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in Romance Scam
courierpostonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Martins Inalegwu and Steincy Mathieu, a Burlington County couple, were sentenced to prison (80 months and 16 months respectively) for operating a romance scam that defrauded over 100 victims of approximately $4.5 million between 2016 and 2020. The scammers posed as romantic interests on dating websites, targeting vulnerable older adults and others, with one victim—a tourism board finance director—embezzling $2.8 million from her employer to send to the couple. Both defendants were ordered to pay millions in restitution and unpaid taxes.
mcknightsseniorliving.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FTC reported $10 billion in total consumer fraud losses (up $1 billion from 2022), with older adults losing $3.4 billion according to FBI data, driven primarily by imposter scams, investment fraud (up 400% since 2021), and tech support scams despite scam types remaining largely consistent with previous years. The Senate Special Committee on Aging released its ninth annual fraud book highlighting that common scams targeting seniors include imposter, sweepstakes, lottery, cryptocurrency, and AI-enabled schemes, with tech support scams causing nearly $590 million in losses and investment scams topping $1.2 billion. Between June
saharareporters.com
· 2025-12-08
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scammer and returned the funds to Spanish citizen Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, with the handover made to Spain's Ambassador to Nigeria in September 2024. The recovery was achieved through collaboration between the EFCC and Spanish Police, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in combating cross-border financial crimes. EFCC leadership emphasized the agency's commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for financial criminals and called for continued global partnership among law enforcement agencies to address the borderless nature of internet fraud.
cadillacnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel met with over 70 senior citizens in Cadillac to educate them about emerging scams, including phishing, smishing, identity theft, grandparent scams, and "pig butchering" scams—a long-term fraud where perpetrators build false relationships with victims via social apps before stealing money or personal information. Nessel highlighted how artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by scammers to create personalized, convincing fraud schemes, including deepfake audio and video to impersonate family members, and directed residents to the Michigan Attorney General's Consumer Protection website for scam information and alerts.
headtopics.com
· 2025-12-08
David Checkley, a romance fraudster, was jailed again after previously defrauding Sharon Shearer, 70, of over £200,000 during a three-year relationship that left her bankrupt and homeless. The article also reports a significant rise in various fraud schemes in the UK, including an 43% increase in banking complaints about denied refunds (8,700 cases between April-June), a 34% surge in purchase scams totaling £85.9 million in 2023, and a 31% increase in romance scam payments reaching £36.5 million—the highest ever recorded. Common scams highlighted include marketplace fraud, fake ticketing schemes,
dailytimesng.com
· 2025-12-08
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scammer and returned the funds to Spanish victim Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann in collaboration with Spanish Police. The EFCC Executive Chairman formally handed over the recovered assets to the Spanish Ambassador on September 20, 2024, emphasizing that the case demonstrates the importance of international law enforcement cooperation in combating borderless financial crimes. The recovery underscores both countries' commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for financial criminals and fraudsters engaged in romance scams and similar schemes.
chronicle.ng
· 2025-12-08
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scam and returned the funds to a Spanish citizen, Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, through the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria. The handover highlighted successful international cooperation between Nigerian and Spanish law enforcement agencies in combating transnational financial crimes, with EFCC leadership emphasizing their commitment to making Nigeria inhospitable for romance scammers and other fraudsters.
thestar.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadian seniors reported 17,000 fraud cases totaling $137.8 million in 2022, with financial abuse on the rise as the population ages. While seniors fall victim to various scams including romance and prize fraud, familial elder financial abuse—when family members or caregivers exploit a senior's finances—is among the most common yet underreported forms. Key protective measures include establishing powers of attorney, maintaining organized financial documents, having transparent family conversations about money, designating a trusted contact person with financial advisers, and working with professionals to monitor for suspicious spending or behavior changes.
milwaukeeindependent.com
· 2025-12-08
Sophisticated overseas criminals steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, with the problem projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology make fraud easier to perpetrate and harder to prosecute. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and under-resourced, with perpetrators rarely caught or convicted, and victims—particularly older adults—often unable to recover stolen funds from romance scams, grandparent scams, and technical support fraud. The article illustrates the crisis through cases including an 81-year-old Ohio man who fatally shot an Uber driver after being manipulated by a scammer, while the perpetrator remained at large, highlighting how inadequate law enforcement
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco create thousands of AI-generated fake photos of wounded soldiers and military families, posting them on fraudulent patriotic Facebook pages to lure comments from unsuspecting Americans. Once victims engage with the posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals initiate private messages and requests for money, exploiting patriotic sentiment to defraud widows and elderly women. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division reports hundreds of fake military accounts monthly, while Meta describes the scheme as "engagement bait" that spreads faster than the company can remove it.
milwaukeeindependent.com
· 2025-12-08
Sophisticated overseas criminals steal tens of billions of dollars annually from Americans through internet and telephone scams, a crisis-level problem projected to worsen as the aging population and AI technology increase vulnerability and perpetrator access. Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and underfunded, with relatively few scammers caught or convicted, stolen funds rarely recovered, and many victims reluctant to report crimes—illustrated by an Ohio case where an 81-year-old man fatally shot an Uber driver after being manipulated by a scammer threatening to extract $12,000 in supposed bond money, while the actual perpetrator remained at large. Key challenges include difficulty investigating overseas fraud, rapid conversion of funds to cryptocurrency, some police dismiss
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Bedford County resident received multiple calls claiming he had won a $2.5 million Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes and was asked to pay $4,850 upfront in taxes before receiving the prize. The victim's contact with the actual Publisher's Clearing House company confirmed he was not a winner, as the legitimate company never calls winners and instead delivers prizes in person. This scam is part of a broader fraud epidemic in Pennsylvania, where the FTC reported over 14,800 fraud complaints in the first half of 2024, with sweepstakes and lottery scams accounting for 618 of those reports.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, over 65,000 Americans lost more than $1 billion to romance scams, with Florida experiencing the second-highest number of victims nationally and $63 million in losses. One Orlando victim, Rebecca D'Antonio, lost approximately $100,000 over a year to a scammer posing as "Matthew Shaun" who fabricated emergencies requiring wire transfers, leading her to take out loans and eventually file for bankruptcy. Experts warn that rising artificial intelligence technology is making romance scams increasingly difficult to detect and more prevalent.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Afeez Akinloye, a Nigerian citizen, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on September 19, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud targeting U.S. real estate businesses. Between fall 2016 and summer 2017, Akinloye and co-conspirators hacked email accounts related to real estate transactions and impersonated sellers to request fraudulent wire transfers, using accounts obtained through romance scams; eleven total victims lost $1.85 million with an additional $4.6 million in attempted losses, including two Nebraska victims who lost $52,000. Akinloye was arrested in South Africa in 2022
atlantanewsfirst.com
· 2025-12-08
An investigation uncovered thousands of AI-generated photos of fake wounded soldiers, veterans, and military families posted on Facebook pages with patriotic names like "Proudly American," which are actually managed by users in Morocco and other foreign countries. Scammers use these fake images to lure patriotic comments from older Americans, who are then targeted by imposters posing as U.S. military generals requesting private messages, a scheme the Army reports receiving hundreds of complaints about monthly. The fake photos contain obvious AI errors such as soldiers with six fingers, extra hands, garbled name tapes, and uniforms with incorrect flags, yet Facebook has not labeled them as AI-generated content.
wlbt.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco use AI-generated photos of fake wounded soldiers and military personnel on patriotic Facebook pages to lure American commenters, particularly older women and widows. When victims engage with the posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals contact them in private messages and solicit money, with the Army reporting hundreds of fake imposter accounts monthly. The scam exploits patriotic sentiment through obviously flawed AI images (soldiers with six fingers, flags with wrong star counts, garbled name tapes) that nonetheless generate thousands of followers and engagement.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 43-year-old art director from Mumbai lost Rs 3.37 lakh to a romance scam involving a fake customs official who claimed her Tinder match had been detained at the airport with currency; she was spared from losing an additional Rs 4.99 lakh when an alert bank official detected the fraud. The scam, which echoes similar cases targeting women on dating apps, prompted police to register a cheating case and has renewed warnings for users to exercise caution before sharing personal information or money with online acquaintances.
kpbs.org
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational event hosted by Osher at SDSU featuring Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson, who specializes in elder fraud prosecution. The presentation covers methods criminals use to perpetrate elder financial abuse (mail, phone, computer, in-person, and media), current trending scams in Southern California including grandparent scams, romance scams, and investment scams, and warning signs of financial abuse with prevention strategies.
kelly.senate.gov
· 2025-12-08
During a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly discussed the escalating threat of sophisticated fraud targeting seniors, including AI-generated voice cloning, cryptocurrency schemes, and "pig butchering" scams orchestrated by organized crime networks operating internationally, with reported losses totaling $100 billion. Law enforcement and consumer advocates emphasized the need for increased investigative resources, industry engagement, and a comprehensive national strategy to combat these crimes. Kelly highlighted his legislative efforts to protect seniors, including the Stop Senior Scams Act (2022) and the EdCOPS Act (2024), while discussing successful collaborative models like San Diego's Elder Justice Task Force.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Spanish police arrested five scammers who posed as Brad Pitt and defrauded two women of €325,000 (₹3 crore) through emails and WhatsApp by promising romantic relationships and fake investment opportunities. The criminals identified vulnerable, emotionally fragile victims through social media analysis, building false trust before extracting money; authorities recovered €85,000 and seized evidence including phones, computers, and a diary of deceptive phrases used in the scam. This case reflects a broader trend of celebrity impersonation scams targeting lonely, vulnerable individuals online.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
West African "Yahoo boys" operating from Ghana conduct large-scale romance and computer repair scams, targeting vulnerable Americans (particularly widowers and elderly victims) and stealing billions in fraudulent wire transfers and gold purchase schemes. A 92-year-old retired nurse lost significant portions of her life savings to a gold scam despite repeated warnings, leading to lawsuits against banks like Charles Schwab for allegedly ignoring red flags on suspicious transactions. U.S. consumers reported over $10 billion in fraud losses in 2023—a 14% increase from 2022—as overseas-based scams exploit weak bank safeguards and psychological manipulation to drain American accounts.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislation that would require banks to flag suspicious transactions—such as overseas wire transfers—and freeze them for several days while alerting law enforcement and potentially trusted family members, targeting protection for residents age 60 and older. The bill addresses a growing wire fraud problem where scammers trick elderly victims into transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars through elaborate schemes like romance scams and fake investment offers, with nearly 60% of stolen money in financial fraud cases originating from wire transfers and most never being recovered. The measure passed the Pennsylvania House in July with bipartisan support and is currently under Senate consideration.
thestar.com.my
· 2025-12-08
A senior Malaysian police official warned the public about love scams following a case where a 58-year-old female lawyer lost RM1.7 million to an online romance scam in September. The victim met a man posing as an American marine geologist on WhatsApp who claimed to need financial assistance due to stolen funds, then disappeared after receiving multiple transfers. Authorities advise online daters to be vigilant for red flags such as requests for money, verify identities through independent sources, and consult trusted friends and family before engaging financially or personally with online romantic interests.
uppermichiganssource.com
· 2025-12-08
Delta County retirees attended an AARP-sponsored fraud awareness workshop where law enforcement identified romance scams and IRS impersonation scams as the top threats targeting Upper Peninsula residents. Scammers use emotional manipulation—such as fake online dating profiles or threatening calls about back taxes—with artificial urgency to pressure victims into sending money, though the IRS does not initiate contact by phone. Authorities advised residents to hang up on suspicious callers, limit personal information on social media, avoid stranger friend requests, and contact local law enforcement if money is involved.
thestar.com.my
· 2025-12-08
The Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director warned the public to be cautious of love scams, citing a case where a 58-year-old female lawyer lost RM1.7 million to a scammer who posed as an American marine geologist and requested loans. The CCID also reported dismantling a Pantheon Ventures investment scam involving 17 suspects that defrauded 66 victims of RM32.9 million since January, using fake investment packages promising unrealistic returns of 6-400% daily through Facebook and WhatsApp advertisements.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Isaiah Okere, a 42-year-old Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after being extradited from South Africa for his role in an international scam operation targeting at least 15 victims. From 2015 to 2019, Okere and co-conspirators orchestrated romance scams, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes that resulted in over $1 million in losses, with vulnerable and elderly victims losing their entire retirement savings, and one victim reporting suicidal ideation. Okere used false identities and foreign bank accounts to facilitate the fraud and money laundering scheme, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
foxcarolina.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco create fake patriotic Facebook pages featuring AI-generated images of wounded soldiers and military personnel to lure American engagement, particularly from older women. When victims comment on these posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals initiate private messages and eventually request money, with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division reporting hundreds of fake impersonator accounts monthly. The scam exploits patriotic sentiment and leverages AI-generated content with telltale errors (extra fingers, garbled text, impossible scenes) to build trust before extracting financial information from vulnerable Americans.
oaklandcounty115.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned seniors at a Southfield Senior Summit about "pig butchering" scams and other fraud targeting older adults. Pig butchering is a romance scam variant where criminals build trust with victims online over days or weeks before soliciting money for emergencies or investment opportunities, with victims sometimes losing their life savings. Nessel identified three common scam tactics: creating urgency, obtaining personal information, and requesting money, and advised seniors to verify the identity of callers and warn loved ones about suspicious online relationships with distant strangers.
afaqs.com
· 2025-12-08
A sting operation by India's Mid-Day newspaper in August 2024 exposed a dating app scam targeting male users across major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Women match with men on apps like Tinder and Bumble, arrange dates at specific nightclubs, and then leave after the men accumulate large bills—with the women receiving 15-20% commissions from the establishments. Despite the scam's prevalence and complaints on social media, dating app platforms have largely remained silent and failed to launch awareness campaigns, with only Tinder responding that it enforces fraud detection measures and photo verification.
globalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
Spanish police arrested five members of a criminal organization who operated a romance scam impersonating actor Brad Pitt, defrauding two Spanish women of over €350,000 by convincing them they were in a romantic relationship with the actor and requesting money for fake investment projects. The scammers targeted victims through a fan page, profiled them via social media to identify vulnerable individuals, and laundered funds through money mules in West African countries; authorities recovered €85,000 of the stolen amount. The case highlights the prevalence of romance scams, which caused over $50 million in reported losses across Canada alone in 2023.
koaa.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams cost Colorado residents $10 million in 2023, with nationwide losses reaching $652 million that year, according to FBI data. Scammers create fake online dating profiles to build emotional relationships with victims before requesting money for fraudulent purposes. The FBI advises users to be cautious of anyone unwilling to meet in person and to avoid becoming emotionally invested in online conversations without verification.
wlos.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder financial scams increased 14% in complaints and 11% in financial impact in 2023, with criminals targeting seniors through imposter scams (IRS/Social Security), shopping fraud, grandparent scams, tech support schemes, and sweepstakes fraud. The article provides protective measures for each scam type, emphasizing that seniors should never share personal information unsolicited, verify requests through independent contact with family or organizations, be skeptical of unusual payment methods, and report suspected fraud immediately.
prnewswire.com
· 2025-12-08
Malwarebytes research reveals that romance scams affected over 66% of survey respondents, with 10% losing more than $10,000 and 3% losing $100,000 or more—yet 94% of victims recovered none of their money. The scams disproportionately target people over 55 (74% of victims), often through social media (38%) and dating platforms (31%), with 26% of victims engaged with scammers for extended periods, including 5% in year-long relationships. The study emphasizes the need for awareness, identity verification, and reporting to law enforcement, as stigma and shame prevent many victims from seeking
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams cost thousands of Americans millions of dollars annually, with the FTC reporting 64,003 romance scam complaints in the previous year totaling $1.14 billion in losses (median $2,000 per victim). A Malwarebytes survey found that 66% of respondents were targeted by romance scammers, with 10% losing over $10,000 and 3% losing $100,000 or more, though 40% of victims never reported the fraud due to shame or lack of faith in law enforcement. Scammers typically build trust over weeks or months through online dating platforms and social media before requesting money or personal information, with 94%
jdsupra.com
· 2025-12-08
Pig butchering crypto scams involve fraudsters building trust with victims through fake identities and relationships on social media platforms like WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Instagram before directing them to fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms and stealing their money. The SEC filed its first enforcement actions against these scams in September 2024, charging eight defendants in connection with fake platforms NanoBit and CoinW6, while the CFTC and other federal agencies have partnered to distribute educational materials warning consumers that these scams cost Americans billions annually. Victims are advised to ignore unsolicited messages from strangers and report suspicious contacts to prevent becoming targets of this rapidly growing fraud scheme.
mirror.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A 46-year-old single mother from London was defrauded of £18,000 across two separate scams initiated through a dating app. She was first lured by a man using the fake name "Gabriel" on the app Happn into a fraudulent investment scheme where initial payments of £600 and £1,500 were promised substantial returns; when told she needed to pay additional fees and taxes to access her supposed £39,078 profit, she realized the scam but had already lost approximately £10,000. Desperate to recover her losses, she fell victim to a second scam involving fake online work tasks, ultimately borrowing £11,000 from friends and family
verywellmind.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational guide examines why scam victims face blame and shame, explaining that psychological biases—including the "just world" belief, hindsight bias, and defensive attribution—cause people to wrongly hold victims responsible for being scammed. The article emphasizes that victim blaming is harmful and counterproductive, noting that scams are increasingly common (the FTC reported $76 million lost to government impersonation scams in 2023, up 90% from 2022) and that anyone can fall victim regardless of intelligence or caution.
thecourierexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
More than 50 seniors attended a Scam Jam educational seminar in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, presented by state and local officials to teach fraud prevention and recognition of common scams targeting elders. Presenters highlighted increasingly sophisticated scams including voice cloning via AI, fake tech support calls requesting gift card payments, and impersonation schemes, emphasizing that victims should contact police immediately when suspicious and never provide personal information or payment via non-traditional means like gift cards. A recent local case was cited where timely police contact prevented a $30,000 loss to a potential victim.
koco.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud in Oklahoma increased 15% from 2022 to 2023, with nearly 1,000 seniors over age 60 falling victim to scams and losing over $22 million in total. The most common fraud schemes targeting seniors are fake tech support and romance scams, with criminals exploiting seniors' accumulated wealth; the FBI advises victims and potential victims to hang up, log off, and walk away from any pressure to conduct financial transactions.
businessinsider.com
· 2025-12-08
Laura Kankaala, head of threat intelligence at Finnish cybersecurity firm F-Secure, explains how online scams and ransomware attacks have evolved dramatically during her nearly 10-year career—from rare incidents to daily occurrences. Hackers increasingly use sophisticated tactics including fake profiles, phishing sites, and malware to steal data and money from victims, exploiting the expanded digital exposure created by smartphones, remote work, and social media. Cybercriminals monetize stolen data through ransomware attacks, account compromises, and data sales, with new scams emerging constantly as technology becomes more integrated into daily life.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
I cannot provide a summary of this article because only the website navigation menu and headline are visible in the text provided. The actual article content describing the romance scam operation is not included. To create an accurate summary for the Elderus database, please provide the full article text.
abccolumbia.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Lexington men, Kenneth Brown and Nicholas Shepard, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud for their roles in business email compromise and romance scams. They received victim checks through the mail at their precious metals business, deposited them into their business account, and converted the funds into cryptocurrency. Both men face up to 20 years in federal prison, fines up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervised release.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Kenneth J. Brown and Nicholas R. Shepard, both 45 of Lexington, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by operating a scheme involving business email compromise and romance scams. The defendants received victim checks through the mail at their precious metals business, deposited them into their business account, and converted the funds into cryptocurrency. Both men face up to 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, restitution, and three years of supervised release pending sentencing.
postandcourier.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Lexington men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud after scamming at least five victims across five states out of more than $500,000 through email and romance scams between December 2021 and late 2022. Kenneth J. Brown Jr. and Nicholas R. Shepard, who owned Golden Eagle Precious Metals Exchange, converted stolen funds into cryptocurrency and face up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 in fines. The scams targeted individuals from Colorado to Florida, with victims losing thousands of dollars each in schemes involving false claims about money transfers and fraudulent romance solicitations.
postandcourier.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Lexington men, Kenneth J. Brown Jr. and Nicholas R. Shepard, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to wire and mail fraud after scamming at least five victims across five states out of over $500,000 through email and romance scams between December 2021 and 2022. The pair operated Golden Eagle Precious Metals Exchange and converted stolen funds into cryptocurrency, facing potential sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 fines.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned of a rising epidemic of online romance scams, reporting over 15,000 complaints last year with losses exceeding $210 million over three years. Debby Montgomery Johnson, a widow, lost over $1 million to a scammer posing as a British businessman named Eric Cole over a two-year online relationship, only to discover he was actually a young man in Nigeria. The FBI notes that romance scammers are sophisticated operators who target emotionally vulnerable victims, often well-educated individuals, and advises people to report suspicious online dating contacts to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
CBS News investigated romance scams originating from Ghana that have defrauded Americans of over $10 billion according to the Federal Trade Commission. The scammers operate from "boiler rooms" in Accra where young men pose as attractive women on dating apps to build trust with lonely victims, particularly older American men, before convincing them to send money; the scammers retain 40% of funds while their syndicate bosses take 60%. The operation has evolved from crude "Nigerian Prince" emails into a sophisticated, billion-dollar transnational criminal enterprise that exploits vulnerable Americans through emotional manipulation and identity deception.
ktvz.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, nearly 1,000 Oklahoma seniors fell victim to fraud schemes, losing over $22 million combined—representing a 15% increase in elder fraud cases in the state from 2022 to 2023, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Common scams targeting seniors include romance schemes conducted through social media and fake tech support pop-ups, with criminals exploiting seniors' accumulated wealth over their lifetimes. The FBI advises older adults and their families to recognize warning signs and immediately disengage from any interaction involving financial pressure by hanging up the phone or logging off.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
Cryptocurrency scams are increasingly common and take multiple forms, including romance scams where perpetrators build relationships then direct victims to fraudulent investment sites, tech support scams with fake pop-ups, and schemes impersonating authorities demanding payment in cryptocurrency. According to South Dakota's Attorney General and digital forensics experts, consumers should only use reputable cryptocurrency platforms independently, never send cryptocurrency or payment information to unsolicited requestors, and report suspected scams to protect others and aid law enforcement investigation.
the-sun.com
· 2025-12-08
**Pig-Butchering Scam - Alice Lin Case**
An 80-year-old California business owner lost $720,000 to a "pig-butchering" scam in August 2022, where a stranger built trust with her on WeChat before convincing her to invest in cryptocurrency through seven wire transfers over three weeks. Lin realized the fraud when the scammer pressured her sister for additional funds, leading to suicidal ideation for several months afterward. She is now suing JP Morgan Chase for failing to flag the atypical transactions and notify her daughter (listed as a trusted contact), and her case is proceeding to trial after surviving the bank