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justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, a Peruvian call center operator, pleaded guilty to his role in a $15 million transnational mail and wire fraud scheme that targeted over 30,000 Spanish-speaking U.S. residents, including elderly people and recent immigrants. Zuñiga's operation made unsolicited calls falsely claiming victims had won prizes or qualified for free English courses, then impersonated lawyers and court officials to threaten victims with arrest and immigration consequences unless they paid. He was the 12th defendant convicted in the scheme, which also included a restitution scam targeting previous victims.
oig.hhs.gov
· 2025-12-08
Dr. Magaly Mercedes Velasquez, her spouse Maria Jose Talavera, and billing manager Jessica Monique Perez were sentenced in Riverside County for operating a fraudulent billing scheme that defrauded California's Medi-Cal program of nearly $800,000. Velasquez and Talavera each received 364 days in jail and were ordered to pay $770,238 in restitution to Medi-Cal, while Perez received two years of probation. The case was prosecuted by the California Department of Justice's Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
oig.ssa.gov
· 2025-12-08
Two Dominican nationals, Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, were extradited to the United States and charged in connection with a "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans across multiple states out of millions of dollars. Operating from call centers in the Dominican Republic, the defendants allegedly impersonated attorneys, police officers, and court personnel, convincing elderly victims that their grandchildren needed emergency bail money or legal fees following arrests or accidents. Both men face charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, with potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison per count.
golocalprov.com
· 2025-12-08
Alfred Appiah, a 35-year-old employee at an international renewable energy company in Rhode Island, was sentenced to seven months in federal prison for defrauding his employer of $158,000 through over 600 unauthorized purchases on a company credit card between June 2021 and December 2021. Appiah pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and was ordered to pay full restitution of $158,850.43; his fraudulent purchases included personal expenses such as travel, clothing, entertainment, and various services.
wyomingnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Banking and law enforcement officials in Wyoming warn that fraud is increasingly common and takes multiple forms, including wire fraud, romance scams, and schemes targeting the elderly by impersonating lawyers or law enforcement officers claiming a family member is in trouble. Scammers use spoofed caller IDs, AI voice cloning, and legitimate-looking websites to exploit trusting people, with victims often embarrassed to report incidents and arrests remaining rare since perpetrators frequently operate outside jurisdiction. Authorities advise residents to verify caller information independently, never provide personal details over the phone, and recognize that legitimate law enforcement will not demand payment or bonds via phone calls.
indiatoday.in
· 2025-12-08
Online scammers in India are increasingly targeting elderly individuals through sophisticated fraud schemes, including impersonation of government officials and threats of arrest. Notable cases include a 77-year-old woman in Bengaluru who lost Rs 1.28 crore after scammers posing as telecom and police officials coerced her into sharing bank details, and a Chandigarh woman defrauded of Rs 72 lakh in a "digital arrest" scam. Seniors are particularly vulnerable due to limited digital literacy, natural trust in authority figures, and financial stability, making awareness, verification of unsolicited contacts, and updated device security essential protective measures.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article describes 12 common scams targeting seniors, including government impersonation (IRS, Medicare, Social Security), fake charity donations, lottery/sweepstakes schemes, phishing emails, voice recording scams, grandchild emergency requests, computer repair scams, and romance scams. The article advises seniors to verify requests independently, never provide personal information to unsolicited callers, hang up without responding to suspicious calls, and confirm the identity of family members before sending money.
kemmerergazette.com
· 2025-12-08
Banking and law enforcement officials in Evanston, Wyoming warn that fraud is increasingly common and takes multiple forms, including wire fraud, romance scams, impersonation of lawyers and law enforcement via spoofed caller IDs, and AI-generated voice cloning. Elderly residents are particularly targeted through calls falsely claiming relatives are in jail or in trouble, with scammers using pressure and urgency to manipulate victims into sending money via wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Law enforcement advises residents to verify calls by manually dialing official numbers, never provide personal information over the phone, and recognize that legitimate deputies will never collect money by phone.
mypunepulse.com
· 2025-12-08
A 77-year-old woman in Bengaluru was defrauded of Rs 1.2 crore by scammers posing as government officials who fabricated accusations of illegal SIM card purchase and money laundering, then coerced her into transferring funds by threatening arrest with forged documents. The victim realized she had been scammed only after attempting to contact the fraudsters once the supposed investigation concluded. Key prevention measures include independently verifying caller identities, being skeptical of threats demanding immediate payment, protecting personal financial information, and verifying claims through official channels.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
David Murar, a 73-year-old Missouri defense contractor, was sentenced to five years probation and fined $50,000 for fraudulently obtaining at least $333,465 in government contracts by sourcing restricted military parts from China and other foreign countries while concealing their origin and falsely claiming one of his companies was woman-owned. Murar violated export control laws by sharing protected military technical data with foreign entities and repackaged parts to hide their overseas origin, creating potential national security risks to U.S. Armed Forces weapon systems. He has already repaid $166,710 and was banned from future government contracting.
kttn.com
· 2025-12-08
Zella Rives, 57, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to 18 months of house arrest and five years of probation and ordered to repay $131,155 for fraudulently obtaining Social Security disability benefits for her son over 13 years by concealing he was not disabled and falsely reporting his employment and resources. Her son, Gino Rives, was separately sentenced to 87 months in prison for the disability fraud and additional charges involving the financial exploitation of two elderly women, from whom he fraudulently obtained over $855,000 and a house.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Louisiana physician, Adrian Dexter Talbot, was convicted of illegally distributing over 1.8 million doses of Schedule II opioids and defrauding health care programs of more than $5.4 million. Talbot operated a clinic that dispensed prescriptions for cash without proper patient examinations, pre-signed prescriptions while working elsewhere, falsified patient records, and allowed individuals to bill Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for prescriptions written without medical necessity. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count and sentencing is scheduled for October 23.
cubaheadlines.com
· 2025-12-08
An 87-year-old and 82-year-old couple in Miami lost $18,500 in a grandparent scam where a caller impersonated their grandson claiming to be arrested, directing them to send bail money via a Lyft driver who delivered it to the perpetrator. Agustín García Marsán, 38, was arrested and faces multiple charges including elder theft and organized fraud after being linked to similar scams across Florida and North Carolina using fake identities and ride-sharing services to collect money from elderly victims.
sandiegouniontribune.com
· 2025-12-08
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day highlights the widespread problem of elder abuse, with approximately 5 million older adults abused annually in the United States, though only 1 in 14 cases are reported. Financial fraud is the most common form of elder abuse, with victims losing roughly $30 billion yearly, and can be prevented through awareness of common scams (lottery schemes, identity theft, phishing), use of technology safeguards (bank alerts, account monitoring), and maintaining social connections. Older adults and their supporters are encouraged to report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services, local law enforcement, or resources like the National Center on Elder Abuse and the Eldercare Locator (1-800
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Ahmad Ebadi, a 26-year-old from Quebec, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud for his role as a "bagman" collecting money in a grandparent scam targeting Saskatoon seniors in December 2023. The scam involved criminals posing as grandchildren and lawyers claiming family members were in legal trouble and needed bail money, with Ebadi collecting the funds in person; one couple nearly lost $9,000 before police intervened with a sting operation. Both the prosecution and defense recommended a sentence of 1.5 to 2 years, with the judge to rule later in the summer on whether Ebadi serves time in jail or in the community.
jcsentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, elder fraud reports to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center rose 14 percent, with over 101,000 victims aged 60 and older losing more than $3.4 billion—an average of $33,915 per victim. The most common scams included tech support fraud, investment schemes (costing $1.2 billion alone), government impersonation, romance scams, and cryptocurrency fraud, with scammers often using spoofed caller IDs and posing as agencies like the IRS and Social Security Administration. TARCOG hosted a Fraud & Scam Summit in Alabama to educate the community about these schemes and provide resources to
wxii12.com
· 2025-12-08
Fraud investigators in Guilford County are warning senior citizens about a court-related scam in which callers falsely claim victims missed jury duty or failed to appear in court, demanding payment of fines to resolve the alleged offense. Detective Chris Malloy emphasized that law enforcement does not collect money over the phone and advised potential victims to recognize this as a fear-based scam; scammers accept payment through gift cards, cash, cryptocurrency, and gold, and are difficult to prosecute, especially when operating from overseas. The Guilford County Sheriff's Office offers a senior academy program to help residents protect themselves against fraud.
readthereporter.com
· 2025-12-08
American Senior Communities is hosting a free educational session in partnership with the Indiana Attorney General and U.S. Department of Justice to teach seniors how to recognize and avoid scams and fraud. The session covers common elder fraud tactics, including grandparent scams, romance scams, and fake investment schemes, which collectively cost seniors over $5.9 billion annually. The event takes place July 25 from 2-4 p.m. at Allisonville Meadows in Fishers, Indiana.
sandiegouniontribune.com
· 2025-12-08
At a California senior scam awareness seminar, officials warned that seniors remain the primary target for financial fraud due to their assets, with losses exceeding $3.4 billion reported to the FBI in 2023 alone. Common scams targeting older adults include online romance fraud (median loss over $9,000 for those 70+), annuity schemes, imposter calls impersonating government agencies and companies, tech support scams, and home remodeling fraud. Experts advised seniors to verify caller information independently, recognize high-pressure sales tactics and false urgency, and remember that government agencies do not initiate contact by phone.
tribtoday.com
· 2025-12-08
The Warren-Trumbull County Public Library hosted an FBI presentation on elder fraud on August 1, covering current scam schemes, victim support resources, and prevention strategies. The free program was presented in partnership with Trumbull 100 to educate the community on protecting seniors from fraud.
illawarramercury.com.au
· 2025-12-08
A former police officer turned private investigator in Australia estimates that romantic scams are significantly under-reported due to victims' shame and embarrassment, with her agency having contacted 25-30 victims who never reported losses through official channels. Her clients have lost between $100,000 and $500,000 each to romance scammers, with one 86-year-old man losing $200,000 in savings, while reported romance scam losses in Australia total approximately $200 million. She advises the public to watch for red flags including poor grammar, premature declarations of love, scripted conversations, and requests to keep the relationship secret—and to walk away if the person cannot meet in person
wbrc.com
· 2025-12-08
Amazon is warning consumers about imposter scams targeting Prime members, where scammers send fake emails, calls, or texts claiming unauthorized charges or membership expiration to trick victims into revealing personal and payment information. To protect yourself, verify communications through Amazon's Message Center or Your Account section on Amazon.com, and report suspicious messages at amazon.com/reportascam.
disb.dc.gov
· 2025-12-08
This educational resource from DISB (District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking) provides information on common scam types to help consumers protect themselves during financial transactions. The tracker includes detailed examples of advance fee scams, affinity scams by licensed professionals, and credit card phishing scams, with specific case narratives and protective strategies such as verifying information directly with legitimate agencies and being cautious of unsolicited financial offers.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Idaho's Department of Finance and Commission on Aging have established a joint Senior Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention Working Group (SFFEP) comprising financial and senior protection experts to develop policies and solutions protecting seniors from financial crime. With seniors losing an estimated $36.5 billion annually to scams and cybercrime losses reaching $3.4 billion in 2023 alone, the working group aims to improve fraud prevention, identification, enforcement, public education, and reporting mechanisms for Idaho's senior community.
newsday.com
· 2025-12-08
Two unlicensed contractors, John Francis McDonough (31) from Philadelphia and James Anthony Eugene Ward (25), were charged with operating a home improvement scam targeting elderly and vulnerable Long Island homeowners under the business name "Top Line Masonry." The men would deliberately damage properties and falsely report existing damage to solicit repair work, with Nassau County police reporting 31 home improvement scams this year—22 involving elderly victims—including one case where a homeowner was defrauded of $239,000. Both men face multiple felony charges including first-degree scheme to defraud, and investigators are still determining the total number of victims and amount defrauded by this pair.
inkl.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta removed approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts based in Nigeria that were conducting sextortion scams, primarily targeting adult men in the US and some minors, with threats to expose private sexual content unless financial demands were met. The takedown included a network of 2,500 accounts managed by roughly 20 individuals, with most sextortion attempts being unsuccessful, though cases targeting minors were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Meta's crackdown follows multiple tragic incidents where sextortion victims died by suicide, and the company has since developed AI-powered protection tools and automated systems to identify and block sextortion accounts.
latintimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Dominican nationals, Rafael Ambiorix Rodríguez Guzmán and Félix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, were extradited to the United States and charged as part of an 11-person indictment involving a large-scale elder fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of American seniors of millions of dollars. Operating from call centers in the Dominican Republic, the conspirators used spoofed U.S. phone numbers to impersonate grandchildren claiming to need emergency money, then posed as attorneys and officials to convince victims to wire or mail thousands in cash to couriers. Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison and substantial fines if convicted on fraud and money laundering
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian internet fraudster Marcel, a 26-year-old "Yahoo boy" based in Abuja, destroyed evidence by hiding his phone in a toilet pipe when Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials raided his apartment building in May following a tip-off about suspected cybercriminals in the area. Though officers searched his room and discovered his phone charger, they did not locate the hidden device, and Marcel was not arrested during the raid, though he admitted to using the phone for "bombing and grinding" (finding and defrauding online victims) for over two years.
openaccessgovernment.org
· 2025-12-08
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercriminals exploited vulnerable populations through phishing emails (up 220%), fake vaccine offers, and impersonation scams, with older adults particularly targeted due to limited digital literacy and social isolation. Impersonation scam cases doubled to 39,394 in 2020, romance scams increased 38%, and investment scams rose 32%, resulting in £479 million in Authorized Push Payment fraud losses in the UK with victims recovering only £206.9 million. Financial services firms are urged to implement continuous fraud awareness campaigns and change communication practices to avoid inadvertently training customers to fall victim to scams.
thewhistler.ng
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian man, Obinna Ezenwa, accused an American woman, Kymberly Stalvey Ann Shepard, of deception after they met on a dating app in 2018 and married in Nigeria in 2019, only to discover she was already legally married to multiple men and had concealed this fact. After she returned to the US and refused to file immigration paperwork for him as promised, claiming she had reached her sponsorship limit, their relationship deteriorated, leading to a defamation lawsuit filed by Ezenwa in 2022 and his being declared wanted by Nigeria's EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) in April 2024
wtop.com
· 2025-12-08
Gold bar scams have defrauded more than a dozen victims in Montgomery County, Maryland alone, with losses exceeding $1 million in individual cases, targeting primarily elderly individuals by convincing them to convert their savings into gold bars under false promises of safekeeping in government vaults. Scammers exploit economic anxiety and victims' unfamiliarity with gold purchasing by posing as financial advisors, directing victims to purchase gold through legitimate retailers before criminals take possession of the assets, which are then difficult to recover or trace once melted down. Montgomery County police have identified at least 17 victims of these schemes in the county, with the State's Attorney noting millions lost in total across the region.
glasgowtimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Scammers in East Dunbartonshire impersonated police officers and defrauded multiple older residents of four and five-figure sums by calling them at home, claiming concerns about fraudulent bank card use, and convincing victims to withdraw cash or provide bank details. The criminals would then collect the money in person while posing as plain-clothed officers. Police Scotland issued an urgent warning that legitimate officers and banks will never phone to request money transfers, withdrawals, or personal financial information, and advised residents to hang up on such calls and contact police on 101 if unsure.
picketfencemedia.com
· 2025-12-08
Assemblymember Laurie Davies hosted two senior scam awareness seminars in Oceanside and Vista that drew over 300 participants, highlighting that seniors in San Diego County lost $97.3 million to scams in 2023. The article outlines six common elder fraud schemes—including tech support, romance, grandparent, government impersonation, sweepstakes, and home repair scams—and advises seniors to verify suspicious calls directly with institutions, never share financial information over the phone, and report scams to local police to increase recovery chances and help law enforcement stop fraudsters.
taipeitimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Taichung police issued a warning about a sextortion scam targeting young people on dating and video chat sites, where victims are persuaded to strip naked on camera and then blackmailed for money with threats to distribute the footage. Since the start of the year, police handled 718 cases of online sexual exploitation and blackmail, with male victims comprising over half, predominantly young adults and teenagers; in one case, a high school student was threatened for NT$60,000. Police urge victims to report incidents immediately, preserve evidence, and strengthen privacy settings, emphasizing that some victims have tragically taken their own lives due to pressure from repeated blackmail.
wusa9.com
· 2025-12-08
A 52-year-old Maryland man, Vipul Thakkar, was arrested and charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from at least a 74-year-old victim since March by impersonating a government official and convincing them to convert savings into gold bars for "safekeeping." At least 20 similar victims have been identified across Montgomery County, and authorities are investigating potential connections, noting that recovery of the gold is extremely difficult once transferred.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
A senior tech executive from Thrissur, Kerala, Dhanya Mohan, was arrested for embezzling Rs 20 crores from her employer Manappuram Comptech & Consultants Ltd by exploiting her access to the company's personal loan app to create fake accounts and transfer funds to personal bank accounts while deleting digital records to avoid detection. The fraud was discovered on July 23 when an Rs 80 lakh transaction was flagged, prompting Dhanya to flee; she was eventually tracked down and apprehended after police found evidence including deleted server records and bank statements. Her husband received Rs 40 lakhs in transferred funds, though his involvement in the
thestar.com.my
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, chairman of the Alliance For A Safe Community, advocates for maintaining over-the-counter bank transactions for senior citizens to enhance financial security and prevent fraud, citing that many elderly individuals lack digital literacy and face age-related challenges with technology. His statement was prompted by recent incidents in which scammers posing as helpful strangers stole over RM100,000 from elderly people at ATM machines by switching their cards and stealing PIN numbers. Lee argues that banks should provide in-person assistance and alternative transaction methods for seniors to prevent social isolation and ensure equitable access to essential banking services.
aljazeera.com
· 2025-12-08
In October 2021, La Awng was trafficked from Myanmar into a cyber-scamming operation in Laukkai run by Chinese criminal networks, where he was forced to conduct "pig butchering" romance scams targeting foreign victims into fake cryptocurrency investments. The Southeast Asian scam industry has expanded dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, with criminal syndicates generating approximately $64 billion annually in online fraud by 2023, employing hundreds of thousands of workers from over 60 countries held in prison-like conditions with threats of physical abuse and torture. La Awng's case exemplifies how vulnerable workers are deceived into trafficking situations through fraudulent job offers,
indeonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Jury duty scams remain persistent threats that use spoofed caller ID, personal information verification, and intimidating claims of missed court dates or arrest warrants to pressure victims into paying thousands of dollars via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Scammers may also use variations involving malware-infected email attachments or identity theft, with one recent victim losing $1,000 before recognizing the fraud. To protect themselves, people should verify court summons through official postal mail only, independently confirm any judicial claims by contacting official court numbers, ignore urgent pressure tactics, avoid untraceable payment methods, and consult trusted contacts before responding to suspicious communications.
gantnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, banks reported over $27 billion in suspicious elder fraud activity, with FBI reports indicating average losses exceeding $33,000 per case, driven partly by advanced AI technologies like voice cloning that enable realistic impersonation. Common scams targeting elders employ two main strategies: creating urgency (tech support, government imposter, grandparent scams) or offering attractive opportunities (investment, romance, lottery scams). Protective measures include pausing when rushed, verifying identities through independent channels before acting, avoiding nontraditional payment methods, and consulting trusted confidants about unusual requests.
unionleader.com
· 2025-12-08
More than 100,000 Americans fell victim to scams in the past year, with two-thirds being seniors; in New Hampshire alone, over 400 residents aged 60+ lost more than $11 million to scams in 2023. Seniors are targeted because they are often polite, trusting, financially stable, and own homes, making them attractive to scammers who use impersonation tactics (posing as bankers, government agents, IT experts, romantic partners, and relatives) and increasingly sophisticated online methods like phishing and email scams. Tech support scams were the most common type nationally, while romance and confidence scams caused the highest losses in New Hampshire
marinij.com
· 2025-12-08
Two suspects, Ronnie Curtis Baker and Kimberley Marie Mallory, were charged with defrauding an 80-year-old Greenbrae resident through a mortgage fraud scheme in 2022-2023, with Baker falsely posing as a licensed contractor to steal the victim's identity and obtain a $250,000 fraudulent loan against the victim's home. Baker laundered approximately $230,000 through business accounts for personal use and property purchases, while Mallory, a notary public, allegedly aided in the scheme; Baker faces up to 23 years in prison if convicted, while Mallory faces up to nine years.
du.edu
· 2025-12-08
The Paul Freeman Financial Security Program at the University of Denver expanded the Colorado Older Adults Financial Justice Coalition to combat elder financial fraud, which costs older Americans over $20 billion annually. The coalition brings together state agencies, advocacy organizations, and researchers to develop prevention tools and frameworks that address the complex relationship between cognitive health, financial decision-making, and vulnerability to exploitation. The team is creating a financial vulnerability scale and training programs for frontline workers to identify and protect at-risk individuals across the lifespan.
timesnownews.com
· 2025-12-08
A mechanical engineer from Visakhapatnam lost Rs 28 lakh to an organized romance scam gang operating from Telangana, who created fake dating profiles, built emotional trust, and manipulated the victim into transferring money while threatening to release compromising photos. The article advises protection strategies including identity verification through reverse image searches, caution against rapid relationship escalation, safeguarding personal information, recognizing red flags like money requests and avoided video calls, and reporting suspicious profiles to platforms and authorities.
moneyweek.com
· 2025-12-08
Barclays reported a 139% increase in romance scam losses during May and June compared to the previous two months, with men averaging £3,500 in losses and women £8,900 per incident. Romance scammers create fake online profiles on dating apps and social media to build false romantic relationships before requesting money for claimed emergencies. To protect against these scams, people should verify online profiles through reverse image searches, ask probing questions, never send money to online-only contacts, and report suspicious accounts immediately.
courier-journal.com
· 2025-12-08
Juan Carlos Arcena Cabrera, a New York resident, was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison for defrauding a Kentucky senior of $59,000 through a "grandparent scam" in which he posed as the victim's grandson claiming an emergency need for money. Cabrera, who pleaded guilty to targeting multiple victims over years, coordinated with others to fabricate scenarios such as car accidents or legal troubles, then repeatedly contacted victims impersonating attorneys and professionals to extract additional funds. The case is part of a national trend of grandparent scams that the U.S. Justice Department has prioritized, with some scammers using voice-cloning technology to increase authent
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A 52-year-old Maryland man was charged with operating a "Gold Bar Scam" that defrauded a 74-year-old Bethesda victim of over $1 million between May and June. The scam involved sending official-looking FTC lawsuit letters, then posing as an attorney who convinced the victim to convert his assets into gold eight separate times. Investigators believe this is part of a larger scheme affecting multiple elderly victims across Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia.
unionleader.com
· 2025-12-08
More than 100,000 Americans fell victim to scams in the past year, with two-thirds being seniors; in New Hampshire alone, over 400 residents aged 60 and older lost more than $11 million to fraud in 2023. Seniors are targeted because they are often polite, trusting, financially stable, and own their homes, making them attractive victims for scammers who pose as bankers, government agents, IT experts, and romantic partners. Tech support scams are the most common form of elder fraud, while romance and confidence scams result in the largest financial losses, though experts note these crimes are vastly underreported due to victims' shame and embarrassment.
unionleader.com
· 2025-12-08
More than 400 New Hampshire residents age 60 and older lost over $11 million to scams in 2023, with tech support fraud being the most common type and romance scams causing the highest financial losses. Seniors are disproportionately targeted because they are often polite, trusting, financially stable, and own homes, while scammers increasingly use online tactics like phishing and email scams targeting Baby Boomers with computer skills. Experts attribute the rise in elder fraud to increased online activity that exposes personal information, scammers' use of impersonation and research tactics, and significant underreporting due to victims' shame and embarrassment.
dallasnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Kelly Mitchell, 58, had her Facebook account hacked and used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme through fake images and religious messaging—a tactic combining impersonation and "pig butchering" scams where criminals pose as trusted contacts to solicit ongoing investments. According to FTC data, cryptocurrency scams cost Americans $1.41 billion across 47,537 reports in 2023, with experts recommending basic security measures like two-factor authentication and strong passwords as essential protection against these increasingly common social media fraud attacks.