Explore the Archive

Sophisticated overseas scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with projections worsening as the population ages and AI technology advances fraud capabilities. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and underfunded to investigate these crimes, resulting in few convictions and minimal recovery of stolen funds, while victims—particularly older adults—lose life savings to romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud. A tragic Ohio case illustrates the crisis: an 81-year-old man fatally shot an Uber driver after a scammer manipulated him into believing she was involved in a $12,000 bond extraction scheme, while the actual perpetrator remains

Scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with sophisticated overseas criminals exploiting an aging population and increasingly using AI to evade detection and prosecution. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed by the exponential growth in scams, with most perpetrators escaping capture and victims rarely recovering their money, while some police departments treat financial fraud as lower priority than other crimes. The article illustrates the crisis through cases including an 81-year-old Ohio man who fatally shot an Uber driver after being targeted by a bond scam, and highlights how stolen funds are quickly converted to cryptocurrency or moved to foreign accounts, making recovery and investigation nearly impossible.

Sophisticated overseas scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with relatively few perpetrators caught or convicted despite the exponential growth of such crimes. Victims—particularly older adults targeted by romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud—rarely recover their money, and law enforcement agencies lack sufficient resources to investigate cases, especially those involving cryptocurrency or foreign bank accounts. The article highlights a tragic Ohio case where an 81-year-old man fatally shot an Uber driver after being defrauded of $12,000, illustrating how scams can escalate to violence while the original scammers remain at large.

Sophisticated overseas scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with relatively few perpetrators caught or convicted, according to AARP's Fraud Watch Network director. Victims—particularly older adults targeted by romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud—rarely recover their money, and law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and under-resourced to investigate cases, especially those involving cryptocurrency or foreign bank accounts. The article illustrates the crisis through an Ohio case where an 81-year-old man fatally shot an Uber driver after being manipulated by a scammer into believing she was involved in a $12,000 bond fraud, while the actual

Sophisticated overseas scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with relatively few perpetrators caught or convicted, according to AARP's Fraud Watch Network director. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed by the exponential growth of scams targeting older adults, who rarely recover lost funds from romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud, while victims are often discouraged from reporting due to misconceptions that voluntary money transfers constitute consensual transactions. The challenge is compounded by the use of cryptocurrency and foreign bank accounts, low federal prosecution thresholds, and the ease with which criminals operate with minimal consequences, with one Ohio case illustrating how fraud can

Sophisticated overseas criminals steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, with the crime wave projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology make fraud easier to perpetrate and harder to prosecute. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and underfunded to handle the exponential growth of scams—including romance, grandparent, and technical support fraud—with victims rarely recovering their stolen money and perpetrators rarely facing consequences. A notable case involved an 81-year-old Ohio man who fatally shot an Uber driver after being defrauded by scammers attempting to extract $12,000, highlighting how these crimes can have devastating downstream effects even as the perpetrators remain

Sophisticated overseas scammers steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone fraud, with law enforcement agencies overwhelmed and catching few perpetrators due to limited resources and difficulties investigating crimes that originate overseas. The article highlights the growing crisis as the U.S. population ages and AI technology facilitates fraud, illustrated by cases including an 81-year-old Ohio man who fatally shot an Uber driver after being targeted by a scammer demanding $12,000, and notes that victims rarely recover lost funds and often don't report crimes due to discouragement and shame.

Casey Alexander, a 27-year-old British national, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $202,195.58 in restitution for his role in a fraudulent wine and whiskey investment scheme that defrauded over 150 elderly victims across the United States of more than $13 million. The scheme involved cold-calling tactics that promised substantial returns on fine wine and whiskey investments stored in European warehouses, encouraging victims to make repeated investments. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted under the Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative.

Casey Alexander, a 27-year-old British national, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $202,195.58 in restitution for his role in a wine and whiskey investment fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans through cold-calling tactics. The scheme defrauded more than 150 victims across the country of over $13 million by promising substantial returns on fine wine and whiskey investments stored in European warehouses. The case was investigated following a report in 2020 when a victim's son discovered his father had lost over $300,000 over an 18-month period.

Ohio ranked No. 6 nationally for elderly scams in the past year, with seniors losing over $3.4 billion to more than 110,000 reported scams across the U.S., according to FBI data. Law enforcement emphasizes the importance of reporting these crimes, as the sophistication of scams—including tech fraud and grandparent scams—is increasing, though many incidents go unreported. The article highlights tragic consequences, including a 73-year-old victim who robbed a credit union after being scammed for years, and an 81-year-old who fatally shot an Uber driver he mistakenly believed was involved in a bond scam targeting him.

Sophisticated overseas criminals are stealing tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, with the problem projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology enable easier fraud perpetration. Victims—particularly older adults—rarely recover their money lost to romance scams, grandparent scams, technical support fraud, and other schemes, while law enforcement agencies struggle with inadequate resources and jurisdictional challenges that make prosecution difficult. The article highlights cases including a violent Uber driver scammer and a murder case in Ohio, and notes that many police departments and prosecutors do not prioritize financial crimes against elders, contributing to low reporting rates and minimal consequences for perpetrators.

Scammers are sending fraudulent text messages to Ohio Turnpike E-ZPass customers claiming unpaid tolls and directing them to fake payment websites. The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission clarifies that it never requests payments via text and that only ezpassoh.com and ohioturnpike.org are legitimate links for account inquiries.

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission warns of ongoing "smishing" scams where fraudsters send text messages impersonating toll authorities to trick drivers into paying fake tolls or surrendering personal information. As of April 2024, the FBI received over 2,000 reports of such attempts across at least three states, with scam texts typically claiming unpaid toll balances and directing victims to fraudulent websites. To protect themselves, consumers should avoid clicking links or responding to unsolicited text messages, verify toll information through official websites only, and report suspicious messages to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Medicare fraud costs the program an estimated $60 billion annually and can result in identity theft and financial loss for beneficiaries. Common scams include unsolicited contacts requesting personal information, fake websites, pressure to act quickly, and unauthorized billing for services never received. The article recommends protecting yourself by sharing Medicare and Social Security numbers only with trusted individuals, carrying your Medicare card selectively, reviewing statements carefully, and reporting suspected fraud to the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-488-6070 (extension 4 in Ohio).

I cannot summarize this content as it only contains copyright information and website footer details from WFMJ.com, with no actual article text about scams, fraud, or elder abuse. Please provide the full article content for summarization.

An 80-year-old Medina County woman was scammed out of over $100,000 after being contacted by someone claiming she had won $8 million from Publisher's Clearing House and instructed to send money for taxes. Thanks to coordinated efforts by the Medina County Scam Squad, FBI, U.S. Postal Service, and local police, the package containing two cashier's checks was intercepted en route to New York City and the victim's money was recovered; defendant Raldane A. Cunningham was charged with two counts of telecommunication fraud and ordered to post a $50,000 bond. The Medina County Scam Squad adv

Three men from Maryland and Ohio were indicted for operating a $3.5 million technical support scam that defrauded over 1,000 victims, many of whom were older adults. The defendants used pop-up windows, unsolicited calls, and fake online listings to convince victims their computers had serious security issues requiring immediate payment for repair services. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and related charges.

**Summary:** Three men—Amit Ahuja and Kapil Gulati from Maryland, and Priyanshu Walia from Ohio—were indicted on 11 counts of wire fraud for operating a tech support scam that defrauded over 1,000 seniors of at least $3.5 million between April 2017 and November 2021. The scheme used fake pop-ups, spoofed websites mimicking legitimate companies like Microsoft and Amazon, and unsolicited calls to convince victims their computers were infected and required paid repair services, with defendants creating fake shell companies to conceal their identities and making repeat fraudulent charges. Each defendant faces up to 20

Three Maryland and Ohio men were indicted on July 31, 2024, for operating a technical support scam that defrauded over 1,000 victims, many of them older adults, of at least $3.5 million by convincing them their computers were infected or vulnerable and required immediate paid repairs. Victims were targeted through unsolicited pop-ups, phone calls, or fake technical support websites that posed as legitimate companies. The defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted on wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.

Strongsville United Methodist Church and numerous Ohio institutions were targeted by phishing scammers who obtained a 1,000-person church directory through a third party and sent fraudulent emails impersonating the pastor requesting money and gift cards. Phishing scams nearly doubled to over 9,000 last year, with Ohioans losing approximately $750,000 to these schemes, and the Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers often operate internationally, making them difficult to catch. Experts recommend protection through education and vigilance, including avoiding clicking suspicious links, being cautious about sharing email and phone numbers, and recognizing urgency tactics and unusual payment requests like gift cards.

Three Maryland and Ohio men were indicted for operating a technical support scam that defrauded over 1,000 victims, many of them seniors, of at least $3.5 million. The defendants used pop-up warnings, unsolicited calls, and fake search results to convince victims their computers were compromised and required immediate paid repairs from fraudulent "support companies." Each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.

A Mayfield Heights woman lost nearly $6,000 to a sophisticated phone scam in which fraudsters spoofed a Huntington Bank number, convinced her to withdraw cash and transfer it via Chase Bank ATM, and then coerced her into undressing on FaceTime under the pretense of identity verification. The scammers used panic tactics about fraudulent charges to pressure the victim into moving her money, a common technique that exploits people's fear of losing their accounts. Authorities advise hanging up on unsolicited calls and independently verifying any banking concerns by contacting your bank directly, as legitimate financial institutions will never request personal verification through video call or ask for login credentials.

An Ohio woman lost $6,000 in a multi-stage scam that began with a spoofed call impersonating her bank, claiming fraudulent activity required her to transfer funds to a Chase account. The scammers then escalated the scheme by FaceTiming her posing as a bank employee and fraudulently convincing her to undress on camera for a "full body identity verification," causing additional humiliation. The victim was unable to recover her funds, highlighting the importance of verifying bank contacts independently and never sharing personal information or performing unusual actions based on unsolicited calls.

Scammers impersonated the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department using the fake name "Lt. Justin Branberry" in phone calls to extract money from residents across multiple states including Ohio, Arizona, and Florida. At least one victim lost $3,000 (her entire Social Security check) to the scheme, which used professional-sounding language, badge numbers, and case numbers to establish false authority; authorities warn that legitimate sheriff's departments contact people in person or by mail, not by phone.

Over 50 businesses and community organizations gathered at the Putnam County Senior Expo in Ottawa, Ohio to provide resources and information to seniors, addressing changing healthcare needs, insurance options, housing, and preventative care. The expo included financial literacy outreach focused on educating seniors about common scams and fraud schemes, such as attempts to obtain online banking information or pressure to send gift cards and cashier's checks.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program empowers Medicare beneficiaries to prevent and report healthcare fraud, particularly medical identity theft where fraudsters use personal information to bill for unauthorized services. In 2023, the nationwide SMP program reached 1.2 million people through outreach events, assisted over 270,000 beneficiaries with fraud-related issues, and helped Medicare recoup more than $111 million in fraudulent billings while identifying 26 emerging fraud schemes.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a national program that educates Medicare beneficiaries and their families about detecting and reporting healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse, with particular focus on medical identity theft—when fraudsters use personal information like Medicare numbers to bill for unauthorized services. In 2023, the SMP program reached 1.2 million people through outreach events, assisted over 270,000 beneficiaries with fraud complaints, identified 26 emerging fraud schemes, and helped Medicare recover more than $111 million in fraudulent billings. The Ohio SMP, operated by Pro Seniors Inc., encourages beneficiaries to report suspicious activity and offers resources to protect Medicare information.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program educates Medicare beneficiaries on preventing health care fraud, with particular focus on medical identity theft schemes involving unauthorized use of names and Medicare numbers to bill for services or supplies. In 2023, the SMP program reached 1.2 million people through outreach events, assisted over 270,000 beneficiaries with fraud complaints, identified 26 emerging fraud schemes, and helped Medicare recoup over $111 million in fraudulent billings.

This is not an article about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse suitable for summarization in the Elderus database. "Orchids and Onions" is an opinion column that celebrates local achievements and criticizes various issues in a community. While one brief section mentions elder fraud statistics, it is not the focus of the piece and contains no specific incident, victim information, or detailed scam details relevant to elder fraud research.

Two Akron senior citizens—a 75-year-old and a 74-year-old—were defrauded of a combined $156,000 in an online scam that escalated to in-person theft. Scammers used fake pop-up warnings claiming hacked accounts and impersonated Microsoft and federal agencies to convince the victims to withdraw cash and hand it over to couriers who appeared at their homes. The cases have been referred to the FBI and Cyber Task Force, with police urging residents to be cautious of unsolicited demands for large cash payments and to report suspected fraud immediately.

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is warning of ongoing "smishing" (SMS phishing) scams where fraudsters impersonate toll authorities via text messages to trick drivers into clicking malicious links and revealing personal financial information. The scams, which first emerged in April 2024, are particularly relevant ahead of the Labor Day weekend when travelers are on toll roads; the Ohio Turnpike reminds customers that it never requests payments by text and that only ezpassoh.com and ohioturnpike.org are legitimate payment websites. To protect themselves, drivers should avoid clicking unknown links, delete suspicious texts, keep devices updated, and report any smishing attempts to the FBI's IC3

The Ohio Turnpike warns of a resurgence of "smishing" scams where fraudsters impersonate toll authorities via text messages to collect payment for fake unpaid tolls and obtain personal financial information. The scam, first identified in April 2024, targets drivers across Ohio and Michigan with fake text links to fraudulent payment websites; the Ohio Turnpike clarifies it never requests payment by text and only uses ezpassoh.com and ohioturnpike.org for legitimate transactions. Consumers are advised to avoid clicking unknown links or replying to suspicious texts, report scams to the FBI's IC3, and verify toll accounts through official websites and customer service numbers.

Summit County, Ohio held an update on its "Outsmart the Scam" community education events, with the next event scheduled for October 19 at Tallmadge High School featuring workshops on device safety and recognizing phishing emails. The department plans to expand its scam awareness outreach beyond seniors to include high school students and other age groups, recognizing that younger people are increasingly targeted through social media platforms like TikTok, and will hold events quarterly while developing one-minute educational videos about circulating scams.

An Ohio woman lost $6,000 after a scammer impersonating a Huntington Bank employee convinced her to withdraw cash and deposit it into a scammer's Chase bank account via an ATM using Apple Wallet. Despite reporting the fraud, JPMorgan Chase denied responsibility, claiming the victim was liable for the loss. The incident is part of a broader Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation into whether major banks adequately vet customers and terminate fraudulent accounts.

This article is not relevant to the Elderus elder fraud research database. It describes a shooting incident at a high school reunion event, which is a violent crime matter rather than elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. No summary for Elderus purposes is applicable.

An ex-state attorney general filed an unprecedented class action lawsuit against Athena Bitcoin Inc. and Genesis Coin Inc. in Ohio state court, alleging the cryptocurrency ATM operators facilitated elder fraud. The plaintiff's elderly client lost tens of thousands of dollars after being scammed into depositing cash into one of the defendants' ATMs to convert funds into cryptocurrency.

Senator Sherrod Brown testified before the Senate Banking Committee on the escalating problem of scams and fraud targeting Americans, particularly seniors. In 2023, Americans lost at least $10 billion to reported fraud—an increase of over $1 billion from the previous year—with Ohio alone experiencing $126 million in losses; scammers employ increasingly sophisticated tactics including AI voice mimicry, fake bank calls, and romance schemes to target retirees' savings. Brown emphasized that seniors, who represented more than half of fraud losses in Ohio, often hesitate to report crimes due to shame and self-blame, allowing criminals to continue victimizing others.

Director of Consumer Affairs Sheryl Harris testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs about sophisticated scams targeting Ohio residents, particularly older adults who comprise the majority of scam reports in Cuyahoga County. Harris described how scammers use psychological manipulation tactics—creating false urgency through threats of arrest or asset seizure, isolating victims from help, and establishing false authority—to route victims' money to fraudsters. The hearing highlighted the need for stronger regulations and corporate accountability from tech and financial companies to protect consumers from increasingly complex fraud schemes.

**Scam Losses in Cuyahoga County, Ohio More Than Double; Nationwide Fraud Crisis Escalates** Reported scam losses in Cuyahoga County jumped from $1.2 million in 2023 to $2.7 million in 2024, with fraudsters using spoofed caller IDs, stolen personal data, and cryptocurrency to steal larger amounts in shorter timeframes. A particularly dangerous trend involves scammers posing as federal agents claiming victims' bank accounts are involved in drug trafficking, convincing them to move savings to crypto "wallets" and in some cases obtaining house sale proceeds—with national fraud losses reaching $

Tanya Alahmad, 46, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $46,064.30 in restitution after pleading guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft for forging a power of attorney to steal over $46,000 from an elderly victim between November 2019 and February 2022. Alahmad befriended the victim, gained access to their home, and used a forged POA to obtain fraudulent credit and debit cards in the victim's name, making unauthorized purchases and withdrawals even while the victim was hospitalized. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection

Scammers are targeting residents in Northeast Ohio with a "secret government kiosk" scheme, posing as bank or government officials who claim victims' accounts have been compromised and direct them to deposit cash into Bitcoin machines for "protection." A convenience store clerk in Medina has intervened multiple times to stop vulnerable customers, including elderly individuals, from losing their life savings to these high-pressure phone scams before they complete fraudulent transactions at the store's crypto machine.

Bitcoin ATM scams have resulted in $55 million in losses in the first six months of 2024, with total reported losses since 2020 exceeding $110 million, according to FBI and FTC data. Scammers impersonate bank or federal agents, threatening victims with fraud investigations and directing them to deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMs to "protect" their money—a tactic that is particularly effective against adults over 60, who are three times more likely to be victims than younger adults. A 75-year-old Ohio man lost $24,000 in such a scam after being told his Facebook account was compromised and his checking account faced fraudulent charges.

A "brushing" scam involves recipients receiving unsolicited items (jewelry, speakers, etc.) in the mail with their address but no sender information and a QR code inside. Scanning the QR code grants scammers full access to the victim's phone, personal data, and bank accounts, often resulting in account drains. The Akron Police Department warns residents not to scan unknown QR codes in packages, noting this scam is appearing across multiple states.

**Summary:** Tanya Alahmad, 46, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $46,064.30 in restitution for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. From November 2019 to February 2022, Alahmad gained the trust of an elderly victim by providing household assistance, then forged a power of attorney in her name and used it to fraudulently obtain credit and debit cards, making unauthorized purchases and withdrawals totaling over $46,000, including while the victim was hospitalized.

Sophisticated overseas criminals steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, with the problem projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology make fraud easier to perpetrate and harder to prosecute. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and under-resourced, with perpetrators rarely caught or convicted, and victims—particularly older adults—often unable to recover stolen funds from romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud. The article illustrates the crisis through cases including an 81-year-old Ohio man who fatally shot an Uber driver after being manipulated by a scammer, while the perpetrator remained at large, highlighting how inadequate law enforcement

Sophisticated overseas criminals steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, a crisis-level problem projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology increase vulnerability and perpetrator access. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and underfunded, with relatively few scammers caught or convicted, stolen funds rarely recovered, and many victims reluctant to report crimes—illustrated by an Ohio case where an 81-year-old man fatally shot an Uber driver after being manipulated by a scammer threatening to extract $12,000 in supposed bond money, while the actual perpetrator remained at large. Key challenges include difficulty investigating overseas fraud, rapid conversion of funds to cryptocurrency, some police dismiss

Senior Medicare Patrol in Ohio partnered with Belmont County Senior Services to educate Medicare beneficiaries about fraud prevention through a "fraud bingo" community event. Outreach specialists emphasized that scams can affect anyone and encouraged seniors to verify messages by calling companies directly before sharing personal information, stressing that legitimate businesses support verification efforts.

The FBI arrested 24-year-old Indian national Shreyas Baldevbhai Chaudhary in Georgia for his role in a $4.8 million nationwide elder fraud scheme targeting at least six victims across multiple states using fake tech support scams. Chaudhary allegedly defrauded a 77-year-old Salem man of approximately $61,000 by convincing him his computer was hacked and pressuring him to send cash to couriers posing as Microsoft or financial institution representatives. The investigation, which also identified co-conspirator Trusha Chaudhary and is ongoing with additional arrests expected, revealed a sophisticated operation that victimized elderly Americans in Ohio, California

The Federal Trade Commission held a roundtable in Cleveland where community leaders shared personal scam experiences to raise awareness, with Ohioans reporting 30,000 fraud cases and nearly $100 million in losses so far that year. Discussed scams included gas station card skimming, targeting of refugee communities via fraudulent Zoom meetings, EBT card hacking, and imposter scams demanding payment through cryptocurrency, cash, wire transfers, or gift cards—none of which legitimate businesses or government agencies use for payment requests.

I don't have any article content to summarize. The text you provided only contains copyright information and footer details from WFMJ.com, without the actual news article about fraud or elder abuse. Please share the full article text, and I'll provide a concise 2-3 sentence summary focused on what happened, who was affected, the scam type, and any relevant dollar amounts or outcomes.