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NEWS CENTER Maine
· 2025-02-27
Maine State Police report a rising trend of scams targeting senior citizens, particularly courier impersonation schemes where fraudsters pose as delivery drivers to collect money directly from victims' homes, and grandparent scams involving fake relatives requesting funds via wire transfer or mail. Law enforcement and organizations like the Eastern Area Agency on Aging are urging seniors to stay vigilant and analyze suspicious situations carefully, as these evolving scams exploit seniors' perceived lack of technological knowledge.
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News Channel 3-12
· 2025-02-28
Craig Case, a former private investigator and TV host, was found guilty on 63 of 64 charges in a Montecito elder fraud case, including conspiracy, theft from an elder, identity theft, and money laundering totaling over $690,000. The victim was Constance McCormick Fearing, an elderly Montecito resident, with accomplice Nancy Coger (who held power of attorney and had already pleaded guilty) facilitating the scheme. Case has been in custody since July 2023, and sentencing will be determined after the jury considers aggravating factors.
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CTV News
· 2025-03-01
March marks Fraud Prevention Month across Canada, during which law enforcement and community groups collaborate to educate the public about fraud prevention. According to Edmonton police and the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association, current fraud trends include investment fraud, online employment scams, and romance fraud, with scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated in targeting both money and personal identity. Key prevention advice includes being skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true and verifying whether you initiated contact with the person or organization reaching out.
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National Geographic
· 2025-03-02
Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller explores cryptocurrency "rug pull" scams, where fraudsters create fake crypto tokens to steal investor money—a scheme that victimized people of nearly $3 billion in 2021 alone. The episode follows Van Zeller's investigation into young, wealthy scammers who exploit cryptocurrency's unregulated decentralized finance space, and features interviews with victims like Xavier, who lost money across multiple rug pull schemes with no recourse in the largely lawless crypto market.
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The National Desk
· 2025-03-04
A Bankrate survey found that 34% of U.S. adults experienced financial fraud in the past year, with 37% of those losing money. Contrary to assumptions that only older generations are vulnerable, Gen Z and Millennials who fell victim to scams were actually more likely to lose money (53% and 45% respectively), compared to Gen X at 32%. Financial strain from inflation and elevated interest rates is making Americans more vulnerable to scams.
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WRSP/WCCU FOX 55/27 Illinois
· 2025-03-05
A USAA bank customer lost thousands of dollars to scammers who called impersonating the bank's fraud department. The scammers used legitimate personal information and caller ID spoofing to appear authentic, claiming to warn about fraudulent charges on the victim's debit card before tricking her into giving them access to her account. The incident is part of a growing trend of similar fraud cases targeting bank customers.
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KATVchannel7
· 2025-03-05
A USAA bank customer fell victim to scammers impersonating the bank's fraud department who called claiming to warn about suspicious charges on her account. The scammers, who had obtained her personal information, manipulated her into granting them access to her account and stealing thousands of dollars. The incident is part of a growing trend of bank customers being targeted by fraudsters using spoofed caller IDs and social engineering tactics.
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ChannelOne TV
· 2025-03-07
Ghana's Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the UK's National Crime Agency launched a whistleblowing campaign to combat rising romance fraud cases, revealing they have been investigating at least 107 cases since 2021 with approximately 2 million Ghana cedis recovered in 2024 alone. Romance scams remain a pervasive threat in Ghana, increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence to deceive victims. The campaign aims to leverage whistleblowing mechanisms to effectively address the growing problem of romance fraud.
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CNBC
· 2025-03-15
Toll text scams are proliferating as scammers exploit the shift to electronic tolling systems and mobile phone usage, sending deceptive messages claiming unpaid tolls are due and threatening fines or license suspension. Clicking links in these texts can result in malware installation or credential theft, as legitimate toll operators never contact customers via text requesting payment through links. Federal agencies including the FTC and FBI have warned the public that these scams have become increasingly sophisticated and widespread across the country.
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KVUE
· 2025-03-17
During tax season, the IRS warns of a spike in tax-related scams targeting Americans filing their returns. Common schemes include "ghost preparers" who pose as tax professionals, promise inflated refunds or unqualified credits, falsify documents, and pocket portions of refunds, as well as phishing scams using tax-specific language to steal identities. To protect themselves, people should verify tax preparers' credentials on the IRS website, never sign blank or partial returns, and avoid trusting unsolicited emails, texts, or calls claiming to be from tax authorities.
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CBS Pittsburgh
· 2025-03-17
U.S. Postal Inspectors warn of multiple text message scams, including fake delivery notifications requesting zip code updates and impostor messages claiming emergencies or offering deals. Postal inspectors note that elderly citizens and isolated individuals are particularly vulnerable targets, and advise consumers to never respond to unsolicited messages claiming to be from USPS or other entities.
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Valley News Live
· 2025-03-19
Romance scams spike around Valentine's Day, with nearly 65,000 people reporting such scams to the Federal Trade Commission in 2023, resulting in $1.14 billion in total losses. Scammers create fake online dating profiles to gain victims' trust before manipulating them into sending money. The article recommends using reverse image search as a simple protective step to verify the authenticity of online dating profiles.
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CBC News
· 2025-03-19
Police in Montreal arrested 23 people in June operating an elaborate grandparent scam network targeting American seniors, allegedly defrauding them of $21 million USD ($30 million CAD) through coordinated call centers. The scam typically involved one caller impersonating a grandchild in financial distress, followed by another impersonating a police officer directing victims to wire money (usually around $10,000). Montreal has emerged as a major hub for these large-scale grandparent scam operations, which cause significant financial loss to vulnerable elderly victims in the United States.
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60 Minutes
· 2025-03-23
This 60 Minutes segment examines why investment fraud and Ponzi schemes continue to thrive despite public awareness of high-profile cases like Bernie Madoff's multi-billion dollar fraud. The piece features expert Ricky Jay discussing how con artists exploit human psychology—including greed and excessive trust—and identifies key warning signs such as dealings with well-established figures who rely on exclusive affiliations to build credibility. The segment highlights that despite financial disasters and skepticism, investors remain vulnerable to sophisticated scams, a phenomenon regulators refer to as "ponzi-monium."
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CNBC Television
· 2025-03-25
Tax season is a prime time for fraud, with Americans losing $9.1 billion to tax fraud and financial crimes in 2024 according to the IRS. Scammers target individuals filing taxes to steal identities, usernames, passwords, and access to financial accounts and tax prep software. To protect yourself, the IRS recommends setting up an identity protection PIN, using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly monitoring or freezing your credit.
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NDTV Profit
· 2025-03-29
An elderly couple in Belagavi, Karnataka died by suicide after losing 50 lakh rupees (approximately $60,000 USD) to cyber fraudsters who impersonated telecom and crime branch officials and threatened them with a fabricated "digital arrest." The scammers, identified as Sumit Birra and Anil Yadav, claimed a SIM card had been fraudulently purchased in the couple's name and was being used for illegal activities, then demanded increasingly large payments before the victims took their own lives. The incident underscores the vulnerability of elderly citizens to "digital arrest" scams, which are not a legitimate law enforcement action.
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NDTV
· 2025-03-29
An elderly couple in Karnataka's Bellagavi district lost Rs 50 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as telecom and crime branch officials who threatened them with a "digital arrest" scam, ultimately leading to their deaths by suicide. The scammers, identified as Sume Birra and Anil Yadav Bira, falsely claimed a SIM card had been fraudulently registered in the victims' names and demanded increasingly larger transfers. The incident underscores the vulnerability of senior citizens to digital fraud schemes and the critical need for public awareness that no official "digital arrest" procedure exists.
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FOX 4 Now
· 2025-04-03
Lee County Sheriff's Office reported approximately 20 fraud cases daily in 2024, with 2,400 total reported cases—60% resulting in losses exceeding $10,000 each. The most common scam involved fraudsters impersonating law enforcement and claiming victims missed court dates, demanding payment via untraceable methods like Bitcoin or gift cards, though recent high-dollar wire fraud cases totaled $395,000, $475,000, and $158,000. Most suspects operate outside the United States, making recovery of stolen funds difficult once money is transferred overseas.
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4 News Now
· 2025-04-04
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Spokane Valley Police Department warned of a scam in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials and contact family members of recently arrested individuals, claiming they can secure early jail release in exchange for immediate payment. Authorities advise recipients of such calls to verify the caller's identity independently by hanging up and calling the agency directly before providing any payment.
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The Economic Times
· 2025-04-14
In 2024, India experienced a surge in online messaging and calling fraud, with victims losing over ₹177 crore across 29,082 cases, including a significant rise in high-value transactions exceeding ₹1 lakh. Common scams include OTP cons (where fraudsters impersonate banks requesting one-time passwords) and job scams. Authorities are implementing measures such as blacklisting spam callers and launching awareness campaigns, with government websites available for reporting grievances and tracking cases.
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CTV News
· 2025-04-14
Police in Ontario are warning of a fake gold investment scheme that has defrauded at least three elderly residents of approximately $1.3 million. Scammers impersonate bank or security officials, claiming victims' bank accounts have been compromised, then convince them to purchase large quantities of gold as a security measure—gold that is never actually picked up. Police emphasize that legitimate banks never ask customers to withdraw funds and buy gold, nor do they request customer participation in investigations.
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Graham Cluley
· 2025-04-16
This is a transcript excerpt from the Smashing Security podcast (Episode 413) featuring hosts Graeme Cluey and Carol Tero discussing cybersecurity topics, including a mention of a Swiss cybersecurity company launching a "CIS initiative" and references to Nigerian fraud schemes (419 scams). The transcript appears to be a partial, auto-generated recording with significant repetition and unclear audio quality, making it unsuitable for detailed summarization of specific fraud cases or elder abuse incidents.
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CBS Chicago
· 2025-04-18
The Better Business Bureau warns of a surge in Real ID scams targeting consumers rushing to meet the May 7th federal deadline. Scammers impersonate government officials through fraudulent alerts and emails, claiming problems with applicants' Real IDs or warning about the deadline to steal personal information, a tactic previously seen during the 2021 deadline extension.
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CBS 13 News
· 2025-04-27
Maine residents lost $31 million to cybercrime and scams in 2024, a 65% increase from $19 million in 2023, according to FBI data. Adults aged 60 and older accounted for $13 million (40%) of these losses, with tech support scams, government impersonation, and investment fraud being the primary threats to this age group. The FBI recommends reporting wire transfer fraud within 72 hours through IC3.gov to trigger a financial fraud response.
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FOX 13 Tampa Bay
· 2025-05-02
A 92-year-old man from Sun City Center lost approximately $800,000 in a romance scam perpetrated by 37-year-old Otis Swinton Jr., who posed as a romantic interest online while communicating from jail. Swinton, a repeat offender previously convicted in 2019 of stealing over $1 million from more than 50 seniors using credit card fraud schemes, targeted the isolated elderly victim who was living in an assisted living facility and seeking companionship.
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NBC 7 San Diego
· 2025-05-16
Carlsbad Police shut down an elaborate fraud scheme targeting elderly residents that stole over $145,000 in cash and gold bullion. Scammers used fake computer popups and impersonated Apple and Wells Fargo representatives to convince victims to liquidate assets, which were then packed into shoebox parcels for courier pickup; in one case, a victim lost $130,000 before police made an arrest during a second pickup. A separate incident involved an elderly resident losing $10,000 to someone impersonating an FTC investigator using authentic-looking agency letterhead and logos.
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therhodeshow
· 2025-05-20
This educational segment discusses common senior scams affecting millions of Americans annually, including identity theft schemes, grandparent scams (falsely claiming a relative needs bail money), tech support scams, and romance scams. Key prevention strategies include educating seniors about scam tactics, maintaining regular involvement in their financial affairs, and reporting suspected fraud to state police or adult services, while noting that many scams go unreported due to victim embarrassment.
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ABC 10 News
· 2025-05-29
A Carlsbad couple nearly lost $50,000 in a sophisticated scam that began with a fraudulent text about a $499 Norton purchase. When the senior called the provided number, a polished and professional scammer named "Roger" convinced him to enter $500 to reverse the charge, but the amount mysteriously changed to $50,000 in his bank account. The FBI has warned of increasing scams targeting elderly residents in the county using tactics that exploit trust and create a false sense of urgency.
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CBS Chicago
· 2025-05-31
This article is about property theft, not elder fraud. It describes burglaries of homes under construction in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, where thieves steal copper wire and power tools during evening hours and resell them at scrapyards, pawn shops, and Facebook Marketplace for approximately $1,000 per day. Chicago police issued a warning after four construction sites were burglarized in two weeks.
This content does not fit the Elderus database focus on elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse.
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The Straits Times
· 2025-06-02
This educational piece for children ages 9-12 explains what scams are and how they work. A scam occurs when someone tricks you into giving them money or personal information by impersonating trusted entities like banks, government agencies, or celebrities, typically through phone calls, messaging apps, or social media while offering fake prizes or credits in return. The article emphasizes that scams affect people of all ages and warns viewers to be cautious about unsolicited offers and requests for personal information.
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The Dallas Morning News
· 2025-06-05
Two Keller, Texas residents—Felix Clark and Esther Ampiel—pleaded guilty to federal charges for operating a romance scam that targeted elderly victims across the United States between June and September 2022. The scheme used fake online dating profiles to deceive vulnerable seniors, including recent widows, into sending money under false pretenses such as claims about accessing gold in Ghana, with funds subsequently transferred abroad. Clark pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud, while Ampiel pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter business.
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KPRC 2 Click2Houston
· 2025-06-10
A 65-year-old Vietnamese American man in Houston lost his entire life savings of $500,000 in an elaborate elder fraud scheme that began with a legitimate IRS identity theft letter. Scammers posing as Vietnamese embassy officials then contacted him via phone calls in Vietnamese, claiming his identity was being used to launder money overseas, and convinced him over nearly five months to send money by using AI-generated videos and fake documents impersonating government officials. The victim, now forced to continue working past retirement age, is seeking assistance to recover from the fraud.
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NewsX Live
· 2025-06-19
Two Indian nationals studying in the United States were sentenced to federal prison for phishing scams impersonating US government officials to defraud elderly Americans. Kishan Rajkumar Patel, age 20, targeted at least 25 elderly victims and caused $94,156 in losses, while another Indian student named Muhammad was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a similar scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of nearly $6 million.
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CP24
· 2025-06-19
Toronto Police arrested 11 people in Project Fair, a major fraud investigation targeting a large-scale taxi scam that defrauded customers of over $500,000 across more than 300 incidents over a 10-month period. The suspects used stolen debit and credit cards with PINs to withdraw cash from ATMs, deposit fraudulent checks, and purchase high-value items including electronics, gift cards, and luxury goods, with investigators seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property during search warrants executed in May 2024.
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CTV News
· 2025-06-26
A Manitoba senior lost his entire life savings of $2 million in a cryptocurrency investment scam involving a fake website called "Fargo Investor" created using artificial intelligence. Scammers, reportedly operating from outside Canada, used social media ads featuring celebrity endorsements to promote the unregistered investment opportunity, which the Manitoba Securities Commission warns is part of a rising trend of fraud targeting seniors.
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Newsmax
· 2025-06-30
Scam artists, including foreign nationals living in the country illegally, are impersonating federal agents to defraud senior citizens by threatening them with false fraud investigations. In Spanish Fort, Alabama, a Chinese national posing as a federal agent swindled a retired educator out of over $400,000 through weeks of coercion involving cash withdrawals, gold purchases, and psychological intimidation about wire fraud cases. Law enforcement reports this is an organized, deliberate scheme targeting retirees' life savings and extends beyond Alabama.
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CHCH News
· 2025-07-18
A Hamilton senior couple lost nearly $70,000 after a scammer impersonating a Scotiabank employee called on June 23rd, claiming their debit cards had been compromised. The fraudster convinced them to surrender their cards to a courier and promised replacement cards within 24 hours, but instead used the cards to drain their bank account, max out their credit cards, and deplete their line of credit within two days.
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ITV News
· 2025-07-18
Patricia Owen, a postmistress in Canterbury, was wrongly convicted of theft based on faulty Post Office accounting software called Capture and died without clearing her name; her case is now the first to be referred to the Court of Appeal for potential overturning. The Capture system, which preceded the more notorious Horizon system, caused estimated hundreds of thousands of people to lose their livelihoods, yet the government has only overturned 900 Horizon-related convictions while approximately 30 people with Capture-based convictions remain unexonerated.
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19 News
· 2025-07-23
A 66-year-old woman from Mentor, Ohio lost over $400,000 in a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam after being contacted by a scammer posing as an online friend offering investment advice. The scammer displayed fake returns to lure her in, then demanded six-figure fees to withdraw her funds—a classic fraud tactic. The victim is one of nearly 30 people across multiple states targeted by this same scam operation.
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Al Jazeera English
· 2025-07-24
**Cyber Kidnapping Scams Target Chinese International Students**
Chinese international students worldwide are falling victim to "cyber kidnapping" scams where fraudsters impersonate authorities and coerce victims into staging fake abductions to extract ransom payments from their families, with demands reaching $1 million. A notable case involved 17-year-old exchange student Kai Wang, who went missing in Utah in December 2023 after being targeted by scammers threatening violence. Victims experience significant financial losses and psychological trauma from these sophisticated schemes that exploit their trust in authority figures.
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KOAA 5
· 2025-07-25
A Colorado author lost over $100,000 in a combined romance and cryptocurrency investment scam after meeting someone on a dating app who convinced him to invest in what appeared to be a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity. The incident is part of a larger trend in Colorado, where residents lost more than $240 million to scams in the previous year according to FBI data. The scammer used video calls and seemingly normal conversation tactics to build trust before pivoting to the fraudulent investment scheme.
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WMTW-TV
· 2025-07-29
Maine's Kennebunk Police Department has hired Officer Candice Seomoni as the state's first dedicated elder justice investigator to research and investigate crimes against elderly residents. Seomoni reports that financial crimes are the most common abuse cases, with over 85% perpetrated by someone the victim knows and trusts, and she is already working on nearly a dozen cases while partnering with law enforcement across Maine to train officers on combating elder fraud and abuse.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-08-01
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand highlighted that elder abuse and neglect significantly impacts older adults in communities and long-term care settings, with only one in 24 cases reported to authorities, indicating the problem is far more widespread than realized. She emphasized that community programs—including long-term care ombudsman programs, protection advocacy agencies, and adult protective services—are essential systems that must be strengthened and protected to combat elder abuse and financial fraud. Gillibrand called for Congress to ensure these programs remain available to seniors and to empower law enforcement in preventing financial abuse as scams continue to evolve.
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BBC News
· 2025-08-02
This BBC documentary exposes multi-million pound whiskey investment scams targeting investors in Scotland's unregulated whiskey trade. Criminals deceive investors into purchasing worthless assets (such as picture frames instead of actual whiskey), with victims losing between £47,000 and over £300,000 each. The investigation tracks perpetrators exploiting the industry's lack of regulation while investors are left financially devastated with no recourse.
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CBC News
· 2025-08-07
Cecil and Sam Victor, elderly customers at TD Bank for over 40 years, lost approximately $10,000 in a "grandparent scam" after receiving calls claiming their grandson needed bail money for a car accident; they made two wire transfers within a day of each other. Their daughter questions the bank's fraud prevention practices, arguing that tellers should have flagged the suspicious back-to-back transfers from senior customers as unusual activity, though TD Bank stated the transactions were authorized and declined to intervene.
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WCVB Channel 5 Boston
· 2025-08-12
Thirteen members of a transnational elder fraud ring operating from a call center in the Dominican Republic were charged, with nine arrested and four still at large. The sophisticated operation targeted more than 400 victims, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, using the "grandchild in trouble" scam and even arranging Uber rides to banks to collect cash from seniors. Many victims lost their life savings and suffered lasting emotional trauma, with full financial recovery unlikely as authorities work to seize assets.
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Western Mass News
· 2025-08-13
Thirteen individuals have been charged for operating a transnational elder fraud scheme centered at a call center in the Dominican Republic that defrauded over 400 U.S. seniors of more than $5 million. The perpetrators used fake emergency scripts claiming victims' loved ones needed money, sometimes orchestrating ride-share drivers to transport elderly victims to banks for additional withdrawals, before laundering funds back to the Dominican Republic. Nine suspects are in custody while four remain at large; all face multiple fraud charges.
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wgaltv
· 2025-08-13
Thirteen suspects were arrested in connection with a sophisticated international grandparent scam ring that stole over $5 million from more than 400 seniors, with call centers in the Dominican Republic and money-collection runners across the United States including Massachusetts. The scam involved criminals posing as grandchildren in distress and pressuring elderly victims to withdraw cash from banks, with one victim's family losing $18,000 in the scheme. Authorities recommend families establish a code word that grandchildren must provide when calling, as a protective measure against this type of fraud.
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WHNT News 19
· 2025-08-19
Scammers are tricking consumers into paying fees for passport renewal forms that are actually free downloads from the U.S. government website. These fraudulent sites mimic the official government website (ending in .com instead of .gov) and may trick victims into providing personal and financial information, potentially leading to identity theft. Consumers should verify they are using the official site (travel.state.gov) and avoid clicking sponsored search results, while monitoring their bank accounts if they suspect they've been victimized.
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FOX 5 Atlanta
· 2025-08-20
Peach Tree City Police identified cryptocurrency ATMs as the leading cause of fraud in their jurisdiction, with victims losing $2 million in just eight months of 2024. Scammers deceived residents into depositing cash into cryptocurrency accounts via ATMs located in stores and gas stations, often wiping out life savings and retirement accounts. Police emphasized that any unsolicited request to use a crypto or Bitcoin ATM is a scam, and warn this problem is occurring in communities nationwide.