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According to 2022 FBI and FTC data analyzed by VPNPro, Kansas experienced $24.4 million in losses to elderly fraud affecting an average of 68.6 victims per 100,000 residents aged 60 and over. Nationally, investment scams caused the largest losses ($404 million), followed by business imposters ($271 million) and romance scams ($240 million), with seniors being 517% more likely to fall victim to tech support scams than younger adults. Online fraud and bank transfers were the most common contact methods and payment methods respectively, resulting in $564 million and $570 million in losses to elderly victims in 2022.

This episode of Talk Business and Politics discusses the Arkansas banking sector, featuring Brad Chambless, the new chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association, and Arkansas Bank Commissioner Susannah Marshall. The guests highlight the banking association's key priorities, including combating elder financial exploitation, supporting service members and veterans, and addressing cybersecurity challenges, while also discussing relevant legislation that empowers banks to take protective actions against elder fraud.

An Arkansas woman was arrested following an FBI raid in Little Rock on federal charges of mail fraud and money laundering related to fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. According to court documents, she falsified employee counts and payroll amounts to obtain four separate PPP loans, which are designed to help businesses maintain payroll during economic hardship.

I cannot provide a summary for this content. The article appears to be a news feed or collection of local news updates about Kansas City politics, city planning, and municipal announcements—not about scams, fraud, elder abuse, or financial exploitation. For Elderus database purposes, please provide articles or transcripts specifically related to elder fraud, scams targeting seniors, or elder abuse cases.

The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Kansas Legal Services launched a free "Scam Scan" seminar series beginning January 24, 2024, to educate older Kansans on recognizing and preventing common scams. The seminars, presented by managing attorney Corinne Petrik, teach attendees how to identify fraudulent emails, phone calls, and text messages while providing practical prevention tips to protect themselves, their money, and personal information. Multiple in-person sessions are scheduled throughout April 2024 at senior centers across Kansas, with additional resources available through their website.

The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Kansas Legal Services are hosting free "Scam Scan" seminars throughout April 2024 to educate older Kansans about recognizing and preventing common scams involving emails, phone calls, and text messages. The seminars, which began in January with high attendance, teach prevention tips to protect participants' money and personal information. Additional sessions are scheduled at senior centers in Glen Elder, Mankato, Ellsworth, and Wilson in April, with registration available at ncfhaaa.com/seminars or by calling 1-800-432-2703.

This is an educational awareness event rather than a news story about a specific fraud case. The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging is hosting two informational sessions on Tuesday at the Fairgrounds Bowyer Community Building to educate seniors about volunteer opportunities and current scams targeting elderly residents. A Kansas Legal Services attorney will present information on frauds and scams, while the agency will also provide details on senior services including Medicare benefits, wellness programs, and in-home services; breakfast and lunch will be provided, and registration is requested by noon Monday.

Medicare fraud schemes targeting area seniors have included falsified claims for medical supplies, particularly urinary catheters that beneficiaries never received or needed; in one documented case, Medicare paid $14,613.80 to a fraudulent supplier (G&I Ortho Supply based in New York) for 2,000 catheters, leaving the senior responsible for $3,728 in out-of-pocket costs. Seniors are urged to carefully review their Medicare explanations of benefits and report suspicious claims to Medicare at (800) 633-4227 or to Senior Medicare Patrol in Kansas at (800) 432-3535, while also being warned about separate Social Security imposter

The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Kansas Legal Services launched the "Scam Scan" educational seminar series, offering free presentations to the public on recognizing and preventing common scams. Two seminars were held in Marion County on March 20, with managing attorney Corinne Petrik providing prevention tips and strategies to help older adults protect themselves, their money, and personal information from fraud.

Medicare fraud targeting area seniors involves billing schemes for medical items not received, particularly urinary catheters; in recent cases documented by county aging officials, one senior's fraudulent claim involved 2,000 catheters with Medicare paying $14,613.80 to a fraudulent supplier while the senior's out-of-pocket cost reached $3,728. Similar scams originating from companies in New York, Texas, and Illinois have also targeted seniors with false claims for back braces and other medical supplies. Authorities urge seniors to review Medicare correspondence carefully and report fraudulent activity to Medicare at (800) 633-4227 or Kansas Senior Medicare Patrol at (800) 432-

This opinion piece discusses the surprising vulnerability of intelligent people to sophisticated scams, using examples including a New York magazine columnist who lost $50,000 in a fake government agency scam and a Kansas bank CEO with 30 years of experience who fell victim to a "pig butchering" investment fraud scheme. The author argues that rather than assuming we are too smart to be scammed, we should approach such threats with humility and vigilance, and ensure our intelligent loved ones are similarly prepared to recognize sophisticated cons.

The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Kansas Legal Services launched a free "Scam Scan" seminar series beginning January 24, continuing through March and possibly April, to educate older Kansans on recognizing and avoiding common scams. The seminars cover prevention tips to help participants protect themselves, their money, and personal information from email, phone, and text-based fraud schemes. Multiple seminar dates and locations across Kansas are available in March 2024 at senior centers in Minneapolis, Lincoln, Hillsboro, and Peabody.

A Kansas City area man lost approximately $120,000 in a romance scam that began in March when a woman named "Lisa" contacted him on TikTok and gradually moved their conversation to the encrypted Telegram app. Over time, "Lisa" created various emergencies—car repairs, gas money, and eventually back taxes on her mother's house—to solicit payments via CashApp and Bitcoin, which the victim sent until a family member recognized the scheme. Law enforcement advises never sending money to people met only online and warns that cryptocurrency transfers are nearly impossible to recover.

A Clay County man reported losing approximately $120,000 in a romance scam after being contacted by a TikTok user claiming to be a woman named "Lisa" who eventually moved the conversation to the encrypted messaging app Telegram. The scammer fabricated emergencies requesting money for car repairs, gas, and back taxes, which the victim sent via CashApp and Bitcoin machines in the Kansas City area. Authorities note that cryptocurrency transactions make recovery unlikely and warn that romance scam victims often remain secretive about communications due to emotional attachment to the perpetrator.

Fraudsters in Arkansas and nationwide are increasingly targeting seniors by offering free medical equipment in exchange for their Medicare numbers, then billing Medicare for devices the seniors never ordered or needed. This scheme not only costs Medicare millions but can deny seniors legitimate coverage when they actually need medical care. Seniors should verify any medical orders with their doctors, return unsolicited items, contact Medicare to dispute fraudulent claims, and report suspected fraud to the Arkansas Attorney General or by calling 1-800-Medicare.

A Kansas sheriff's deputy, Richard Fatherley, was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the July 2024 death of 50-year-old Charles Adair, a jail inmate who sustained broken ribs and a sternal fracture after an altercation with jail staff at the Wyandotte County detention center. According to the autopsy, Adair died from complications of mechanical asphyxia (obstructed breathing) when an officer knelt on his back while he was being removed from his wheelchair. Fatherley, who was not a certified law enforcement officer, is on paid administrative leave, and the prosecutor has requested an

A 60-year-old Kansas woman lost $14,694 in a romance scam after meeting a man on Facebook in November 2023 who claimed to need money for various emergencies, including being detained at a Malaysian airport. The scammer also manipulated her into receiving and redistributing funds through her accounts, compounding the financial damage. Salina police confirmed the report as part of ongoing elder fraud investigations.

The Arkansas Securities Department reports a substantial increase in financial fraud targeting elderly Arkansans, with older Americans nationwide reporting $4.885 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints in 2024, including 1,063 Arkansas victims who lost $27.25 million. Common schemes include social media scams, romance fraud, and "pig butchering" scams that build trust before encouraging cryptocurrency investments, with seniors being targeted due to accumulated savings, higher trust levels, and social isolation. The ASD advises elderly investors to avoid unsolicited investment opportunities claiming guaranteed returns, secrecy, or low risk with high returns, and encourages reporting suspected fraud to 800.981.4

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reported that U.S. consumers lost $8.9 billion to scams in 2024, more than tripling from $2.6 billion in 2020, with investment scams and imposter fraud accounting for 60% of losses. Investment scams experienced the most dramatic growth with losses increasing nearly twelvefold, while scammers shifted to more effective digital contact methods like social media and mobile apps, and increasingly use cryptocurrency (40% of investment fraud payments) and bank transfers. Financial institutions and payment providers are urged to develop tools that quickly identify and intercept scam payments before they reach fraudsters.

A scammer impersonated a pastor at NorthRidge Church in northeast Kansas by sending emails to church members requesting gift card purchases with claims of urgency, though no one fell for the scam due to misspellings in the fraudulent email. The Seneca Police Department warns of this impersonation tactic, noting that Americans lost $1.1 billion to impersonation scams in 2023, with gift card scams being a common method where scammers pose as government officials, tech support, family members, or other trusted sources.

The Arkansas Department of Health warned SNAP users about circulating scams targeting SNAP benefits in Arkansas and other states. The department recommends updating account information, changing PIN numbers, watching for card skimmers, and verifying phone numbers to prevent fraud and to report stolen funds promptly.

Oklahoma seniors are receiving fraudulent Medicare enrollment postcards that appear official but are scams designed to trick them into calling unknown numbers during the Medicare open enrollment period. The Oklahoma State Insurance Department reports multiple scam types targeting seniors in October-December, including fake enrollment cards and unauthorized charges for medical devices appearing on Medicare statements, with similar fraudulent mailers also reported in Kansas and Louisiana. Seniors are advised to independently verify government agency phone numbers rather than calling numbers on suspicious mailers.

Kansas City seniors are participating in the "Show Me Seniors Digital Literacy Cohort," a new educational program designed to teach them computer skills and how to recognize digital scams. According to the FTC, the number of older adults losing $100,000 or more to fraud has tripled since 2020, with investment scams being the most common type targeting seniors. The program aims to protect seniors' financial security while improving their overall digital literacy and quality of life.

The Arkansas Attorney General is warning residents about a resurfacing text messaging scam targeting toll road users. The alert advises residents to be cautious of unsolicited texts claiming to be from toll road operators, which are used to steal personal and financial information.

Aurora Phelps, 43, of Las Vegas is charged with federal crimes including fraud, identity theft, and kidnapping resulting in death for romance scams conducted between July 2021 and December 2022, where she allegedly drugged victims and stole from them. Phelps has a prior 2019 Arkansas case where she was accused of drugging a woman and stealing her credit card, as well as a separate 2017 Benton County case involving a false police report; she is currently in custody in Mexico on murder charges and faces extradition proceedings.

Aurora Phelps, a 43-year-old from Las Vegas, faces multiple federal charges including fraud, identity theft, and kidnapping resulting in death for crimes committed between July 2021 and December 2022. Prior to these charges, Phelps was accused in a 2019 Arkansas case of drugging a woman and stealing her credit card, and has an additional case from 2017 related to filing a false police report. She is currently in custody in Mexico on murder charges and authorities are pursuing extradition while coordinating with local law enforcement on the Arkansas cases.

During open enrollment season, scammers are targeting people with unsolicited robocalls and text messages offering free incentives like groceries or housing to enroll in health insurance, then requesting personal and financial information to "confirm eligibility." KC Care warns consumers to avoid these scams by only initiating enrollment themselves and working with licensed, trained insurance navigators rather than responding to unsolicited contacts, with free navigator services available through official channels like GetCovered.org (Kansas) and ShowMeCoverage.org (Missouri).

An 86-year-old North Little Rock, Arkansas woman lost nearly $10,000 in a tech support scam on May 8th after seeing a malware warning on her computer and looking up Microsoft's phone number herself. The scammer convinced her that a $150 refund had incorrectly processed as $115,000 and pressured her into sending back nearly $10,000 to "reverse the damage," exploiting her trust because she believed she had initiated the call to an official number.