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caughtindot.com
· 2025-12-08
The Boston Police Department is warning of increased online romance scams targeting people across dating apps and social media, where scammers build fake emotional relationships and request money for emergencies, military expenses, or fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. These scams also employ sextortion tactics, threatening to release explicit photos unless victims pay, and victims should never send money to people they haven't met in person and should report incidents to local police, the FTC, or FBI's IC3. Red flags include requests to move conversations to private messaging apps, frequent cancellations of in-person meetings, demands for money or explicit photos, and attempts to isolate victims from friends and family.
welivesecurity.com
· 2025-12-08
Threat actors are exploiting Google Forms—a widely trusted, free, and easy-to-use tool with approximately 50% market share—to conduct phishing scams and malware distribution campaigns. They leverage Google Forms' legitimacy to evade email security filters and create convincing spoofs of banks, social media sites, and payment pages to harvest login credentials, financial information, and personal data, or to redirect victims to malware installation sites. Additional tactics include "callback phishing" where victims are tricked into calling numbers controlled by voice phishing gangs, and quiz spam designed to collect sensitive information.
dailydodge.com
· 2025-12-08
The Beaver Dam Police Department reports an uptick in impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as federal agents and demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Scammers use fake credentials and emotional manipulation to pressure victims into sending money, which is typically unrecoverable once transferred. Authorities recommend contacting law enforcement or trusted contacts if something seems suspicious rather than complying with unsolicited payment requests.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, scammers stole a record $16.6 billion from over 250,000 victims, representing a 33% increase from 2023, with an average loss of $19,000 per victim. People over 60 filed the most complaints (147,000) and suffered the greatest losses at $4.8 billion (average of $83,000 per person), while investment scams ($6.5 billion), compromised business emails ($2.7 billion), and tech support scams ($1.4 billion) were the leading fraud types. The FBI notes that cryptocurrency was the most common payment method used by scammers, and reporte
nbcnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals stole a record $16.6 billion in 2024, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, a 33% increase from $12.5 billion in 2023. People age 60 and older were the biggest victims, losing $4.8 billion total, with $2.8 billion involving cryptocurrency and $1.8 billion lost to investment scams including "pig butchering" schemes where criminals pose as romantic partners to convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency ventures. The report, based on 859,532 complaints filed, is considered an undercount of actual cybercrime losses.
planadviser.com
· 2025-12-08
Representative Zachary Nunn introduced the bipartisan GUARD Act, which would provide federal grant funding to local law enforcement agencies to investigate financial fraud against retirees, including tools for tracing blockchain technology and resources for specialized staff training. The legislation is prompted by significant elder fraud losses, including over $42.6 million in Iowa alone in 2023 and $3.4 billion nationally among those aged 60+ in that same year, with particular focus on "pig butchering" investment scams involving cryptocurrency. If passed, federal agencies would be required to report on fraud trends and enforcement efforts, and financial institutions would be encouraged to appoint liaisons to improve data sharing with law enforcement.
ibtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Elderly Americans aged over 60 suffered the largest cryptocurrency scam losses in 2024, accounting for over $2.8 billion of the $9.3 billion in total crypto fraud losses reported by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Scammers disproportionately target seniors through investment scams, fraudulent crypto ATMs, and tech-support schemes, exploiting their vulnerabilities by creating artificial urgency around false security threats. The 2024 losses represented a 66% increase compared to 2023, with elderly victims being three times more likely to be scammed than younger demographics.
coincentral.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost $9.3 billion to cryptocurrency fraud in 2024, a 66% increase from 2023, with people over 60 suffering disproportionately—accounting for $2.8 billion in losses (30% of total crypto fraud) despite representing only 17% of the population, averaging $83,000 per victim. Investment fraud was the largest scam category affecting seniors, while crypto ATM fraud complaints nearly doubled year-over-year, with elderly victims losing $107 million through these schemes alone. The FBI's "Operation Level Up" initiative has identified and notified potential victims, saving an estimated $285 million since its January 2024 launch.
cybersecuritydive.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center report found that Americans lost $16.6 billion to cyber fraud and internet crimes, a 33% increase from 2023, with investment scams causing the most financial damage at $6.6 billion despite being only the fifth most commonly reported crime type. Phishing, spoofing, and extortion generated the most complaints, while business email compromise (BEC) and other persuasion-based scams proved most costly, indicating that social engineering exploits cause greater financial harm than technical vulnerabilities.
verywellmind.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational guide explores the intersection of fraud and mental health, examining how the prevalence of scams—which cost Americans over $12 billion in 2024—creates psychological stress and constant vigilance in daily life. The article discusses how exposure to fraud, whether direct or indirect, can lead to anxiety, distrust, and destabilizing uncertainty, particularly as scammers increasingly use deceptive text messages, emails, and phone calls to target victims through romance scams, impersonation schemes, and fake job offers. The piece emphasizes the importance of protecting one's digital identity and provides strategies for managing the mental health impacts of living in an environment where fraudulent threats are pervasive and often difficult to distinguish
sbs.com.au
· 2025-12-08
A man named Eman lost 500 AUD to a romance scam in which a woman he met online posed as a romantic interest, then directed him to a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform showing fake returns before blocking him. According to Scamwatch Australia, romance scams resulted in over $23.5 million in losses in a single year, with scammers using emotional manipulation to gradually increase victims' investments in fake platforms. Beyond financial loss, psychologists note these scams cause significant damage to victims' self-worth, trust, and emotional stability; victims can report such incidents to the ACCC, Australian Cyber Security Hotline (1300 292 371), local police, an
bostonglobe.com
· 2025-12-08
Boston police issued a warning about a surge in online romance scams that use fake dating and social media profiles to deceive victims across all ages and genders. Scammers pose as romantic partners and fabricate emergencies—such as medical bills, travel expenses, or legal fees—to extort money, with tactics increasingly involving cryptocurrency investment schemes and sextortion. The department advised residents never to send money or personal information to people they haven't met in person and to report incidents to local police and the Federal Trade Commission.
home.barclays
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams increased 20 percent in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, with the majority originating on social media and dating platforms. Victims aged 61 or older were particularly vulnerable, losing an average of £19,000 per scam in 2024, more than triple the overall average of £8,000. Scammers typically build trust quickly before requesting money through fake emergencies, travel costs, or medical expenses, often using emotional manipulation and artificial intelligence to impersonate celebrities or create false urgency.
washingtontimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans ages 60 and older lost $4.9 billion to fraud scams in 2024, representing a 43% increase from the previous year, according to the FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Report based on 147,127 complaints. Phishing scams were the most common type of fraud targeting seniors, while investment scams proved the costliest at $1.8 billion in losses; cryptocurrency was used in $2.8 billion of fraudulent transactions, with victims averaging $83,000 in losses.
coingeek.com
· 2025-12-08
A Brazilian judge sentenced Joel Ferreira de Souza to 128 years in prison for laundering proceeds from the Braiscompany Ponzi scheme, which defrauded approximately 20,000 investors of around $190 million between 2020-2023. Simultaneously, the U.S. SEC charged Ramil Palafox with operating a fraudulent crypto and foreign exchange scheme called PGI Global that raised $198 million from investors worldwide, with Palafox misappropriating over $57 million for personal luxury purchases while using remaining funds to pay earlier investors in a Ponzi-like structure.
wytv.com
· 2025-12-08
A Newton Falls Township man reported to the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office that he was scammed via Instagram when someone offered him $500 to paint a profile photo, sent him money, then demanded repayment via Cash App before threatening him with images of violence. After the victim refused, the scammer emailed him graphic images including decapitated heads and armed individuals. Police advised the victim to close his social media accounts, delete his email, and contact his bank.
cryptopolitan.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans aged 60 and above lost $4.8 billion to cybercrime in 2024, a 43% increase year-over-year, with 7,500 seniors losing $100,000 or more each—more than any other age group, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Report. Seniors are particularly vulnerable due to limited digital literacy, isolation, substantial savings, and advanced, personalized scams; cryptocurrency investment schemes ("pig butchering") alone accounted for $2.8 billion in losses. The article argues that existing U.S. regulations fail to address digital threats adequately, unlike European programs, and calls for systemic reform including real-time fraud detection
thedailyrecord.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old Maryland resident sued Athena Bitcoin and Genesis Coin in February 2024, alleging the companies knowingly facilitate elder financial abuse by placing ATMs in senior-heavy neighborhoods, charging high fees, and failing to implement fraud-prevention measures. Reynolds lost $13,000 in a tech support scam where she was directed to deposit cash via an Athena ATM using a scammer's QR code. The lawsuit seeks class-action status for Maryland seniors and cites FTC data showing consumers lost over $110 million to Bitcoin ATM scams in 2023, a nearly tenfold increase since 2020.
foxbusiness.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, online scammers stole a record $16.6 billion, a 33% increase from the previous year, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, which received over 859,500 complaints. People over 60 were hit hardest, accounting for more than 147,100 complaints and $4.8 billion in losses, with investment scams ($6.57 billion), phishing/spoofing (193,400 complaints), and cryptocurrency fraud ($9.3 billion, up 66% year-over-year) among the most prevalent crimes. Cyber-enabled fraud represented 83% of all losses at $13.
decrypt.co
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
An Ethereum user lost nearly $700,000 in USDT stablecoin on Sunday to an address poisoning scam, where a malicious actor created a wallet address visually identical to a legitimate Binance deposit address the victim had recently used. The attacker used automated software to generate thousands of fake addresses matching common deposit addresses, sending a fraudulent transaction that the victim mistakenly copied from their transaction history; the scammer then converted the stolen funds to DAI to prevent freezing. Security experts recommend users verify full wallet addresses character-by-character on blockchain explorers like Etherscan and never trust truncated addresses or copy addresses from transaction history to avoid this rising form of sc
visayandailystar.com
· 2025-12-08
Asian crime syndicates operating multibillion-dollar cyberscam networks have expanded globally from Southeast Asia to South America and Africa despite regional law enforcement raids, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. These organized groups operate scam farms housing thousands of trafficked workers generating tens of billions in annual profits, with the U.S. alone reporting $5.6 billion in losses to cryptocurrency and romance scams in 2023, disproportionately affecting elderly and vulnerable victims. As Southeast Asian governments intensify crackdowns, the syndicates have adapted by exploiting weak governance and corruption to relocate operations, demonstrating the difficulty of containing what officials describe as a global criminal enterprise.
saharareporters.com
· 2025-12-08
On April 23, 2025, Nigeria's Federal High Court ordered the interim forfeiture of 73 properties and thousands of electronic items seized from Chinese nationals suspected of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, following a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The items—including 1,596 laptops, 4,091 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, vehicles, and household equipment—were recovered during a December 2024 operation that arrested 792 suspects involved in cryptocurrency investment and romance scams. The court directed publication of the forfeiture order to allow interested parties 14 days to contest before a final forfeiture decision is made.
businessday.ng
· 2025-12-08
A UN Office on Drugs and Crime report warns that Asian-led cybercrime syndicates, facing crackdowns in Southeast Asia, are expanding operations to Africa and Latin America, with Nigeria identified as a major target for romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency schemes. Law enforcement raids in Nigeria between late 2024 and early 2025 have arrested suspects linked to these East and Southeast Asian groups, as the global scam industry generates an estimated $40 billion annually and increasingly employs AI and deepfakes to evade detection. The report calls for urgent international cooperation, stronger cybersecurity infrastructure, and regional collaboration to combat this growing threat to Nigeria's digital economy and financial systems.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
This is a news roundup covering multiple security and privacy topics. Key points related to fraud include: cybercriminals stole a record $16.6 billion from US entities in 2024 (a 33% increase from 2023), with phishing, spoofing, extortion, investment scams, and business email compromise being the leading crime types; Google's new end-to-end encrypted email feature for Workspace accounts may create new phishing opportunities through fake invitation scams; and various government privacy and security incidents were reported.
mitrade.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans aged 60 and above lost $4.8 billion to cybercrime in 2024, a 43% increase year-over-year, with 7,500 seniors each losing $100,000 or more—more than any other age group according to the FBI's Internet Crime Report. Seniors are particularly vulnerable due to digital literacy gaps, isolation, financial assets, and trust in institutions that scammers impersonate, with cryptocurrency scams (especially "pig butchering" romance cons) and tech support fraud being especially profitable schemes. The article argues that current regulatory and institutional responses are fragmented and inadequate, placing fraud prevention burden on individuals rather than treating elder cybercrime
financial-planning.com
· 2025-12-08
A Government Accountability Office study found that fragmented federal oversight and lack of coordination among 13+ agencies hampers efforts to combat scams that cost Americans "large sums" including entire life savings. The report identified massive underreporting—only 5-15% of victims report scams—and recommended 16 actions including establishing a government-wide strategy, universal definition, and comprehensive estimate of scam losses to improve consumer protection efforts.
ktar.com
· 2025-12-08
"Smishing" (SMS phishing) scams involve criminals sending vague text messages from spoofed numbers to lists of phone numbers obtained through data breaches or random generation, with the goal of getting recipients to respond and confirm their number is active. Once a response is received, scammers build rapport through casual conversation before pivoting to requests for money, investment opportunities, malware links, or personal information for account hijacking. The safest defense is to not respond to suspicious texts, block and report them, and recognize that these carefully crafted messages exploit high SMS open rates (98%) and response rates (45%) to identify and manipulate vulnerable targets.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Wisconsin woman lost $80,000 to a cryptocurrency investment scam after discovering it on Facebook and being lured by promises of rapid returns; she initially invested $30,000, saw her balance apparently double, invested additional funds, and ultimately paid an extra $30,000 in fraudulent "taxes and fees" before realizing the investment dashboard was fake. The scam exemplifies the growing sophistication of crypto fraud in the U.S., where Americans lost $1.4 billion to cryptocurrency-related scams in 2024, with police indicating recovery of the funds is unlikely.
wbbjtv.com
· 2025-12-08
West Tennessee women lost nearly $50,000 to online romance scams over three weeks, with two victims each losing approximately $24,000 to men claiming to be military personnel who needed money due to financial hardship or restricted bank access abroad. The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers use fabricated "hard luck stories" and stolen social media photos to build trust before requesting money, and advises victims to use reverse image lookups to verify photos and report incidents to the BBB Scam Tracker or FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
bitcoinke.io
· 2025-12-08
Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised alarm over a surge in "cyber slavery" and organized scam operations targeting vulnerable Nigerian youth, particularly those lured abroad with false job promises in crypto-related fields. Perpetrators force victims into "419 cyber-scam factories" where they conduct mass fraudulent communications under coercive conditions targeting international victims. Recent enforcement actions include the EFCC's arrest of 792 individuals in December 2024 (including 148 Chinese nationals training Nigerian accomplices in romance and investment scams) and an ongoing investigation into the CBEX crypto platform collapse affecting users across multiple African countries.
nbcnewyork.com
· 2025-12-08
This is not an article about elder fraud, scams, or abuse. It appears to be a promotional piece about consumer reporter Lynda Baquero and her commitment to responding to consumer inquiries. It contains no information about fraud, scams, elder abuse, or consumer harm that would be relevant to the Elderus database.
tmj4.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired woman in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin lost her entire savings of $24,000 to a cryptocurrency scam after scammers impersonated Microsoft and her bank, convincing her to transfer money to a Bitcoin ATM under the false pretense of protecting her account from fraud. Local police reported an alarming increase in similar crypto scams over the past year, with some departments posting warning signs at Bitcoin ATMs to alert residents to common scam tactics. Once the money was transferred to the ATM, it was lost and likely moved internationally.
myfox28columbus.com
· 2025-12-08
Ohio state agencies warned seniors of escalating financial fraud threats during Older Ohioans Month, noting that Securities Division complaints rose 22% in 2024 to 302 cases, while national elder fraud losses reached $1.6 billion in the first five months of 2024. Officials highlighted increasingly sophisticated scams including AI voice cloning and cryptocurrency schemes, urging seniors to verify identities, resist pressure tactics, and monitor accounts closely.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $9.3 billion in losses from cryptocurrency-related scams across 149,686 complaints, a 66% increase from the previous year and the highest figure in IC3 history. Individuals aged 60 and older were the most affected demographic, accounting for over 33,000 complaints and $2.8 billion in losses—nearly one-third of total losses—with younger age groups also significantly impacted. Scammers employed tactics including investment fraud, social engineering, phishing, and impersonation of legitimate platforms, with victims often manipulated via social media and dating apps into transferring funds
local.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
This article describes an educational event held by AARP Virginia that presented information about six types of scams targeting older adults, paired with wine tastings. The scams covered included cryptocurrency fraud (where victims are tricked into depositing cash at crypto ATMs), jury duty scams (imposter calls claiming arrest is imminent unless fines are paid), and romance scams, with volunteers providing recognition strategies and prevention advice for each.
kgfw.com
· 2025-12-08
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued a consumer alert regarding a surge in romance scams and cryptocurrency investment fraud, with multiple victims losing six-figure sums after scammers used fake trading platforms and fabricated documents to convince them their investments were growing. Seniors have been particularly targeted, though victims span all age groups, with scammers often establishing fake romantic relationships before soliciting cryptocurrency investments. The alert advises avoiding unsolicited crypto investment offers, especially those promising high returns with minimal risk, and recommends reporting suspected scams to the FBI's IC3 or the Nebraska Attorney General's office.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
· 2025-12-08
A criminal ring operating from Cambodia used deepfake technology to create fake personas of attractive women and men to conduct romance and investment scams, defrauding over 100 victims of approximately $8.39 million since March 2024. Police arrested 10 suspects and booked 35 others involved in the operation, which targeted vulnerable populations including people with disabilities, the elderly, and homemakers, with individual losses ranging from approximately $1,400 to $560,000. The scammers built elaborate fake identities with detailed backstories and video call capabilities to gain trust before requesting money for living expenses or directing victims to fraudulent investment platforms.
klin.com
· 2025-12-08
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued a consumer alert warning of a sharp rise in cryptocurrency investment scams, many beginning with online romance schemes that lure victims—particularly seniors—into fake crypto platforms where they invest six-figure sums based on fabricated documents showing high returns. Scammers typically start with small investments and emotional connections before pressuring victims to deposit more money, sometimes depleting entire retirement savings. The Attorney General advises avoiding crypto investments promising high returns with little risk, never sending money to people you haven't met in person, and reporting suspected scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
dailyherald.com
· 2025-12-08
I cannot summarize this content as it appears to be an error message from a web security service (Incapsula) rather than an article about elder fraud, scams, or abuse. The message indicates the original request was blocked or unsuccessful.
Please provide the actual article or transcript you'd like summarized for the Elderus database.
abc6onyourside.com
· 2025-12-08
Ohio state agencies warned seniors of escalating financial scam threats during Older Ohioans Month, noting a 22% increase in fraud complaints in 2024 with 302 cases logged and national elder fraud losses reaching $1.6 billion in the first five months of 2024. Officials highlighted increasingly sophisticated schemes involving AI voice cloning and cryptocurrency that are harder to detect, urging seniors to verify identities, avoid high-pressure tactics, and monitor accounts closely.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warns of sophisticated scams where fraudsters impersonate doctors, police, and bank officials using spoofed numbers and "smishing" texts, often targeting previous fraud victims through social media with promises of fund recovery. These schemes employ AI and deepfakes to appear legitimate, with scammers posing as recovery experts or FBI officials to steal personal information and money a second time. The article recommends staying calm when contacted by suspected scammers, avoiding unknown contact numbers, refusing remote access or software downloads, using strong antivirus protection, and considering personal information removal services as defensive measures.
hawaiibusiness.com
· 2025-12-08
Hawai'i residents lost $61.6 million to fraud in 2024, with scams ranging from romance and cryptocurrency schemes to employment and ticket fraud. While younger people now fall victim to scams as frequently as older adults due to increased online activity and confidence with technology, older adults typically lose larger amounts of money per incident, with romance scams having the highest median loss at $6,099. Experts advise victims and potential targets to pause and step away from high-pressure situations to recognize scams, as fraudsters rely on creating urgency and emotional manipulation to bypass critical thinking.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A North Korea-linked Cambodian organization called Huione Group fraudulently obtained over $4 billion from US citizens between August 2021 and January 2025 through romance scams and "pig butchering" investment schemes on dating and professional networking platforms, with $37 million supporting North Korean cyber operations. The organization facilitated criminals in targeting US pensioners and other victims by posing as romantic interests or investment professionals on social media, convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency before stealing their funds. Federal authorities announced enforcement measures including proposed Treasury regulations to block Huione's access to US financial systems, citing the company's failure to maintain proper anti-money laundering protocols.
norfolkneradio.com
· 2025-12-08
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued a consumer alert regarding a surge in romance scams and cryptocurrency investment fraud, with victims losing six-figure sums after being lured by fake investment returns or romantic relationships. Scammers employ tactics including fake bank statements and requests to increase investments, often directing victims to encrypted messaging apps to discuss transactions. The alert advises never sending money to online contacts you haven't met in person and to report suspected scams to your bank, cryptocurrency exchange, or the Nebraska Attorney General's Consumer Affairs Response Team.
northplattebulletin.com
· 2025-12-08
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers reported a surge in romance scams and cryptocurrency-based frauds affecting state residents, with the office receiving reports of six-figure losses. Scammers typically start by encouraging victims to make small investments through fake trading platforms and apps, then use fabricated bank statements and documents to convince victims their money is growing, prompting larger investments.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A Cambodia-based gang with North Korean ties operated the Huione Group, which facilitated "pig butchering" romance scams and other cyber fraud against Americans, stealing at least $4 billion between August 2021 and January 2025. The scammers used dating apps, social media, and professional networking sites to pose as romantic interests or business contacts, convincing victims to invest in cryptocurrency or transfer funds for fake business ventures. The U.S. Treasury Department announced a proposed rule to sever Huione's access to the American financial system, with one victim, Beth Hyland, losing $26,000 after being manipulated into sending bitcoin payments through ATMs to a Nigeria
wowt.com
· 2025-12-08
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers warned of a surge in romance and cryptocurrency investment scams targeting Nebraskans, with victims losing up to six-figure amounts. Scammers use fake trading platforms and fabricated bank statements to lure victims into making initial investments, then pressure them to increase investments for higher returns, sometimes building fake romantic relationships to gain trust. Officials advise Nebraskans to avoid sending money to unknown online contacts, be wary of investment offers on messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, and report suspected scams to their bank, cryptocurrency exchange provider, or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
fhtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers tailor their fraud tactics by age group, targeting Gen Z with employment and crypto scams on social media, millennials with investment fraud via text and email, Gen X with retirement-focused investment schemes, and seniors with romance, home improvement, and crypto scams that often result in losses of $10,000 to $100,000 or more. Seven key warning signs of scams include unsolicited contact from strangers, requests for money or wire transfers, artificial urgency, coaching about what to tell financial institutions, and discouragement from trusting banks. The article advises verifying suspicious offers through Google searches, consulting trusted contacts and financial institutions, and recognizing that fraudsters use
keyt.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired caregiver in Fresno, California discovered her identity had been stolen for a cryptocurrency investment scam on Facebook, where scammers posed as her offering "Expert Crypto Trader" services with falsified certificates. California has reported over 190,000 cases of alleged financial abuse against seniors from January 2022 to February 2025, with cryptocurrency, phishing, romance, and government impersonation scams being prevalent, particularly in Fresno and Madera counties. Experts recommend seniors avoid sending money to unknown individuals, verify claims through official sources, and report suspected fraud to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
times-advocate.com
· 2025-12-08
Senior citizens in San Diego County lose an estimated $100 million annually to scams, with the actual figure likely higher due to underreporting from shame. A common fraud involves scammers posing as tech companies to gain remote computer access, then stealing money directly or tricking victims into purchasing gold or wiring funds. The San Diego District Attorney's office has established an Elder Justice Task Force with local and federal partners to prosecute perpetrators and educate the public on prevention measures, including never allowing remote access, meeting strangers for cash, or purchasing gold or cryptocurrency at anyone's request.