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This article discusses elder abuse protections across the United States, highlighting that the elderly population is projected to nearly double from 49 million to 95 million by 2060, making protective measures increasingly urgent. States like Wisconsin, Vermont, and Massachusetts rank highest in elder abuse prevention due to strong funding and robust regulations, while rural states such as South Carolina, Utah, and South Dakota lag significantly due to policy gaps and insufficient resources. Financial fraud is identified as a prevalent form of elder abuse affecting elderly individuals, with states offering stronger safeguards—such as ombudsman services and elder care organizations—demonstrating lower average financial losses per fraud case.

The Boston Globe is seeking stories from Massachusetts residents aged 65 and older who have been victims of financial fraud, particularly schemes involving fake online romances or cryptocurrency ATM deposits. The publication is collecting accounts directly from victims and their families to understand the impact of these scams and has established confidential reporting channels through data reporter Scooty Nickerson and journalist Adria Watson.

Massachusetts drivers are receiving fraudulent text messages impersonating the state's E-ZPass toll system, claiming unpaid tolls of $6.99 and directing recipients to malicious links that steal personal and financial information. The real E-ZPass never sends text messages, so recipients should delete such messages immediately and verify toll balances through official E-ZPass accounts. Anyone who clicked the fraudulent links should contact their bank and credit card company to freeze accounts and change all passwords.

"Smishing" scams falsely claiming unpaid tolls on Massachusetts toll roads (E-ZPass/EZDriveMA) have increased since January, with scammers sending text messages to randomly selected phone numbers requesting payment via fraudulent links. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation warns that legitimate EZDriveMA communications never request payment by text and all authentic links include www.EZDriveMA.com; victims should not click links, verify accounts directly through official websites, and report fraudulent messages to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Multiple Connecticut residents, including Deb Paulson, received scam text messages falsely claiming they owed money for EZ Pass tolling violations to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection advises recipients to verify suspicious messages by independently looking up legitimate phone numbers and websites, confirm whether they actually used tolls recently, and report the texts rather than responding to them; those who provided credit card information should contact their credit card companies and freeze their credit with major credit reporting agencies.

The Massachusetts Attorney General and AAA issued a warning about "pig butchering" scams, in which victims are contacted through dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms and gradually manipulated into making increasingly large investments. Scammers build trust by allowing victims to see fake gains and even withdraw small amounts initially, then steal the funds and demand additional money for fabricated taxes and fees. The agencies advise consumers to be wary of relationships that develop quickly, resist pressure to invest, verify identities through reverse image searches, and be cautious of requests to pay fees to access investments.

A "smishing" scam targeting Massachusetts drivers has resurfaced, with scammers sending text messages claiming unpaid E-ZPass tolls through EZDriveMA and directing recipients to click links to settle bills before late fees occur. The scam, which first appeared in June and surged again during the holidays, aims to steal personal and financial information by exploiting drivers' desire to avoid charges. MassDOT advises drivers never to click unknown links or provide personal information via text, and recommends validating toll information directly through the official website or phone number (877-627-7745); those who clicked links should contact their bank immediately and file complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime

Tom Clasby, former director of elder services for Quincy, Massachusetts, was indicted on federal charges of embezzlement, mail and wire fraud, and transporting stolen property for stealing tens of thousands of dollars in city funds between 2019 and 2021. His personal expenditures included $8,950 for a music studio recording session, $2,236 for 153 pounds of steak tips, $4,800 for a Toyota Prius, and $1,658 for a framed self-portrait, along with arranging a fraudulent $38,000 consulting contract that funneled money back to him through cash handoffs at rest stops an

An Amazon driver admitted to abandoning approximately 80 undelivered packages in the woods near Lakeville, Massachusetts just before Christmas, citing stress as the reason. Police decided not to pursue criminal charges, and the driver planned to report the incident to their manager. **Note:** This article is a roundup of local news stories and does not involve elder fraud or abuse. It is not relevant to the Elderus database.

This appears to be a compilation of NPR's most-read stories from 2024 rather than a single article about scams or fraud. The only elder fraud-related content is a brief mention of Kitboga, a person who baits online scammers using improv and voice-changing technology to protect people like grandmothers from being conned, turning anti-scam work into a paying job. The piece also references "zombie 2nd mortgages," where a Massachusetts nurse discovered her house was being auctioned due to old mortgage liens, with NPR's investigation revealing thousands of similar cases.

A 79-year-old Massachusetts woman, Dinora Cardoso, died in 2023 after being found bedridden on a mattress infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, and feces; she required surgical removal from the mattress and died two days later from necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis. Her daughter Eva Fontes Cardoso, granddaughter Kayla Cardoso, and caregiver Lisa Hamilton face charges including manslaughter, elder neglect, larceny, and Medicaid fraud, having allegedly collected over $140,000 from MassHealth while providing no care, failing to manage her diabetes, and submitting frau

A 79-year-old Massachusetts woman, Dinora Cardoso, died after being found stuck to a mattress infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, and feces due to severe neglect by her daughter Eva Fontes Cardoso, granddaughter Kayla Cardoso, and nurse Lisa Hamilton, who had to surgically separate her from the bed at a hospital where she died two days later from necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis. The three defendants face charges including manslaughter, elder caregiver neglect, and Medicaid fraud after authorities discovered that Eva Cardoso received over $140,000 in state benefits for care she did not provide, including frau

The Massachusetts Better Business Bureau warns Connecticut residents about 11 prevalent holiday scams including fraudulent USPS package notifications, fake gift card offers, counterfeit job postings, look-alike websites, fake charities, phishing shipping links, puppy sales (with 80% of sponsored pet ads being fake), misleading social media advertisements, social media gift exchange schemes, and holiday-themed apps—all designed to steal personal information or money. Scammers use tactics like impersonating legitimate companies, offering free prizes, and creating convincing replicas of official websites and communications to deceive consumers during the holiday season.

A Massachusetts daughter (Eva Fontes Cardoso, 53), granddaughter (Kayla Cardoso, 31), and registered nurse (Lisa Hamilton, 64) face charges of manslaughter, caregiver neglect, larceny, and Medicaid fraud in the death of 79-year-old Dinora Cardoso, who was found in May 2023 stuck to a feces and insect-infested mattress at a senior housing complex. The defendants allegedly billed MassHealth over $140,000 for personal care services that were not provided or were provided fraudulently, and the victim died two days after hospitalization from sepsis

An elderly Massachusetts woman, Dinora Cardoso, died in May 2023 from severe infections caused by neglect while under the care of her daughter Eva Cardoso, granddaughter Kayla Cardoso, and registered nurse Lisa Hamilton; she was hospitalized covered in insects and feces before succumbing to necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis. Eva, employed as Dinora's paid caregiver, received over $140,000 from MassHealth while allegedly failing to provide proper care and falsely billing for services, with Kayla also receiving portions of these fraudulent payments. All three defendants were charged with neglect and fraud-related offenses; Eva additionally

A 79-year-old Massachusetts woman, Dinora Cardoso, died in 2023 after months of severe neglect in filthy, bug-infested conditions while under the care of her daughter Eva Cardoso, who was paid over $140,000 by MassHealth as her personal care attendant. Eva Cardoso and her niece Kayla Cardoso are charged with elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and larceny for allegedly splitting the Medicaid checks while the victim suffered from untreated bedsores, infections, and poor living conditions; Eva also faces involuntary manslaughter charges, and a visiting nurse is charged with caretaker

A 30-year-old New York man, Xuejian Wu, was arrested after defrauding a North Reading, Massachusetts elderly resident of more than $10,000 through a sophisticated online scam involving remote computer access, threats, and Bitcoin transactions. Wu was apprehended when he appeared at the victim's home impersonating a federal agent to attempt collecting additional funds, and he was charged with multiple counts of larceny and conspiracy. The case highlights the targeting of seniors through technology-based fraud and the importance of reporting suspected scams to law enforcement promptly.

A Danvers, Massachusetts man, Trung Nguyen, was convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and money laundering after converting over $1 million in cash to Bitcoin through his unregistered company National Vending, LLC between 2017 and 2020. Nguyen deliberately evaded banking regulations and accepted cash from scam victims and a drug dealer, knowingly facilitating their criminal activities by converting their proceeds into cryptocurrency without filing required reports or registering with federal authorities.

Trung Nguyen, a 48-year-old Massachusetts man, was convicted Friday of money laundering charges for operating an unlicensed Bitcoin exchange service from 2017 to 2020 that converted over $1 million in cash into cryptocurrency. His operation facilitated money laundering for a methamphetamine dealer and multiple romance scammers, including $325,000 from a Kansas City victim, $60,000 from a Connecticut victim, and $60,000 from a Massachusetts victim. Nguyen faces decades in prison and hundreds of thousands in fines at his February 12 sentencing.

This article contains two unrelated stories. The first discusses UMass Amherst researchers developing an inexpensive, portable device to detect PFAS (harmful "forever chemicals") in drinking water, reducing testing costs from millions to thousands of dollars. The second describes the arrest of two men accused of operating a grandparent scam courier network that collected approximately $230,000 from elderly victims across Massachusetts and Rhode Island by posing as family members in legal trouble.

This article contains two unrelated pieces: The first describes UMass Amherst researchers developing a cheaper, portable device to detect PFAS (toxic "forever chemicals") in water, reducing testing costs from millions to thousands of dollars. The second reports the arrest of two men, Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes, who allegedly served as couriers in grandparent scams targeting elderly victims across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, collecting approximately $230,000 from victims in over a dozen communities.

Trung Nguyen, a 48-year-old from Danvers, Massachusetts, was convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and money laundering after converting over $1 million in cash to Bitcoin between 2017 and 2020 through his company National Vending, LLC. Nguyen deliberately circumvented federal anti-money laundering regulations and knowingly facilitated transactions for criminals, including a methamphetamine dealer ($250,000) and multiple romance scam victims from whom he converted approximately $445,000 in stolen funds. Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2025.

Two men, Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes, were arrested for serving as couriers in a multi-state "grandparent scam" that targeted elderly residents, including those in Lakeville, collecting approximately $230,000 from victims across Rhode Island and Massachusetts in early March. The scam involved fraudsters posing as family members, attorneys, or law enforcement officials to convince elderly victims their grandchildren needed bail money, which the couriers then collected in person. Both men faced federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Two men, Roberto Munoz (29) of Florida and Jason Rhodes (34) of New York, were charged federally in November 2024 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for operating as couriers in grandparent scams targeting elderly victims across multiple states. Operating in March 2024, Munoz and Rhodes collected approximately $230,000 from victims in over a dozen communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by posing as family members, attorneys, or law enforcement and directing seniors to pay fake bail or legal fees; they were arrested after police set up surveillance at a victim's home where one grandparent couple had already paid $18,000.

Two men from New York and Florida were arrested in March for their roles as couriers in grandparent scams targeting seniors across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and multiple other states. In early March, Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes allegedly collected approximately $230,000 from victims in over a dozen communities before police arrested them during a surveillance operation at a victim's home in Warwick, Rhode Island. The scams involved fraudsters posing as family members, attorneys, or law enforcement to convince elderly victims to send cash via couriers, with evidence suggesting the scheme targeted victims across at least nine additional states.

Two men from New York and Florida were arrested in March for serving as couriers in grandparent scams targeting seniors across multiple states, collecting approximately $230,000 from victims in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Iowa, and beyond. Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes allegedly received victim names and addresses from scam organizers and traveled to collect bail payments that victims believed were needed for arrested grandchildren, with one victim pair paying $18,000 before recognizing the scheme. Both men were released on unsecured bond with GPS monitoring while the investigation continues, with authorities believing numerous additional families across Rhode Island and Massachusetts were victimized.

Jason Rhodes and Robert Munoz were charged with federal wire fraud and identity theft conspiracy for operating grandparent scams in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, collecting approximately $230,000 from elderly victims. The scammers posed as attorneys or family members calling seniors to claim a relative needed bail money, with Rhodes and Munoz acting as couriers to collect cash; they were arrested in March after police set up an operation at a victim's residence and seized $60,000 in cash and evidence from a hotel room. Victims are urged to contact local police or the National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-372-8311) if they believe they've been targeted.

Two men were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for operating as couriers in grandparent scams targeting elderly victims across multiple states in early 2024. Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes collected approximately $230,000 from victims in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by posing as lawyers or law enforcement officials claiming grandchildren needed bail money, with evidence suggesting victims in at least nine additional states were also targeted. The defendants were apprehended after police set up surveillance at a victim's home where one defendant allegedly came to collect money, and investigators seized over $60,000 in cash from their vehicle and hotel room.

Roberto Munoz and Jason Rhodes were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for operating as "couriers" in grandparent scams targeting seniors across multiple states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The scammers impersonated grandchildren in legal trouble, convincing victims to wire money for bail and legal fees, with one Rhode Island couple losing $18,000 before being asked for an additional $40,000; police arrested both men during a sting operation and recovered over $60,000 in cash, with evidence suggesting they targeted victims in at least 14 cities across nine states.

A Massachusetts woman lost thousands of dollars in a sophisticated impersonation scam when callers posing as Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals convinced her that a package with her name contained drugs and contraband. Despite verifying the callers' names and phone numbers on official federal websites (a technique called "spoofing"), she was directed to deposit money into a Bitcoin machine under the false premise that freezing her accounts would protect her assets. The scam, which uses advanced technology including AI voice replication and data scraping, has been reported nationally, and the victim now struggles to afford rent at her affordable housing complex.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit against Donald Peltier of Massachusetts for operating fraudulent political websites using names like "democraticnationalcommittee.co" and "republicannationalcommittee.org" to solicit donations from the public. The case highlights the need for donors to verify organizations through the Federal Election Commission database, avoid unsolicited fundraising requests, and be especially cautious of scams targeting seniors.

Luz Paulino, owner of a Massachusetts tax preparation company, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for using stolen identities to defraud the IRS, a bank, and the Small Business Administration of approximately $2.1 million in COVID-19 relief loans between 2019 and 2021. She filed false tax returns under victims' names to obtain fraudulent refund advance loans and fraudulently applied for SBA disaster loans using stolen identities of businesspeople, using proceeds to wire funds internationally and purchase a vehicle. Paulino fled the United States after being indicted in January 2021 and remained a fugitive for 19 months before being returned by

A 21-year-old Boston man was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after serving as a courier in a tech support scam that defrauded a 75-year-old Massachusetts man of approximately $420,000 between June and October 2024. The victim was lured by a fake Microsoft pop-up message, then convinced by a scammer posing as a federal Treasury agent that his identity was involved in money laundering and instructed to withdraw cash in installments and hand it to couriers at his home. The defendant was arrested on October 7, 2024, when he arrived to collect a package from an undercover officer, and admitted to collecting packages for payment at the

A 24-year-old New York woman was arrested and charged after allegedly scamming a Marstons Mills resident out of $46,000 in a Social Security fraud scheme where the victim was impersonated by someone claiming to be a DEA agent. The scammer instructed the victim to transfer funds into a "safe" government account to protect them from seizure based on a false claim that their Social Security number was linked to a Texas investigation. Fu fled the country to China in May 2023 but was apprehended at JFK Airport in September 2023 upon attempting to reenter the U.S. and was extradited to Massachusetts.

A Plymouth, Massachusetts homeowner discovered fraudsters had created a forged purchase and sale agreement for his home when an attorney called to verify the sale; the scammers planned to record a fraudulent deed at the registry of deeds to steal the property, though the scheme was thwarted when the attorney alerted the victim. This incident is part of a rising trend of real estate fraud targeting homeowners, with both the FBI and Secret Service issuing warnings, and the victim has since filed a fraud report and enrolled in free registry of deeds notification alerts to monitor his property.

The Berkshire District Attorney's Office hosted an educational workshop on October 3rd in Massachusetts to inform senior citizens about fraud prevention, featuring representatives from the US Department of Justice, FBI, Postal Inspection Service, and other federal agencies. The free event, held at two locations, addressed rising senior fraud crimes in Berkshire County and provided information on common scams and protective measures seniors can take to avoid becoming victims.

A Massachusetts senior was defrauded of $120,000 after receiving a fake Microsoft notification directing her to call a number where scammers impersonated FDIC and FBI officials, convincing her to withdraw cash and wrap it in foil for "safekeeping." Two Brooklyn men, Shaoquin Liu and Shiwang Ning, were arrested after attempting to pick up the money and were charged with larceny and conspiracy. The scammers had gained computer access to create fraudulent correspondence from the victim's bank, SSA, and FDIC to support the scheme.

Scammers posing as bank representatives are targeting small business owners in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts by calling victims about suspicious account activity and requesting screen-sharing access to transfer funds. Amy Kelly, owner of TaleSpinStudio in Maine, lost all funds from her business account after falling victim to this scam, which the Federal Trade Commission reports occurred over 1,000 times in Maine in 2023. Despite reporting the incident to police and her bank, recovery efforts were largely unsuccessful.

At a September 2024 Senate Banking Committee hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the severe impact of romance and cryptocurrency investment scams on older Americans, noting that Massachusetts residents alone lost over $85 million to these schemes in 2023. Testimony revealed that scammers use extended emotional manipulation through dating apps before gradually coercing victims to deposit funds into fake trading accounts that show false profits, ultimately draining their entire savings; crypto scam losses nationally increased tenfold from 2020-2023 to over $110 million, with adults over 60 being three times more likely to lose money in such schemes. Senator Warren advocated for her bipartisan Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering

Massachusetts police across five towns (Needham, Foxboro, Marion, Sandwich, and Sharon) are warning about an extortion scam in which criminals email victims pictures of their homes along with personal information and threatening messages demanding payment of thousands of dollars via cryptocurrency, claiming to possess compromising videos. The scammers use publicly available information such as Google Street View images and breached passwords to create a false sense of threat, and experts recommend victims ignore the emails, avoid responding or paying, and report the scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

This educational article reports that New England states rank among the safest for online dating based on rates of romance scams, identity theft, fraud, sex offenders, and STDs, with Vermont ranking #1 nationally and Massachusetts at #17. The article also notes that all six New England states rank in the top 20 most expensive states for dating, with New York leading at $297.27 for an average date compared to the national average of $120.90.

Three Dominican Republic nationals were extradited to the U.S. and charged in a multi-state "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly victims across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts out of millions of dollars. The defendants operated call centers that impersonated family members claiming relatives needed bail money for vehicle accidents, with scammers posing as attorneys and police to pressure victims into sending thousands of dollars via courier or mail. The three men face charges including mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering as part of an 11-person indictment involving a long-running operation targeting vulnerable seniors.

An 83-year-old Massachusetts woman recovered $34,400 after being scammed into depositing it into a Bitcoin ATM through a fake fraud alert call, approximately one year after the incident. The scam, where perpetrators impersonated bank or federal officials and instructed victims to deposit cash at Bitcoin ATMs, has affected hundreds in Massachusetts with over $2.7 million in losses reported across 100+ FBI complaints, targeting victims of all ages and backgrounds. Police recovery of such funds is difficult but possible if authorities are notified quickly and can seize the machines before the cryptocurrency is transferred out.

Scammers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are exploiting the July 2024 Microsoft outage (caused by a CrowdStrike software update affecting 8.5 million Windows machines) through phishing emails and text messages that either request personal information or send malware-infected files under the guise of computer fixes. Residents are advised to rely on official sources for information, verify email addresses and links carefully, and check on elderly relatives, as the legitimate fix was deployed automatically without user interaction needed.

Laura Wilson, director of the Oxford Senior Center in Massachusetts, was recognized as one of 125 Massachusetts Heroines by the Commission on the Status of Women for her outstanding service to seniors. Wilson has implemented numerous protective and enrichment programs at the center, including presentations on fraud and scams targeting the elderly, financial assistance, and regular visits from law enforcement and emergency responders. Since taking the director position in 2020, Wilson has expanded the center's hours, transportation services, and programming to better serve the community's senior population.

The Southborough, Massachusetts Police Department warned of an "Irish Traveller Scam" targeting residents, in which a man with an Irish accent solicited a homeowner for $150 to remove ivy, then pressured her to pay $2,000 for alleged chimney damage she refused. The advisory notes these scams use high-pressure sales tactics and typically result in incomplete or no work performed. A related investigation in Denver resulted in the arrest of two Irishmen accused of roofing scams that defrauded multiple homeowners by planting worms under roof shingles and falsely claiming they were maggots requiring expensive repairs, with the suspects now facing theft

A Massachusetts woman fell victim to a romance scam in which a fraudster impersonated musician Vince Gill, creating fake social media accounts and engaging her in Google chats. The scammer fabricated a story claiming Gill's wife Amy Grant was divorcing him over a false sexual assault allegation and needed $350,000 in hush money, ultimately emptying three of the victim's accounts including her retirement fund. The incident, uncovered by the victim's daughter Jackie, highlights a common elder fraud scheme targeting vulnerable individuals through fake celebrity impersonation.

Rachel Chen, 25, of Massachusetts was arrested and indicted in three counties for her role in tech support scams targeting New Hampshire seniors. In one case, a Grafton County elderly resident lost $20,000 after being deceived into believing their bank account was hacked; Chen allegedly picked up the cash on behalf of the scam operation. The case is ongoing with Chen scheduled for court appearances later in 2024.

Joyce, a 74-year-old Massachusetts woman, lost over $400,000 to scammers impersonating country star Vince Gill over nearly a year in 2022-2023, after she engaged with fake accounts that contacted her following a comment she posted on his Instagram page. Her daughter Jessica discovered the fraud involving romantic manipulation (the scammers posed as Gill and claimed to be her spouse) and discovered it was exacerbated by Joyce's undiagnosed cognitive decline, though experts note cognitive impairment is not required for someone to fall victim to such scams. The case highlights how celebrity impersonation scams exploit vulnerable individuals through manipulative tactics on social media

A Massachusetts man lost $12,000 after a scammer posing as a helpful stranger swapped his debit card for a fake one at a Bank of America ATM in Dedham on Friday, then made unauthorized withdrawals and cashed checks in his name. A nearly identical scam occurred the same day in East Boston, where a woman also lost $12,000 in the same manner at another Bank of America ATM. Experts believe these incidents are part of an organized crime ring using ATM card-swapping tactics, though police have not confirmed if the cases are connected.