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in Crypto Investment Scam
huntsvillebusinessjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau president identified five prevalent scams affecting consumers in 2023: investment/cryptocurrency schemes (averaging $3,800 in losses), employment fraud involving fake job postings and counterfeit checks, online purchase scams where goods don't arrive or misrepresent quality, and home improvement fraud targeting storm-damaged properties. The BBB recommends verifying secure websites (https), using credit cards for online purchases, researching businesses on bbb.org, and being skeptical of promises that seem too good to be true.
au.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Australian Federal Police raided a scam operation in Manila, Philippines, arresting 250 alleged cyber criminals and seizing over 300 computers and 1,000 mobile phones. The scammers targeted Australian men over 35 through dating apps and social media, building trust before directing victims to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms, with perpetrators working shifts to align with Australian time zones. Authorities are now working to identify victims and dismantle the financial structures supporting these offshore romance and investment scams.
9news.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australian federal police are working with Philippine authorities to identify Australian victims of romance scams following the arrest of 250 cybercriminals (190 foreign nationals and 68 Filipino nationals) at a scam compound in Manila in October. The scammers targeted Australian men over 35 on social media and dating apps, building trust before directing victims to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms while working in shifts to match Australian time zones. The operation, conducted under Operation Firestorm, resulted in seizures of over 300 computer towers, 1,000 mobile phones, and thousands of SIM cards, providing law enforcement with intelligence on the structure and targeting methods of offshore romance and investment scam call
abc.net.au
· 2025-12-08
In early October, Filipino authorities raided a romance scam operation in Manila that arrested over 250 people and seized more than 1,000 mobile phones, with the Australian Federal Police identifying possible Australian victims among those targeted. The scammers allegedly targeted Australian men over 35 through social media and dating platforms to lure them into cryptocurrency investment schemes, operating on shifts aligned with Australian time zones. The AFP is working with Philippine authorities to identify affected Australians and has gathered intelligence on the scam network's structure and methods.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
Australian federal police shut down an alleged scam call centre in the Philippines that targeted Australian men over 35 through dating apps and social media, resulting in the arrest of over 250 people (190 foreign nationals and 68 Filipino nationals). The scammers built trust with victims before directing them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms, with at least 50 Australians confirmed as targets, though authorities believe thousands may have been affected. The operation seized over 300 computer towers, 1,000+ mobile phones, and thousands of SIM cards, and provided law enforcement with critical intelligence on romance and investment scam operations.
tristatealert.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission approved final amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule extending coverage to inbound calls for technical support services, a major source of fraud targeting older adults. Consumers aged 60 and older reported over $175 million in losses to tech support scams last year, with scammers using deceptive pop-up alerts and pressure tactics to sell unnecessary services paid via untraceable methods like wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. The rule, effective 60 days after publication, aims to hold tech support scam businesses accountable and recover funds for defrauded consumers.
abc11.com
· 2025-12-08
During the holiday shopping season, online scams proliferate through fake websites, social media ads, and AI-generated deepfakes impersonating major brands, with non-delivery scams being particularly prevalent. Gift card fraud is a major concern, with 30% of Americans having received worthless gift cards in the past year, as criminals tamper with cards in retail stores or use ghost bots to drain balances. Experts recommend shopping only on trusted platforms, using credit cards for payment protection, and immediately registering and checking the balance of gift cards upon receipt.
interpol.int
· 2025-12-08
A five-month global law enforcement operation (July-November 2024) involving 40 countries arrested over 5,500 financial crime suspects and seized more than USD 400 million in assets across seven types of cyber-enabled frauds including voice phishing, romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency scams. Notable outcomes included Korean and Chinese authorities dismantling a voice phishing syndicate that defrauded 1,900 victims of USD 1.1 billion, and the recovery of USD 39.3 million in a Singapore business email compromise case affecting a commodity firm that lost USD 42.3 million.
scmp.com
· 2025-12-08
A Korean-Chinese crime syndicate was arrested for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded 84 victims of US$92 million over eight months. The gang impersonated Korean-heritage foreign women on social media to build trust with victims before convincing them to invest in fake cryptocurrency and gold trading platforms, with individual losses ranging from 1 million to 20 billion won. Police arrested 12 members, including recruiters and managers, who had trained South Korean operatives in Cambodia and Laos to execute the scheme.
ia.acs.org.au
· 2025-12-08
Australian and Philippine authorities raided a Manila scam centre in October, arresting over 250 people (190 foreign nationals and 68 Filipino nationals) involved in a transnational romance scam operation targeting Australian men over 35. Australians lost $34.3 million to romance scams in 2023, with the operation using over 300 computer systems and 1,000 mobile phones to conduct "pig-butchering" scams where victims were gradually convinced to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms. The raid, part of Operation Firestorm, yielded valuable intelligence on scam centre structures and money laundering methods to help identify and assist Australian victims.
fticonsulting.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams, with older Australians and those from culturally diverse backgrounds being disproportionately vulnerable, particularly to investment, phone, and social media scams. Australia has implemented a new regulatory framework through ASIC oversight, the National Anti-Scam Centre, and the Financial Accountability Regime, which holds bank directors and senior executives personally accountable for scam management failures with potential financial penalties. Global banks are being required to develop documented scam strategies, improve detection and payment-delay capabilities, and enhance responses to scam victims to address identified gaps in current anti-scam practices.
prunderground.com
· 2025-12-08
Andy LaPointe, a retired registered investment advisor, held a book signing event on November 27, 2024, for *Senior Savvy: A Comprehensive Guide to Avoiding Scams*, a resource designed to help seniors recognize and protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. The book covers common scams targeting seniors—including phishing, cryptocurrency schemes, and door-to-door fraud—and provides practical guidance on internet safety, password creation, and recovery steps if victimized. Organizations can purchase bulk editions with customized branding to strengthen fraud prevention efforts in their communities.
wkow.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisconsin regulators warned consumers during the holiday shopping season about increasingly sophisticated scams involving fake package deliveries, fraudulent online marketplaces, and counterfeit websites designed to steal money and personal information. As of September 30, Wisconsin residents reported 21,540 fraud cases totaling $70.7 million in losses, with online shopping scams accounting for 3,551 reports. Authorities advised shoppers to purchase directly from retailer websites, avoid clicking suspicious links, use credit cards for transactions, and be cautious of AI-generated personas and voice clones used in scams like the grandparent scheme.
bitcoinist.com
· 2025-12-08
An Ohio man lost his $425,000 life savings to a cryptocurrency scam that began with a fake pop-up warning about a "technical issue" in October 2023; after granting remote access to his computer, scammers transferred the funds into crypto wallets and converted them to approximately 947,883 Tether tokens. Federal authorities used blockchain analysis to trace and recover the stolen cryptocurrency on July 31, 2024, with the US Attorney's Office filing a civil forfeiture complaint to return the funds to the victim. This case illustrates how malicious actors exploit inexperienced investors in the cryptocurrency market through social engineering and remote access tactics.
newsbreak.com
· 2025-12-08
An Ohio man lost his entire $425,000 life savings to a cryptocurrency scam that began in October 2023 after clicking on a pop-up claiming a technical issue and granting remote computer access to a scammer posing as a bank representative. Law enforcement successfully recovered the stolen funds (947,883 USDT tokens valued at approximately $947,883) through blockchain analysis and executed a seizure warrant in July 2024, with the U.S. Attorney's Office filing for civil forfeiture in November 2024 to compensate the victim. The article provides FTC guidance on avoiding similar schemes, including being skeptical of unsolicited pop-ups, verifying claims directly
dailyhodl.com
· 2025-12-08
Robert Brian Thompson, a former senior manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, pleaded guilty to insider trading and making false statements after using confidential supervisory information to execute 69 stock trades in seven financial institutions between October 2020 and February 2024, netting him $771,678 in personal profits. Thompson falsified his Form D disclosures to conceal his activities, claiming he held no equity in publicly listed financial institutions and had no conflicts of interest. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for insider trading and 5 years for making false statements, with sentencing scheduled for March 19, 2025.
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-08
As Bitcoin approaches $100,000, cybercriminals are exploiting FOMO and market excitement through increasingly sophisticated cryptocurrency scams, including fake celebrity endorsements (particularly deepfakes of Elon Musk), phishing emails, Ponzi schemes, and "pig butchering" romance scams. The FBI received over 69,000 cryptocurrency fraud complaints last year resulting in losses exceeding $5.6 billion—nearly half of all reported fraud losses. Consumers should verify communications directly with providers, avoid one-time promotional offers, and never respond to unsolicited messages claiming account compromises.
knoxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Estate attorney Lisa Gammeltoft emphasizes that financial scams are prevalent year-round, particularly during holidays, and target people of all intelligence levels by exploiting vulnerable emotions and neurochemistry through schemes like "pig butchering" (fake cryptocurrency investments), catfishing (romance scams that cost Americans $740 million in 2022), and grandparent scams enhanced by voice cloning technology. Key defensive measures include keeping devices updated, never allowing remote access to computers, avoiding sharing financial information with online contacts, and seeking a second opinion from trusted sources before sending money, since scammers are sophisticated professionals who make fraud their full-time job.
dvidshub.net
· 2025-12-08
Soldiers, veterans, and their family members face multiple growing scams including romance, confidence, and online impersonation fraud, according to Army Criminal Investigation Division officials. Data brokers sell personal information for as low as $20, which scammers use for targeted attacks such as impersonating military officials requesting gift cards, romance schemes targeting those over 50, and social media account takeovers. To protect themselves, individuals should use strong passwords with two-factor authentication, password managers, and separate work and personal accounts.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old retired ship captain from Mumbai lost Rs 11.1 crore (approximately $1.3 million USD) to scammers operating through a fake WhatsApp group impersonating a financial services company between August and October. The victim was lured into downloading a fraudulent trading app and made 22 transactions over two months, with scammers justifying multiple bank accounts and repeated payment requests as tax-saving measures and service fees. Police registered a case and identified bank accounts across multiple Indian banks and cities, with investigators suspecting a coordinated fraud network; the article also provides protective measures including adjusting WhatsApp privacy settings, verifying investment sources,
newsbreak.com
· 2025-12-08
An Ohio man lost his entire life savings of $425,000 in a cryptocurrency fraud scam that began in October 2023 when scammers posing as tech support convinced him to grant remote access to his computer after falsely claiming his retirement account was compromised. Federal investigators used blockchain analysis to track and recover 947,883 USDT cryptocurrency tokens (valued at approximately $947,883) in July 2024, and filed a civil forfeiture complaint in November 2024 seeking to return the funds to the victim.
headtopics.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly man was defrauded through an AI-enabled romance scam involving impersonation of actress Jennifer Aniston, demonstrating how artificial intelligence has made scams increasingly difficult for older adults to detect. The case illustrates the growing sophistication of elder fraud and underscores the importance of family vigilance, including enabling spam filters, registering on the National Do Not Call Registry, and having regular conversations about recognizing scam red flags such as urgency, requests for secrecy, and demands for immediate payment transfers.
theregister.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Interpol's Operation HAECHI V (July-November) arrested over 5,500 suspected cybercriminals across 40 countries and seized more than $400 million in digital and fiat currencies. The operation targeted seven crime types including romance scams, investment fraud, voice phishing, and business email compromise, with a joint Korea-China effort dismantling a voice phishing syndicate responsible for $1.1 billion in losses from over 1,900 victims. Interpol identified an emerging trend involving romance scams that trick users into purchasing Tether stablecoins and surrendering wallet information through phishing links.
thesenior.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australia is implementing a social media ban for under-16s effective late-2025, but experts warn the measure may create a false sense of security among parents and push children toward less-regulated, potentially unsafe online spaces like gaming and messaging platforms. While Meta is tightening requirements for financial services ads to combat fraudulent investment scams, researchers emphasize that effective protection requires both better platform regulation and continued parental digital literacy education rather than bans alone.
goldrushcam.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission approved final amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule on December 2, 2024, extending its coverage to inbound telemarketing calls for technical support services, a major source of fraud losses for older adults. Consumers aged 60 and older lost more than $175 million to tech support scams in 2023 and reported over $165 million in losses in 2024, making them five times more likely than younger people to lose money to these scams. The expanded rule aims to hold businesses accountable by regulating how consumers are solicited for tech support services through advertisements and direct mail, with most provisions taking effect 60 days after publication.
blog.ssa.gov
· 2025-12-08
This educational episode of SSA Talks features Kate Kleinert, a widow who lost $39,000 in a romance scam, serving as a cautionary example for others. The Social Security Office of the Inspector General identifies four warning signs of scams—impersonation of trusted agencies, presentation of problems or prizes, pressure for immediate action, and requests for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency—along with tips for protecting personal information and reporting scams.
cambridgema.gov
· 2025-12-08
The Cambridge Police Department warns of multiple holiday-themed scams targeting shoppers and donors, including fake websites offering unrealistic discounts, puppy scams (80% of sponsored pet ads may be fraudulent), gift card schemes where criminals tamper with cards or request codes, phishing emails impersonating legitimate companies, and grandparent scams targeting elders through impersonation demanding payment via gift cards or wire transfers. The advisory recommends conducting reverse image searches before pet purchases, avoiding suspicious links and emails with grammar/spelling errors, purchasing gift cards from counters rather than kiosks, and verifying unexpected delivery or emergency requests directly with known contacts.
smdailyjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI San Francisco office warned that criminals are exploiting the holiday season through multiple fraud schemes including fraudulent online shopping websites and puppy scams (with $5.6 million in losses reported year-to-date), fake charities soliciting donations, cryptocurrency investment fraud, gift card scams, and social media schemes offering fake gift cards or event tickets. The FBI advises consumers to remain vigilant when shopping online, donating to charities, and engaging on social media during the holiday season.
abc.net.au
· 2025-12-08
Anne, a 26-year-old Melbourne woman, lost $46,100 in a "pig butchering" romance scam after meeting someone claiming to be "Lucio" on Tinder. The scammer built trust over weeks through intimate conversations and emotional storytelling before convincing her to invest in cryptocurrency on what she believes was a counterfeit trading platform. This scam uses a four-stage process: creating a fake persona, building emotional trust, luring victims into fake investments, and stealing their money.
12newsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warns consumers during Cyber Monday shopping season to be vigilant against common scams targeting older adults, including cryptocurrency investment schemes, tech support fraud, and social media scams featuring unrealistic deals and fake contests. Elder fraud increases during the holiday season when seniors give gifts and donate to charity, though younger people can also fall victim to social media-based schemes. Suspected scams should be reported to banks or local law enforcement.
alaskasnewssource.com
· 2025-12-08
Investment scams caused consumers to lose $4.6 billion in 2023, with median losses increasing from $1,000 in 2021 to $6,000 in 2024. Fraudsters typically build trust by impersonating friends or romantic interests on social media before pitching fake investment opportunities and displaying fraudulent returns to encourage larger payments. To protect themselves, consumers should educate themselves about investments and work only with accredited, licensed professionals rather than individuals met through social media or dating apps.
gizmodo.com
· 2025-12-08
A "pig butchering" romance scam targeting elderly people involves fraudsters impersonating actor Johnny Depp on Facebook, then moving conversations to messaging apps to convince victims to send money via cryptocurrency, gift cards, and other payment methods. The FTC received 197 complaints over one year from victims across the country, many in their 60s who lost thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars from retirement accounts, with one Minnesota woman losing $1,700 before her bank intervened. The scammers exploit emotional vulnerability and loneliness by posing as Depp or associates like his fictional "manager Jack Wingham," using flattery and false promises of romance or investment returns.
kbtx.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission reported consumers lost $4.6 billion to investment scams in 2023, with median losses increasing from $1,000 in 2021 to $6,000 in 2024. Fraudsters commonly impersonate friends or romantic interests on social media to build trust before pitching fake investment opportunities, often displaying false returns to encourage larger contributions. The BBB advises consumers to educate themselves about investments and work only with accredited, licensed professionals rather than individuals met through social media or dating apps.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warns that criminals are increasingly using generative AI tools to create highly realistic fraudulent content—including deepfake videos, AI-generated profiles, and voice cloning—to perpetrate romance scams, investment fraud, job hiring schemes, and extortion at greater scale and with higher credibility. Common tactics include impersonating authority figures, creating fake charity solicitations, and generating convincing promotional materials for cryptocurrency schemes. The FBI recommends establishing identity verification codes with family members, scrutinizing images and videos for imperfections, independently verifying callers, limiting personal information shared online, and reporting suspected fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
gilavalleycentral.net
· 2025-12-08
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes addressed seniors in Safford about the rising scam epidemic affecting older adults, noting that Arizona had the nation's highest senior fraud victimization rate at 289 per 100,000 population in 2023. She warned about emerging threats including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams on social media, and AI voice-cloning schemes that impersonate family members to solicit money, recommending families establish secret passwords and watch for warning signs like unexplained financial secrecy, unusual withdrawals, and changed spending patterns. The Attorney General's Office can be reached at 602-542-5763 to report suspected fraud.
theroanokestar.com
· 2025-12-08
As holiday shopping season approaches with record-breaking online sales predicted, scammers are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics to defraud consumers. Virginia Tech cybercrime expert Katalin Parti outlines key warning signs and prevention strategies, including: avoiding unsolicited requests for payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency, being skeptical of high-return investment ads, verifying company contact information through official websites rather than provided links, and remaining cautious of romance scams, job scams, and fake charitable solicitations. Consumers should also monitor financial statements for fraud, keep software updated, verify website URLs, and be aware that scammers can now spoof voices and area codes to impersonate trusted contacts.
thecyberexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned that criminals are increasingly using generative AI tools to create highly convincing fraudulent content—including fake social media profiles, websites, audio recordings, and deepfake videos—making scams more believable and scalable across larger victim populations. AI-generated text, images, voice cloning, and videos are being weaponized in romance scams, investment fraud, job hiring schemes, extortion, and identity theft, with criminals exploiting the technology's ability to produce realistic-seeming content that overcomes traditional fraud detection signs. The sophisticated nature of AI-generated content makes it increasingly challenging for individuals and businesses to identify fraudulent schemes before becoming victims.
hawaiinewsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article provides seven tips for protecting against holiday season scams and identity theft, including practicing caution with online shopping, avoiding phony delivery scams (particularly those impersonating the USPS), using strong password security practices, checking for card-skimming devices at ATMs and payment terminals, verifying charity legitimacy, being skeptical of unsolicited contacts, and monitoring financial accounts. The article notes that online shopping scams affected 82% of victims with financial losses in 2023, and that card skimming costs consumers and financial institutions over $1 billion annually.
ketv.com
· 2025-12-08
The Omaha Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office are combating a spike in cryptocurrency scams targeting vulnerable people and retirees, including recent cases where a couple lost $38,000 and another victim lost $6,000 after being deceived into depositing cash into crypto ATMs. Law enforcement warns that scammers impersonate legitimate entities to direct victims to these machines, where funds are quickly moved overseas and become unrecoverable. The city has enacted an ordinance requiring warning placards on all cryptocurrency kiosks stating that government agencies will never request money via cryptocurrency, with non-compliance resulting in a $500 fine by December 10.
kfyrtv.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article provides seven tips for protecting against holiday scams and identity theft during the busy shopping season. Key advice includes practicing caution with online marketplaces and using traceable payment methods, avoiding fake delivery notification scams (particularly impersonating USPS), safeguarding passwords with unique credentials and multifactor authentication, and checking for card-skimming devices at ATMs and payment terminals. The article emphasizes that online shopping scams affected 82% of targeted victims in 2023, and card skimming costs over $1 billion annually, making holiday vigilance essential.
toronto.ctvnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
I appreciate you sharing this, but I'm unable to provide a summary because the article text provided doesn't contain the actual news content—only the headline and unrelated shopping articles. To summarize this story about two Ontarians losing $230,000 to AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams, I would need the full article body that describes what happened, how they were targeted, and the details of the fraud scheme. Could you please share the complete article text?
digitalinformationworld.com
· 2025-12-08
"Malvertising" (malicious digital advertisements) is rapidly increasing as a scam vector, with a 42% month-over-month increase in US cases in 2023 and 41% growth from July-September 2024, primarily originating from Vietnam and Pakistan. Scammers use these deceptive ads in search results to distribute malware, conduct investment scams, credit card fraud, phishing attacks, and romance scams, with ads disguised as legitimate businesses that steal victim information when clicked. Internet users across all websites are at risk, as malvertising is difficult to detect and remove; Google blocked 5.5 billion ads in 2023 but sc
daily-tribune.com
· 2025-12-08
Chatsworth Police Chief Josh Etheridge warned residents of an uptick in international scams targeting elderly victims through robocalls and fraudulent emails, noting that once victims purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers, the money cannot be recovered. The scammers often impersonate government agencies or trusted organizations to pressure victims into immediate payment, exploiting the elderly population who are viewed as trusting and less aware of modern fraud tactics. Police urge residents to report suspected scams and provided warning signs including requests to pay via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, as well as pressure to act immediately without verification.
unit42.paloaltonetworks.com
· 2025-12-08
Threat actors exploit trending global events like sporting championships by registering deceptive domains for phishing, malware distribution, and fraud schemes that can reach millions of people searching for event-related information. Security teams should proactively monitor network abuse metrics—including suspicious domain registrations, DNS traffic patterns, and textual indicators—to identify malicious campaigns that surge around high-profile events. Palo Alto Networks recommends using cloud-delivered security services such as Advanced DNS Security and URL Filtering to protect against event-themed cyberattacks.
connecticut.news12.com
· 2025-12-08
Brooklyn artist Douglas Newton lost over $120,000 in a cryptocurrency scam after being contacted on LinkedIn by fraudsters who promised high returns from NFT sales of his artwork through a fake website impersonating the legitimate OpenSeas platform. The Brooklyn DA's office identified 40 similar scam sites targeting artists and linked the stolen funds to Nigeria; the office has handled over 150 such cases totaling $40 million in losses from the borough alone and successfully seized the fraudulent websites. Authorities advise verifying cryptocurrency site URLs, avoiding high-pressure sales tactics, and protecting seed phrases and personal IDs, with victims encouraged to contact the DA's office to verify legitimate crypto platforms.
brooklyn.news12.com
· 2025-12-08
Brooklyn artist Douglas Newton lost over $120,000 in a cryptocurrency scam involving fake NFT sites; scammers contacted him via LinkedIn, posed as legitimate NFT affiliates, and promised profits of $310,000 to convince him to send money that was ultimately traced to Nigeria. The Brooklyn DA's office identified 40 fraudulent websites targeting artists and linked over $40 million in losses from more than 150 cases in the borough, with funds often routed to Nigeria, Russia, China, and Latin America. The DA warns consumers to verify cryptocurrency site URLs, avoid high-pressure sales tactics, never share seed phrases or personal IDs, and contact the DA's office to verify if sites are legitimate before engaging
technology.inquirer.net
· 2025-12-08
Government agencies (CICC and DOJ) and online bank Maya discussed the eight most common online scams affecting Filipinos—including phishing, identity theft, ransomware, online shopping fraud, tech support scams, social media scams, investment/crypto scams, and romance scams—at the Protecta Pilipinas launch event. Panelists warned that scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with criminals using tower hijacking techniques to send spoofed messages from legitimate institutions and targeting online shoppers with losses ranging from ₱3,500 to ₱17,000. Authorities advised the public to avoid clicking suspicious links and carefully verify messages claiming to be from
startsat60.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines twelve common scams that surge during the Christmas season in Australia, including online shopping fraud, parcel delivery scams, fake charities, counterfeit gift cards, holiday travel scams, romance scams, cryptocurrency schemes, and phishing attacks. HSBC warns that festive season distractions and increased spending make consumers more vulnerable to fraud, with Australians expected to spend $11.8 billion on gifts in 2024. The article advises consumers to verify websites and retailers, donate through established charity channels, and remain cautious of unsolicited offers and suspicious links.
breitbart.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers impersonating actor Johnny Depp on social media have defrauded elderly Americans of millions of dollars through a "pig butchering" scheme, according to 197 FTC complaints targeting primarily victims in their 60s and older. The fraudsters, who often pose as Depp or his manager, manipulate victims through false promises of romance, investment opportunities, or financial assistance, extracting funds via cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gift cards, with documented losses ranging from $1,700 to $350,000 per victim. The scams employ sophisticated social engineering tactics including deepfake images and instructions to keep communications secret, with particularly vulnerable elderly victims—including those with
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
A Toronto resident lost $355,000 in a romance scam that began on Facebook in June 2021, when a scammer posing as "Moshe Theodor McNigh" convinced them to invest in cryptocurrency through a fraudulent website. Following a three-year international investigation involving Canadian and Nigerian authorities, a suspect was arrested in Nigeria and $225,000 of the victim's funds were recovered through Nigerian court orders. The case highlights the prevalence of cryptocurrency investment fraud, which accounted for over 50 percent of the $309 million in reported investment fraud losses in Canada in 2023.