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This article is not about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It concerns alleged election fraud investigations and raids conducted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on campaign workers and Latino community members in 2024. This content falls outside the scope of the Elderus elder fraud research database.

The FBI has identified five major scams targeting Texans: phishing emails mimicking banks to steal personal information, romance scams involving fake dating profiles that request money, lottery/sweepstakes scams requiring upfront fees to claim winnings, tech support scams requesting remote computer access, and IRS/government impersonation scams threatening legal action for immediate payment. The article advises Texans to be cautious of unsolicited requests for money or personal information and to trust their instincts when something seems suspicious.

The FBI identifies five dangerous scams prevalent in Texas: phishing emails impersonating banks, romance scams on dating platforms requesting money, lottery/sweepstakes scams charging upfront fees, tech support scams requesting remote computer access, and IRS/government impersonation scams threatening legal action. The article advises Texans to remain vigilant against unsolicited requests for money or personal information and to trust their instincts when something seems suspicious.

North Texas police detective John Haecker reports a surge in elder fraud targeting seniors through romance scams and fake bank alerts that trick victims into converting cash to bitcoin. Notable cases include a 72-year-old woman who sold her house and sent $250,000 in bitcoin to a fake petroleum engineer, and an 84-year-old who lost $24,000 at a bitcoin ATM after being convinced by a scammer impersonating Chase Bank. According to the FBI, elder fraud in Texas increased 14% in 2023, with over 7,000 complaints and $278 million in combined losses, prompting experts to recommend verifying requests in person and discussing potential scams with

Mainers unknowingly purchased stolen vehicles from thieves, including a case where a buyer acquired two stolen GMC pickup trucks from Texas for $80,000 each and another where an elderly woman was manipulated into titling a stolen Aston Martin. Criminals used "cloned vehicles" by grinding off original VIN numbers and replacing them with salvage yard numbers to disguise the thefts, with an investigation revealing a large stolen vehicle ring involving unlicensed online dealers. The Secretary of State's Office recommends consumers obtain vehicle history reports and research state-specific laws before purchasing used vehicles to protect themselves from such fraud.

This article is about power companies' preparations for potential hurricane impacts in Texas and is not relevant to the Elderus elder fraud database. The piece covers CenterPoint Energy and Entergy's grid improvements following Hurricane Beryl and their storm preparedness plans, with no mention of scams, fraud, or elder abuse.

Tosha Lantz, 31, of Texas was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison for defrauding an elderly West Virginia man of $32,400 through unauthorized bank transfers and fraudulent credit card openings using his personal information. Lantz will also serve three years of supervised release following her incarceration.

A viral TikTok trend in Texas encouraged users to exploit what was falsely claimed to be a Chase Bank ATM "glitch" by depositing bad checks and withdrawing cash before they were flagged—a practice known as check-kiting. Chase Bank froze thousands of accounts involved in the scam, left many customers with substantial negative balances, and referred cases to law enforcement, exposing participants to potential criminal charges including fines and up to one year in prison for misdemeanor check fraud.

Tosha Lantz, 31, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for mail fraud involving an elderly man's bank accounts and identity information, stealing a total of $32,400. Lantz transferred funds without authorization and opened credit cards in the victim's name for her personal use while residing in Randolph County. She will also serve three years of supervised release following her prison term.

An Alpine, Texas woman lost over $2,500 after receiving a fraudulent mail letter disguised as a CVS/Walgreens "customer service evaluation" that included a fake $3,050 check and requested she purchase gift cards and provide banking information via text message. When she attempted to deposit the check, her bank identified it as fraudulent, confirming she had been scammed. The Alpine Police Department warns residents that requests for payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency are typical scam indicators and advise reporting suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission.

Multiple online scams were reported in The Dalles in early September, with losses totaling over $105,000 across four separate incidents, including one victim who lost more than $100,000 in cash, gift cards, and Bitcoin to a scammer impersonating someone from Texas since April 2023. Common scam tactics included impersonating law enforcement demanding payment for warrants, fake celebrity fan sites, fake security companies, and requesting payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency. Police warn that legitimate law enforcement will never request payment by phone, and that scammers typically operate from outside the U.S. using obscured technology, making recovery of funds difficult.

This is a sponsored segment promoting The Senior Source, an organization that provides resources to help older adults protect themselves from scams. The segment directs viewers to theseniorsource.org for more information on fraud prevention and elder protection services.

**Summary:** Rebecca Cole, a PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Arlington, successfully defended her dissertation on online romance scam victimization in the United States. Her mixed-methods research examined factors associated with victimization (including loneliness and interpersonal trust) and found that impacts extend beyond financial loss to include significant emotional, psychological, physiological, and legal consequences. Cole's work advocates for comprehensive victim support, trauma-informed care, increased awareness, and improved law enforcement training to reduce stigma and encourage reporting of these scams.

Scammers are impersonating a Hays County Sheriff's Office lieutenant using the phone number 512-877-1299, claiming callers have outstanding warrants and demanding payment to resolve them over the phone. The Hays County Sheriff's Office advises residents not to answer calls from this number, not to call back, and not to provide any personal information to the callers.

Scammers in Houston and nationwide are increasingly using cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin, to defraud victims through fake law enforcement calls claiming warrant arrests related to missed jury duty. Lt. Abraham Alanis of the Harris County Sheriff's Office reports receiving daily complaints about these calls, where criminals use spoofed phone numbers and real officer names to pressure victims into sending untraceable Bitcoin payments. According to the FBI, cryptocurrency scams resulted in 69,468 complaints nationwide in 2023 with $5.6 billion in losses, with Texas accounting for 4,770 complaints and approximately $411.9 million in losses.

Two Texas seniors fell victim to sophisticated financial scams: 71-year-old Phyllis Lopez lost $3,500 after a caller impersonating a Chase Bank representative convinced her to wire her savings, and 77-year-old Shirley Ison-Newsome lost over $50,000 in a scam involving a fraudulent wire transfer to China. Texas's 2017 Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act allows banks to freeze accounts suspected of fraud, resulting in increased reporting to Adult Protective Services (from 3,600 to 6,400 reports between 2017-2023), though consumer advocates argue more protection is needed and lawmakers

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The Travis County Attorney's Office warned of a phone scam where callers impersonate office staff and claim victims have outstanding warrants or criminal charges, then request payment via QR codes or directing victims to ATM-like machines near gas stations. The Travis County Attorney's Office does not solicit payments by phone and urges residents to call (512) 854-9415 to verify any such calls before providing money.

The FBI has issued a warning about five scams rising in Texas, including check washing (where criminals alter stolen checks and remove ink to change payee names and amounts), swatting and doxxing (making false emergency calls and stealing/threatening to publish personal information), and phishing (fraudulent emails impersonating banks to steal login credentials). The article advises Texans to avoid mailing checks, verify unexpected financial emails directly with their bank, and be cautious of unsolicited links and requests for personal information.

The FBI has issued a warning about five rising scams affecting Texans: check washing (where criminals alter stolen checks and deposit them fraudulently), swatting (making false emergency calls to send police to victims' addresses), doxxing (stealing personal information to extort victims), phishing (fraudulent emails impersonating banks to steal credentials), and other common fraud schemes. These scams affect people of all ages, though doxxing is increasingly targeting teens, and victims are advised to verify communications directly with institutions and avoid mailing checks.

Investment scams targeting seniors and other consumers have become significantly more costly, with median losses rising from $1,000 in 2021 to nearly $6,000 in 2023, according to a Better Business Bureau study. Scammers increasingly blend romance/confidence tactics with cryptocurrency opportunities, primarily recruiting victims through social media and messaging apps, with Texas residents alone reporting $2.1 million in losses during 2024. Key red flags include guaranteed massive returns, pressure to invest for romantic reasons, aggressive responses to refusal, and unexpected high fees required to access returns.

A 24-year-old New York woman, Yuxin Fu, was arrested at JFK Airport in September 2023 after fleeing to China, in connection with a government impersonation scam that defrauded a Cape Cod resident of $46,000 in December 2022. The scammer posed as a DEA agent and convinced the victim that their Social Security number was linked to a Texas investigation, instructing them to transfer money to a "safe" government account to prevent seizure. Fu was charged with larceny and receiving stolen property, held on $100,000 bail following her arraignment.

A 24-year-old New York woman was arrested and charged after allegedly scamming a Marstons Mills resident out of $46,000 in a Social Security fraud scheme where the victim was impersonated by someone claiming to be a DEA agent. The scammer instructed the victim to transfer funds into a "safe" government account to protect them from seizure based on a false claim that their Social Security number was linked to a Texas investigation. Fu fled the country to China in May 2023 but was apprehended at JFK Airport in September 2023 upon attempting to reenter the U.S. and was extradited to Massachusetts.

The FBI warns that cryptocurrency scams are growing as digital currency becomes more mainstream, with Americans losing approximately $4 billion to crypto scams last year and Midland-Odessa residents losing $4.7 million. The most common scheme, called "Pig Butchering," involves scammers building trust with victims before directing them to fake cryptocurrency wallets through QR codes, showing fabricated gains to encourage larger investments that are ultimately stolen. To protect themselves, people should research investments thoroughly, remember that if an opportunity seems too good to be true it likely is, and store cryptocurrency wallets only on secure encrypted hard drives.

This article is not relevant to elder fraud research. It describes H-E-B grocery stores rolling out tap-to-pay technology (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay) at their Texas locations and testing new checkout scanning technology—standard retail modernization updates with no connection to scams, fraud, or elder abuse.

In 2023, Texas recorded 13,000 allegations of financial exploitation targeting elderly residents, with over 500 cases reported in Jefferson County alone. October is recognized as Financial Exploitation Awareness Month, during which Adult Protective Services in Beaumont and other organizations are hosting educational events to help seniors and their families recognize and prevent financial scams and exploitation.

This article is not about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It is a news piece about the closure of a Chinese restaurant called Chinese Dim Sum in Tyler, Texas, and does not fall within the scope of the Elderus research database.

Scammers in Comal County, Texas are calling residents impersonating sheriff's office employees and demanding payments for fake warrants, claiming citations exist for failing to appear before a grand jury and threatening to issue warrants if payment is not made. The Comal County Sheriff's Office clarified that it does not accept warrant payments over the phone and advises residents to verify calls by independently contacting the agency at 830-620-3400.

Texas residents over age 50 are nearly six times more likely to be targeted by scams, with older Americans losing approximately $3 billion to fraud between 2019-2020, primarily through identity theft and phone/text schemes. Scammers target seniors because they hold 85% of the nation's wealth, have higher credit limits, and tend to be more trusting, with nearly 60% of elder financial exploitation committed by their own adult children. Experts recommend that family members educate older relatives about current scams, encourage reporting of attempts, and contact local law enforcement if victimized.

This article is not relevant to elder fraud research. It describes a humorous social media post by a Tennessee truck stop that went viral, featuring staged photos claiming a cashier tackled a shoplifter—later revealed to be a joke about a vendor employee who wasn't wearing proper identification. This is a lighthearted marketing post, not a documented scam, fraud scheme, or elder abuse incident.

**Type:** Sports Ticket Scam (Educational/Advisory) Online ticket scams targeting Texas A&M students are increasing ahead of high-demand football games, with fraudsters using fake student IDs and platforms like GroupMe and Facebook to pose as legitimate sellers, either delivering fake tickets or taking payment without providing passes. Campus police recommend purchasing tickets only through official sources like the 12th Man Foundation or SeatGeek, meeting sellers in person at safe locations like the ticket window, and reporting suspicious activity with screenshots and digital evidence of usernames and payment handles to help identify perpetrators.

This article is not related to elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It describes a federal drug trafficking case in which three defendants were sentenced to prison for distributing methamphetamine in the Evansville area between June and November 2020. This content is outside the scope of the Elderus database, which focuses on fraud and abuse targeting older adults.

An 80-year-old Texas man, Willard Holgate, had $460,000 stolen from his TD Ameritrade accounts after scammers in Hong Kong hacked his computer and initiated unauthorized wire transfers. His attorney secured a $97,200 FINRA arbitration award against TD Ameritrade (now owned by Charles Schwab) in 2024, arguing the firm failed to detect multiple red flags including unusual liquidation of long-held retirement accounts and Holgate's evident confusion during recorded calls with representatives. The case highlights how financial firms continue to do minimal fraud prevention without legal consequences, as elder fraud losses exceeded $3.4 billion in 2023

This is an educational article about voting rights in Texas, not an elder fraud case. It explains that registered Texas voters cannot be arrested while traveling to, at, or returning from polling places, except for serious crimes like treason, felonies, or breaches of peace. The article also outlines additional voter rights in Texas, including the right to receive assistance, use interpreters, cast ballots in secret, and report voting rights violations.

This educational piece warns seniors about utility scams, where fraudsters impersonate utility companies and demand immediate payment under threat of service cutoff. The article advises recipients to hang up immediately, call their utility using the legitimate number on their bill, and report the scam to both the utility and the Federal Trade Commission. It notes that people over 65 lost nearly $1 billion to scams in 2020, with utility scams particularly prevalent in California, Florida, and Texas, making West Virginia seniors especially vulnerable given the state's high elderly population.

Utility scams targeting seniors use threatening calls about immediate service shutoffs to extort money through fear and intimidation. The article advises recipients to hang up immediately, call their utility using the legitimate number on their bill, and report the scam to both the utility company and the FTC, emphasizing that real utilities do not operate this way and that money sent to scammers is nearly impossible to recover. According to ABC News and FBI data, people over 65 lost nearly $1 billion to scams in 2020, with seniors representing most of the 23,000 victims, particularly in California, Florida, and Texas.

**Summary:** Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested upon arrival in the U.S. and indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million. Operating under the alias "Giovanni" on dating websites, Nwadialo posed as a deployed military member and convinced victims to send money for various fabricated emergencies, including military fines, funeral expenses, and investment schemes, with one victim losing at least $2.4 million. Wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Election season scams in 2024 have included fraudulent political text messages requesting donations or personal information through phishing links, deepfake videos of candidates created using AI to influence voters, and hacking attempts by foreign actors (Iranian and Chinese hackers) targeting email accounts and devices of presidential campaign staff and candidates. Experts recommend not responding to unsolicited texts, verifying information through fact-checking, and using online deepfake detection tools to protect against these threats.

A 71-year-old Huffman, Texas woman named Marcia Nickette Remedies pleaded guilty to wire fraud for stealing $24,887.75 from a 91-year-old hospice patient she was hired to care for, making unauthorized ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases at casinos and stores between November 2022 and April 2023. Remedies was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and ordered to pay full restitution. The case was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff's Office and FBI after the victim discovered the unauthorized transactions.

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian man, was arrested upon arrival at a Texas airport and charged with 14 counts of wire fraud for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million. Using fake dating profiles under the alias "Giovanni," Nwadialo posed as a U.S. military member overseas and convinced victims to send money through various pretexts, including military fines and investment opportunities, with one victim losing over $2.4 million. If convicted, Nwadialo faces up to 20 years in prison per count.

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested and indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million in Western Washington. Using false profiles with the name "Giovanni" on dating platforms like Match and Zoosk, Nwadialo posed as a military serviceman and manipulated victims into sending money through various pretexts, including claims about his father's death, military fines, and investment opportunities. One victim alone lost $2.4 million, while others lost between $270,000 and $310,000 each

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested at a Texas airport and indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million. Using fake military personas and profiles on dating sites like Match and Zoosk, Nwadialo convinced victims he needed money for various expenses, including military fines, funeral costs, and investments, with one victim alone losing $2.4 million. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested at Houston's airport in connection with a romance fraud scheme that defrauded at least four victims of over $3.3 million. Nwadialo used fake profiles on dating sites (Match, Zoosk, Christian Café) under aliases like "Giovanni" to convince victims he was a deployed military officer, then solicited money under various pretexts including military fines, funeral expenses, and tuition costs. He faces 14 counts of wire fraud, each carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence.

Lawyers nationwide received phishing emails impersonating federal court notices of electronic filings, with scammers requesting replies that lead to malicious websites designed to compromise personal and firm data. Federal district courts and bankruptcy courts issued warnings urging attorneys to verify filings through official channels and avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unofficial sources. The scheme targeted legal professionals across multiple jurisdictions from California to New York to Texas, posing risks of ransomware attacks and data theft.

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old newly elected Local Government Chairman in Nigeria, was arrested in Texas on charges of operating a $3.3 million romance scam targeting multiple victims in the United States. Operating under fake personas using the name "Giovanni" on dating websites like Match and Zoosk, Nwadialo posed as a deployed military officer and fabricated various emergencies—including military fines, inheritance transfers, investment schemes, and funeral expenses—to defraud at least four victims of between $150,000 and $2.4 million each. He faces 14 counts of wire fraud, each punishable by

Franklin Nwadialo, a newly elected council chairman in Anambra State, Nigeria, was arrested by the FBI at a Texas airport on charges related to a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million. Nwadialo allegedly posed as a military officer named "Giovanni" on dating websites including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café to convince victims to send money, and now faces 14 counts of wire fraud with a potential 20-year sentence. The Anambra State government is considering replacing him with his deputy following his arrest.

Scammers in Texas are targeting holiday shoppers with "smishing" scams—fraudulent text messages disguised as legitimate confirmations from banks, government agencies, or retailers that trick recipients into clicking malicious links and surrendering personal information like Social Security numbers and bank account details. The United States Postal Inspection Service warns that these bogus texts often create false urgency and may contain red flags such as misspellings, requests for sensitive data, unrecognized senders, and links that can install malware on victims' phones.

This article does not contain information about scams, fraud, or elder abuse. It reports on legitimate senior housing development and financing transactions, including a $73.3M expansion at Penick Village in North Carolina, $13M in skilled nursing facility financing in Texas, and a $65M affordable senior housing project opening in Brooklyn. As this is industry news about housing construction and financing rather than fraud or abuse, it is outside the scope of the Elderus database.

Cyber scams in the U.S. are becoming increasingly sophisticated; Texas reported about $1 billion in cybercrimes losses in 2023, with common tactics including law enforcement impersonation that uses urgency and personal information obtained from data collection sites to intimidate victims into immediate payment. The FBI recommends protecting yourself by opting out of data collection sites, limiting social media sharing, and verifying requests by hanging up and calling back using independently confirmed numbers—particularly important for elderly people who are frequent targets of grandparent scams using voice-mimicking technology.

The Texas Better Business Bureau and Bryan police are warning that holiday scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, including gift card fraud, cloned websites with typos designed to steal information, and social media schemes disguised as charitable campaigns. Beyond online threats, police report vehicle burglaries increased significantly during the holiday season last year (78 reports October-December) and recommend shoppers lock vehicles, hide purchases, and protect personal information to avoid identity theft, which can take 3-4 years to resolve.