dollars from American victims, with payments often evading detection by banks and law enforcement.
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CBS News
· 2024-09-26
American men, primarily aged 60 and older, are being targeted in romance scams by organized fraud operations based in Ghana, where scammers pose as women on dating sites to lure victims into sending money. The "Yahoo boys" operate from underground "boiler rooms" funded by crime bosses who provide equipment and connectivity, with the scheme swindling Americans out of millions of dollars annually. CBS News conducted a year-long undercover investigation documenting how these syndicates systematically target lonely older men through fake profiles and romantic manipulation.
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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.
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WCIA News
· 2024-10-01
Courtney and Teresa, fraud prevention specialists with AARP Illinois, have partnered together as "the Fraud-Fighting Fraudlets" to expand their fraud awareness and prevention efforts across Illinois, combining resources from Springfield and Chicago. The duo emphasizes that scams are constantly evolving and criminals continuously target people of all ages to steal money and personal information, making ongoing education and awareness efforts essential.
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Eyewitness News ABC7NY
· 2024-10-04
This educational segment teaches viewers how to identify fake social media profiles and protect themselves from scam accounts. The key warning signs include receiving friend requests or follows from people you already know (which could be imposters), or unexpected contact from strangers with no clear reason for connecting. Scammers steal public profile pictures from legitimate social media accounts to create fake identities designed to deceive and defraud users.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Atlanta News First
· 2024-10-10
Investigator Brendan Keefe uncovered a romance scam operation that uses AI-generated photographs of fake military personnel to target victims on social media platforms like Facebook. The scammers create convincing but flawed fake images (such as veterans with anatomical impossibilities) of patriotic military figures to build false romantic relationships and extract money from victims.
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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.
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WFSB 3
· 2024-10-13
Detective Matthew Hogan of the Connecticut State Police discusses internet scams and their increasing sophistication, with a particular focus on cryptocurrency fraud. While crypto is often perceived as untraceable, it is actually traceable through blockchain technology; scammers favor it because wallet ownership is pseudo-anonymous, transactions move quickly, and assets can be easily co-mingled. The discussion emphasizes recognizing red flags to help people avoid falling victim to these evolving online schemes.