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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.
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11Alive
· 2024-10-10
Thousands of people are being targeted by "grandparent scams" where callers impersonate distressed family members claiming to need emergency money. One grandmother nearly lost $99,000 after receiving a frantic call from someone claiming to be her grandson who said he was in a car accident and needed bail money, though she later realized it was a scam. Scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to mimic loved ones' voices by extracting audio from social media and other online sources, making these frauds more sophisticated and convincing.
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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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WQAD News 8
· 2024-10-08
Amazon Prime Days shopping events create opportunities for scammers, with FTC-reported Amazon-related scams resulting in $19 million in losses last year. Consumers should protect themselves by reading verified reviews, avoiding suspicious links, ignoring promotions that require payment, and remembering that Amazon customer support never requests personal details or passwords.
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WSBT-TV
· 2024-10-03
**Summary:**
Following Hurricane Helen, scammers are exploiting people's charitable impulses by posing as legitimate charities or disaster victims through unsolicited calls, texts, and social media posts to solicit donations via wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. To avoid disaster relief scams, the Better Business Bureau and GoFundMe advise verifying charities through give.org or official websites, avoiding pressure tactics that demand immediate payment, and being cautious of unsolicited contact.
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KHON2 News
· 2024-10-02
Employment scams in Hawaii have cost job seekers over $86,000 in losses since the beginning of 2027, with the Better Business Bureau warning of fake job opportunities that increasingly impersonate legitimate companies. Common scam tactics include fake onboarding processes that steal personal information, fraudulent reshipping jobs involving stolen goods, and "task optimization" schemes where victims pay upfront fees for tasks and are tricked into depositing increasingly larger amounts before losing access to their accounts. To protect themselves, job seekers should avoid any employer requesting payment, verify company legitimacy through official websites and BBB.org, and be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.
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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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KFOR Oklahoma's News 4
· 2024-09-29
In 2023, nearly 1,000 Oklahomans aged 60 and older lost over $22 million to fraud, with scams targeting seniors increasing 15% in Oklahoma compared to 11% nationally. Tech support scams and sweepstakes prize frauds are among the most common schemes, with one Oklahoma couple nearly falling victim to a $500,000 sweepstakes scam before becoming suspicious of personal questions. The FBI emphasizes the importance of reporting scams without shame and advises seniors to be cautious about unsolicited contacts and requests for personal financial information.
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KEZI 9
· 2024-09-26
A Springfield couple lost $110,000 in an artificial intelligence voice cloning scam in which they received a call from someone using AI-recreated audio of their son's voice claiming he was in jail and needed money for bail following a car accident. The scammers used the convincing deepfake audio combined with a woman posing as a public defender to pressure the parents into sending money, though their actual son was not involved in any incident. This case demonstrates how AI technology can be weaponized to create highly convincing impersonation scams targeting vulnerable family members.
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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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FTCvideos
· 2024-09-24
This educational piece encourages victims of international scams to report them at econsumer.gov, a partnership of global consumer protection agencies. Reporting provides vital information to authorities worldwide to combat fraud and investigate cases involving common scams like non-delivery of online purchases, sweepstakes/prize schemes, and advance-fee job offers.
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WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY
· 2024-09-24
Phishing scams are reaching record numbers, with reports doubling between 2022 and 2023, according to the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. Common scams include fraudulent text messages about unpaid tolls (the "Throughway text scam") that trick victims into providing credit card information, and extortion emails claiming to have compromising pictures and threatening to release them unless payment is made. Victims are advised to verify requests directly with official sources, never click links in unsolicited messages, and report suspicious communications to authorities.
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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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KMOV St. Louis
· 2024-09-23
This educational piece explains "spoofing" scams, where fraudsters impersonate authority figures like bosses via email or text to trick victims into quick actions such as purchasing gift cards. The Better Business Bureau highlights a reported case where someone lost $1,000 after receiving a text appearing to be from their boss requesting five $200 gift cards as a surprise reward, with a promise of reimbursement that never materialized. The key advice is to verify requests independently through official channels rather than responding directly to the suspicious message.
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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.
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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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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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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.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-17
Senator Helmy discusses the urgent problem of elder fraud with committee experts, noting that New Jersey seniors reported over $1 million in losses to scams and fraud according to the FBI's IC3 Elder report. He raises concerns about a major data breach at background company National Public Data that exposed approximately 2.9 billion personal records containing names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, which he believes was underreported and could facilitate further fraud targeting vulnerable elderly populations.
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NBC10 Boston
· 2024-09-17
Bitcoin ATM scams are increasing at an alarming rate, with fraud losses exceeding $65 million in the first half of 2024 according to the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers use government impersonation, business impersonation, and tech support tactics to trick consumers into depositing cash into Bitcoin ATMs by claiming it will protect their money or resolve fake security problems, with one victim losing $34,000. Consumers should hang up suspicious calls, verify contacts independently, and be cautious of these sophisticated schemes.
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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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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-17
Senator Tim Scott discusses South Carolina's fraud prevention efforts with an expert, highlighting a partnership between the state and the Department of Aging that distributes scam prevention education materials alongside meal deliveries to seniors, a program that began in 2015. The initiative represents an innovative approach to reaching vulnerable populations, particularly homebound seniors, with financial literacy and scam awareness information during a time when they are most receptive to learning.
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KVUE
· 2024-09-16
A new study shows investment scams are rising, with median losses increasing from $1,000 in 2021 to $6,000 currently, as scammers coerce victims into withdrawing funds from retirement and savings accounts. These scams typically begin on social media or instant messaging platforms, where perpetrators research victims' profiles, establish rapport (sometimes romantic), and pitch fraudulent investment opportunities promising high returns on small initial investments. The Better Business Bureau advises awareness of these tactics to help people avoid falling victim to such schemes.
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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.
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LOCAL 12
· 2024-09-14
This educational piece warns renters about rental scams while clarifying a legitimate-seeming but valid payment process. When booking through Vrbo, renters may receive separate payment requests from property management companies after paying an initial fee to the platform, which is a legitimate procedure—unlike Airbnb, which processes all payments through its website and offers fraud protection. The key advice is to always verify payment requests directly with the booking platform before sending money to avoid scams.
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CBS Chicago
· 2024-09-13
Job scams targeting seekers have increased 118% in 2023, with fraudsters using text messages, encrypted apps like WhatsApp, and fake postings on legitimate employment sites to lure victims with promises of work-from-home positions paying up to $1,000 daily. Red flags include recruiters requesting communication through encrypted messaging apps rather than official channels, and scammers are using AI technology to make their pitches sound more legitimate. The identity theft resource center reports this is one of their biggest concerns as con artists continue to refine their tactics to deceive job seekers.
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KREM 2 News
· 2024-09-13
Job recruiting scams have surged 118% in 2023, with scammers posing as recruiters via text and social media to lure victims with lucrative work-from-home positions paying up to $1,000 daily. Red flags include requests to communicate on encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and fake job postings on legitimate employment sites, with artificial intelligence enabling scammers to refine their pitches and appear more credible. Victims are typically directed to complete applications or provide personal information that can be used for identity theft or further 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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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WION
· 2024-09-02
Contrary to common assumptions, Gen Z (ages 18-24) loses the most money to online scams, averaging $155 per person in 2022, primarily through employment, online shopping, and investment/cryptocurrency scams. A Better Business Bureau report found that scammers are increasingly targeting even younger children (ages 7-18), with 16% of surveyed parents reporting their kids were targeted in the past year, up from 11% in 2022, while adults 55-64 lost the least at an average of $91.
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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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KXAN
· 2024-08-29
The Better Business Bureau reports that 18- to 24-year-old college students experienced the highest financial losses to scams of any age group for the second consecutive year. The most common scams targeting this demographic include online purchase frauds, fake employment schemes (particularly remote work with flexible hours and high pay), and cryptocurrency/investment scams, which can result in losses of thousands of dollars per victim.
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NBC Bay Area
· 2024-08-28
The Better Business Bureau has reported a significant uptick in text message scams where fraudsters impersonate legitimate companies like retailers, utilities, and the Postal Service to trick victims into providing personal information or making payments, with over 250 reported cases of financial losses. To protect yourself, do not respond to or click links in suspicious texts; instead, report the message using the Better Business Bureau's free scam tracker tool and delete it from your device.
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11Alive
· 2024-08-27
The US Postal Inspection Service warns of emerging scams including "smishing" (fraudulent text messages impersonating USPS requesting address confirmation via malicious links) and "vishing" (spoofed voicemails from fake government employees asking consumers to call back). These scams aim to steal personal information and financial data from victims who interact with the fraudulent messages or call back the scammers' numbers rather than official government lines.
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NEWS CENTER Maine
· 2024-08-27
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is warning the public about emerging scam tactics including "smishing" (fraudulent text messages claiming to be from USPS requesting address confirmation through malicious links) and "vishing" (spoofed voicemails impersonating government employees with fake callback numbers). To protect themselves, recipients should avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages and instead call official government phone numbers directly rather than using numbers provided in suspicious communications.
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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.
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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.
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News10NBC
· 2024-08-23
Advantage Federal Credit Union warned of a new phone scam targeting customers, particularly seniors over 60, that began in August. Scammers spoof the bank's legitimate phone number on caller ID and claim fraud has been detected on the victim's account, then trick customers into providing security codes that enable unauthorized transfers. The scam has proven effective, with one documented case involving a woman who lost $500,000 through 76 transfers over four months, illustrating a broader pattern in which approximately $28 billion is stolen annually from Americans over 60.
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ABC11
· 2024-08-23
Back-to-school shoppers should beware of counterfeit websites and social media ads offering popular clothing and shoes at steep discounts, and should verify websites are secure (look for https and lock symbols) before making purchases. Students should avoid fake scholarship applications requiring upfront payments or personal information like Social Security numbers, and should ignore unsolicited emails and voicemails claiming student loan eligibility—instead verify information directly through official sources like studentaid.gov.
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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.
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FOX Carolina News
· 2024-08-22
The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers are increasingly using QR codes to execute fraud schemes, particularly by placing them in public locations like parking meters or including them in official-looking mail (such as fraudulent IRS letters) to deceive victims into scanning them and visiting malicious websites. Consumers should be cautious of unsolicited QR codes in public places or suspicious correspondence, as these codes can be easily tampered with or designed to redirect users to fraudulent sites. Awareness and verification of QR code legitimacy before scanning are key to protecting oneself from QR code-based scams.
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News10NBC
· 2024-08-21
An 83-year-old woman lost $400,000 in fraudulent bank withdrawals over four months when her account was hacked, with no alerts triggered by her bank despite the large suspicious transactions. AARP is advocating for legislation that would allow banks to place holds on withdrawals suspected of fraud and protect banks from liability when doing so, as over $28 billion is stolen annually from Americans over 60. The proposed protection measure was removed from the state budget during negotiations but advocates are pushing to have it reinstated in the next budget cycle.
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This Morning
· 2024-08-14
Scam expert Nick Stapleton discusses the growing sophistication and prevalence of fraud in the UK, where scams account for over 40% of all crimes but result in conviction in only 1 in 1,000 cases. Stapleton, who has spent 11 years investigating fraud through undercover work and ethical hacking, emphasizes the importance of personal awareness and education in protecting oneself from increasingly organized scam operations.
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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.
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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.