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▶ VIDEO
ABC News
· 2025-08-20
This Nightline special examined the "Tinder Swindler," a notorious romance scammer who defrauded multiple victims of substantial sums including $20,000, $30,000, and $140,000 by posing as a wealthy man with a luxurious lifestyle on dating apps. Two victims lost their savings and homes after falling for his love-bombing scheme and have since become advocates, publishing a book titled "Swindle, Never After" to warn others about romance scams. The program featured an investigation into the scammer's methods and aims to help prevent future victims from falling for similar con artists.
▶ VIDEO
FOX6 News Milwaukee
· 2025-08-22
**Title:** Preventing scams and fraud | FOX6 News Milwaukee
A Hartford staffing support company received a convincing phone call from someone impersonating their bank, with a spoofed caller ID, claiming fraudulent transactions required setting up a new account and requesting current account credentials. The company president recognized red flags when asked for sensitive information despite the caller's friendly demeanor and trust-building tactics, ultimately refusing to provide the information and avoiding financial loss. The segment provides awareness about how financial fraud scams use social engineering and caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate and manipulate victims into revealing account information.
▶ VIDEO
ABC10
· 2025-09-04
California seniors lost $1.7 billion to fraud in 2024, with scammers increasingly targeting older adults through digital devices using evolving tactics like spoofing and gift card scams. Experts from AARP and Chase Bank conducted educational workshops in Sacramento to help seniors recognize common scams and protect their identities, emphasizing that awareness and vigilance are key to prevention.
▶ VIDEO
ABC11
· 2025-09-05
Brian Talton was arrested and charged with stealing thousands of dollars from homeowners in Wake County through driveway repair scams targeting elderly residents. Talton and associates would claim to have extra asphalt supplies and offer to repair driveways, then charge exorbitant fees (one victim was charged nearly $16,000), perform substandard work, and disappear after cashing checks. At least one 95-year-old victim reported that Talton falsely claimed to work for the city, and victims discovered cracks in the new driveways almost immediately after completion.
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WMAR-2 News
· 2025-09-11
A Parkton woman received unsolicited medical braces (knee, wrist, and back) that she never ordered and her doctor never prescribed, only to discover that fraudulent companies billed Medicare approximately $1,100 for a back brace worth $25 on eBay, with Medicare covering nearly $400 of the fraudulent charge. The companies involved were difficult to reach and unresponsive when contacted, raising concerns about how they obtained the victim's personal health information to perpetrate the Medicare fraud scheme.
▶ VIDEO
13WHAM ABC News
· 2025-09-17
Eight suspects were charged federally for operating fraud schemes targeting over 139 senior citizens across Western New York, resulting in approximately $11 million in losses. The schemes employed multiple tactics including romance scams, account hacking, and identity theft, and were dismantled by a newly formed Department of Justice task force based in Rochester.
▶ VIDEO
13WHAM ABC News
· 2025-09-18
Thirty-five-year-old Esther Marie Jones of Rochester appeared in federal court as one of eight suspects accused of running fraud schemes targeting dozens of senior citizens in Western New York. According to the criminal complaint, Jones was found in possession of 31 fraudulent identification cards, 4 stolen social security cards, and 65 fraudulent bank cards, which she allegedly used to steal money from seniors and open businesses under their identities. A fraud prevention expert noted that elder fraud victims often suffer devastating consequences, as seniors who lose their life savings lack the financial resources to recover, unlike younger fraud victims.
▶ VIDEO
Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-09-22
Congressman Warren Davidson emphasizes that elder fraud represents a pressing threat to American families and calls for stronger legal protections against these schemes, which he characterizes as particularly deceptive and now operating as global enterprises. He advocates for bipartisan action to address the issue and references the Guard Act as an example of bipartisan legislation designed to better protect seniors from financial fraud.
▶ VIDEO
KTVB
· 2025-09-23
Idaho enacted a new "Report and Hold" law that authorizes banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to temporarily freeze suspicious transactions when fraud is suspected. The law protects financial professionals from legal liability when reporting suspected fraud and applies to adults over 65 as well as younger adults with physical or mental impairments.
▶ VIDEO
ABC 7 News - WJLA
· 2025-12-09
A DC-area jet pilot's identity was stolen and used in romance scams targeting vulnerable women seeking love online for years after 2018. Scammers posed as the real Pat Marsh to build relationships and request money from victims; one victim nearly lost $37,000 before the real Marsh intervened. The FBI estimated these fake online romance schemes have stolen over $1 billion, with scammers continuing to use Marsh's identity across multiple states to defraud unsuspecting victims.
▶ VIDEO
ABC News
· 2025-09-25
**Grandparent Scam - Voice Technology Fraud**
Scammers are using advanced voice technology to impersonate grandchildren in what the FBI identifies as an escalating problem targeting older adults. A 91-year-old victim (Shirley Morrow) was convinced by a call mimicking her grandson's voice that he was in legal trouble and needed $9,000; older adults collectively lost $4.9 billion to these scams, which typically involve fraudsters posing as family members in supposed emergencies to pressure immediate payment.
▶ VIDEO
ABC News
· 2025-09-25
A 91-year-old woman named Shirley Morrow lost $9,000 in a "grandparent scam" after receiving a phone call from someone posing as her grandson, claiming he was in jail following a car accident and needed bail money. The scam involves fraudsters impersonating a grandchild in distress and requesting immediate payment, with tens of thousands of cases reported nationwide targeting senior citizens. Scammers use voice mimicking technology and social engineering tactics to convince victims to withdraw cash before they realize they've been deceived.
▶ VIDEO
CTV News
· 2025-10-02
I cannot provide a summary of this article as requested. The transcript provided does not contain information about a fraud case involving a convicted fraudster scamming customers out of $360,000. Instead, the content discusses a municipal planning issue regarding the City of Barrie's land annexation and expansion plans.
To properly summarize an elder fraud case for the Elderus database, please provide the actual article content about the fraud scheme.
▶ VIDEO
Arizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5)
· 2025-10-06
This podcast segment from "On Your Side" features hosts Gary Harper and Susan Campbell discussing the evolving nature of scams targeting vulnerable populations. The hosts highlight how scams have become increasingly sophisticated and believable over time, using technology to deceive victims—exemplified by Susan's personal anecdote about her grandmother falling for a classic Microsoft pop-up scam that prompted her to call a fraudulent number and potentially compromise her financial accounts. The hosts emphasize that scams are becoming more prevalent and convincing, affecting even intelligent and vigilant people, and stress the importance of family awareness and intervention to protect loved ones from fraud.
▶ VIDEO
KOAA 5
· 2025-10-07
A Colorado Springs woman lost her $37,000 inheritance to a fake cryptocurrency investment scam after seeing what appeared to be an investment opportunity posted by a close friend on Facebook. The friend's account had been hacked, and scammers used it to lure Suzanne Pence into the fraudulent scheme, stripping away the funds her father had left behind.
▶ VIDEO
CBC News
· 2025-10-10
**Scam Type:** Romance/Investment Fraud
**Victim:** Marcel Desan (Ontario, Canada)
**Perpetrator:** Mariam Chan (operating under fake identity "Mary")
**Amount Lost:** $3,500
A scammer using a fake identity and stolen photos defrauded Marcel Desan of $3,500 through an online romance scheme. When Desan discovered the fraud and confronted the perpetrator (identified as Mariam Chan on social media), recorded calls captured the scammer's abusive responses and threats. The investigation traced the stolen funds being used by the fraudster to finance a lavish lifestyle while the
itbrief.co.nz
· 2025-12-08
Netsafe, a New Zealand charitable organization, launched Get Set Up for Safety, a nationwide educational program designed to help senior citizens protect themselves from online fraud and shopping scams through free guides, videos, and practical resources. The program, developed with partner Chorus and senior sector organizations, addresses a significant need identified in surveys showing nearly half of New Zealanders over 70 want to learn more about online safety and many require assistance with digital devices. Resources will be freely available through the Netsafe website, public libraries, community groups, and other public organizations.
capecodtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Robert Tobey, a Connecticut man with early-stage dementia, lost at least $5,000 to phone scammers between late 2018 and early 2019 who posed as friends, manipulating him into sending gift cards and money transfers and compromising his Social Security account. The article reports that scams affecting Cape Cod residents include romance scams, government impersonation schemes, sweepstakes scams, and grandchild-in-jail scams, with the National Council on Aging estimating five million older Americans lose $36.5 billion annually to fraud. Law enforcement warns that scams are constantly evolving and advise victims to hang up on suspicious calls
nclawyersweekly.com
· 2025-12-08
The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys held a three-day training conference in February 2024 titled "Break the Silence: The Abuse and Exploitation of Older Adults" to educate prosecutors, law enforcement, and allied professionals on recognizing and prosecuting elder abuse and exploitation cases. Participants gained knowledge of exploitation and abuse warning signs, prosecution skills, and strategies to protect vulnerable older adults in their communities. The conference underscored the importance of collaborative justice efforts given North Carolina's aging population.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Four California men have been indicted for operating a nationwide tech support fraud scam targeting elderly victims, with one indictment originating from a case involving a 78-year-old Missouri man and his 76-year-old wife who were defrauded of $88,000. The scheme involved scammers posing as tech support workers who convinced victims their computers were infected or compromised, then used recruited couriers to collect cash payments; approximately $7 million in fraudulent transactions occurred between March 2020 and July 2023. Two defendants have been arrested, one remains in custody, and one is still being sought.
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, consumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud, with imposter scams being the most prevalent, affecting nearly 854,000 people and resulting in $2.7 billion in losses at an average of $800 per victim. Imposter scams involve criminals posing as trusted entities (government agencies, companies, relatives, or romantic interests) via email, phone, text, or social media to steal money or personal information, with emerging technologies like AI and voice cloning making these frauds increasingly convincing. Older adults, particularly those 80 and over, experience significantly higher median losses ($1,450) and are particularly vulnerable to "phantom hacker" tech-
thecut.com
· 2025-12-08
A journalist who lost $50,000 to an imposter scam in October shares lessons learned about sophisticated fraud tactics, interviewing victims and experts to understand how scams work. The article explains that anyone can be vulnerable to scams regardless of prior caution, and details how scammers use tactics like spoofed calls from government agencies, appeals to authority, and publicly available personal information to establish credibility and manipulate victims. Key prevention strategies include not answering calls from unknown numbers, recognizing fear-based and opportunity-based scam categories, and understanding that scammers exploit hardwired instincts to trust authority figures.
goldrushcam.com
· 2025-12-08
Four California men were indicted in a nationwide tech support scam targeting elderly victims, with one serving as a courier collecting cash from victims under false pretenses of criminal prosecution. The scheme defrauded victims of millions of dollars between 2020-2023, including an $88,000 loss from a Missouri couple who became suspicious and alerted police; Yu-Chieh Huang (the courier) has been arrested, Liang Jin and Tsz Yin Kan have been apprehended, and Kaiyu Wen remains at large.
reverejournal.com
· 2025-12-08
Revere police officers Kenan Resic and Pheachey Chhom prevented a $6,500 theft targeting a senior citizen couple through a "grandparent scam" where the perpetrator impersonated their grandson, claimed to be in jail, and requested bail money. The officers successfully identified and apprehended the courier (a hired Lyft driver) and recovered the stolen funds after the elderly couple provided vehicle information and surveillance video. The incident highlights the rising threat of elder fraud in the region, prompting the Suffolk County District Attorney's office to launch the Suffolk County Fraud Fighters program, a multi-agency initiative designed to educate and protect vulnerable residents across Boston,
middleburgheights.com
· 2025-12-08
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley addressed Middleburg Heights Community Seniors about financial scams targeting elderly residents in Northeast Ohio, providing information on warning signs and protective measures. The presentation included a brochure detailing prominent scams affecting the region's senior population and resources for recognizing elder financial fraud and abuse.
kiro7.com
· 2025-12-08
Rebecca D'Antonio lost $100,000 to a sophisticated romance scam orchestrated by an organized crime ring based in Nigeria, where a scammer posing as a Boston attorney gradually escalated requests for money through emotional manipulation and false emergencies. The FBI receives approximately 19,000 romance scam tips annually, with perpetrators operating like organized businesses using multiple people playing different roles to deceive vulnerable victims, often targeting lonely or divorced women. Experts advise never sending money to someone you haven't met in person and never sharing banking information with online contacts.
mediaite.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial advice columnist Charlotte Cowles lost $50,000 to a sophisticated impersonation scam that began with a fake Amazon fraud call, escalated through impersonators posing as FTC and CIA agents, and culminated in her handing cash in a shoebox to a stranger outside her Brooklyn home in October 2023. The scammers manipulated her through false claims of arrest warrants, asset seizure, and threats to her family, while instructing her to tell no one and withdraw cash from her bank. Cowles publicly disclosed the scam, acknowledging that the criminals used psychological manipulation—particularly threats involving her son—to exploit her despite her professional expertise in financial matters.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial columnist Charlotte Cowles lost $50,000 to an elaborate scam that began with a fake Amazon customer service call in October 2023, escalating through impersonation of FTC and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and she faced arrest warrants. The scammers persuaded her to withdraw cash from her savings account and hand it to an undercover "agent" by creating an increasingly elaborate false narrative with fabricated evidence. Cowles' experience serves as a cautionary tale that fraud targets people across all demographics and education levels, countering the stereotype that only vulnerable populations fall victim to such schemes.
thecut.com
· 2025-12-08
In October, the author—a financially literate journalist and New York Times columnist—fell victim to an elaborate impersonation scam that cost her $50,000 in savings. After an initial fraudulent Amazon customer service call, she was transferred to a scammer posing as a federal agent who claimed her identity had been compromised and her home was being monitored, pressuring her to withdraw cash and leave it on the street in a shoebox without telling anyone. The article challenges common stereotypes about scam victims, noting that younger adults are actually 34% more likely to report fraud losses than seniors, and that intelligence, education, and financial literacy provide no protection against sophisticated psychological manipulation tactics.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Shavonda Chambers, 43, of New Orleans was charged with wire fraud on February 8, 2024, for submitting false payroll vouchers while administering payroll at a local business to steal money from her employer. She faces up to twenty years imprisonment, fines up to $250,000 or twice the amount of losses to the victim, and mandatory supervised release. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Joshua DeWitt, a 38-year-old Fayette County auto dealer, was sentenced to ten months in prison for conspiring with a co-conspirator to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds by filing false applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Paycheck Protection Program loans, sometimes on behalf of customers whom he told could use the funds to purchase vehicles from his dealership. DeWitt and his partner used the fraudulently obtained pandemic benefits totaling $60,022.50 to pay for vehicles, services, and personal expenses at their used car dealership, RC Auto.
vancouver.citynews.ca
· 2025-12-08
Port Moody police reported three "grandparent" scams in a single day in February 2024, resulting in $12,000 in losses, where callers impersonated grandchildren claiming to need money for car repairs or legal fees. Victims were instructed to withdraw cash from banks and meet the suspects in person to exchange money, with police noting an additional incident the previous week where an elderly couple lost $21,000 under similar circumstances. Law enforcement warned that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with scammers using artificial intelligence to alter voices and impersonate family members more convincingly.
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
A 40-year-old man from Roseville was arrested in Novato after scamming an elderly resident by impersonating a data breach investigator and convincing the victim to withdraw large sums of cash. Police staked out the victim's home and arrested Volodymyr Pipskyy on February 9 when he arrived to collect additional money, and evidence suggests he conducted similar scams across Northern California. Pipskyy was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy and theft by false pretenses and is being held without bail.
scdemocratonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Jeff Bank leaders discussed the rising prevalence of fraud and scams targeting their customers, particularly elderly individuals who are being defrauded of substantial sums of money. The bank has increased staff training on scam detection and conducted community outreach to vulnerable populations, while noting that scams often go undetected until money has already been sent. Common scams include the Microsoft pop-up scam, lottery fee schemes, the "grandma scam" involving emergency situations, and unsolicited requests for money through electronic channels or phone calls.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Novato police arrested 40-year-old Volodymyr Pipskyy after he allegedly defrauded an elderly resident in a phone scam involving a fake "data breach" that convinced the victim to withdraw large sums of cash. When the victim's family alerted police and detectives learned a pickup was planned, they conducted surveillance and arrested Pipskyy at the victim's home on February 9. Seized electronics linked Pipskyy to scams throughout Northern California, and he is being held without bail on suspicion of conspiracy and theft by pretenses.
kttn.com
· 2025-12-08
Four California men have been indicted for operating a nationwide tech support fraud scheme targeting elderly victims, with Yu-Chieh Huang arrested as a courier after attempting to pick up $88,000 from a Missouri couple who were told their computer contained evidence of a crime. The scam, which operated from 2020 to 2023, involved Liang Jin and Kaiyu Wen directing couriers and recruiting individuals to fraudulently open bank accounts, resulting in approximately $7 million in fraudulent transactions before authorities intervened. One suspect, Kaiyu Wen, remains at large.
ncdoj.gov
· 2025-12-08
Imposter scams, where criminals pose as government agencies, law enforcement, or companies to threaten victims with arrest or legal consequences, cost Americans $2.7 billion last year. The article provides protective measures against these scams, emphasizing that legitimate government officials never contact people via phone or text demanding money or personal information, and warns that requests for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency are clear red flags indicating fraud.
ksl.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven people were indicted on federal charges for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $8 million between March 2018 and June 2019. The scheme, primarily operated by a Nigerian group known as the "Yahoo boys," involved creating fake online personas to build trust with victims—many of them elderly—before requesting money under false pretenses; the defendants in the U.S. (located in Texas, Canada, and Nigeria) and a group of "Utah Money Transmitters" facilitated money laundering by opening financial institution accounts to collect victim funds and distribute proceeds to the scammers overseas. Many victims lost their life savings and retirement funds in the scheme.
gazettengr.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven defendants across the United States and Nigeria were indicted for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $8 million between March 2018 and June 2019. The scheme involved Nigerian operators creating fake online personas to build trust with victims before requesting money under false pretenses, with many elderly victims losing their life savings and retirement funds. The defendants facilitated money laundering by establishing U.S. bank accounts to collect and distribute fraud proceeds while concealing the funds' destination and the scammers' identities.
michigan.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Troy grocery store manager was charged with embezzling at least $750,000 from Fresh Thyme Market between July 2022 and November 2023 by manipulating newly installed self-checkout kiosks to which he had access. Trevor Beaver, 31, of Roseville, admitted to the theft after an audit system implemented in October 2023 revealed significant discrepancies in cash deposits, with Beaver having strategically scheduled himself as the sole manager responsible for daily cash handling. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
A freelance finance writer fell victim to an elaborate impersonation scam in which scammers posing as an Amazon employee, FTC official, and CIA agent convinced her to withdraw and hand over $50,000 in cash to a stranger, using threats of arrest warrants and asset freezes to manipulate her into isolation and compliance. Security experts note that professional scammers use sophisticated social engineering tactics—including fear for family safety, appeals to emotion, and knowledge of personal details like Social Security numbers—to override victims' skepticism, and that anyone, regardless of sophistication, can be targeted by such schemes.
abc13.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers are using AI-generated images and deepfake videos to defraud vulnerable victims seeking online relationships, with one man losing nearly $60,000 after being convinced to make an investment by a fake AI woman. Experts recommend detecting AI-generated scammers by asking personalized follow-up questions, looking for unnaturally smooth speech patterns, paying attention to inconsistencies in appearance (too-perfect skin, looping backgrounds), and noting reluctance to engage in real-time video calls or off-the-cuff conversations. If suspicions arise, victims should disengage gradually using vague language rather than directly calling out the scammer, to avoid providing feedback that could help frau
dailydot.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman fell victim to a jury duty scam in which a caller impersonating a sheriff's deputy claimed she had missed jury duty and owed $750 in fines ($375 per misdemeanor), threatening arrest if she didn't pay immediately by phone. The victim stayed on the line for three hours while the scammer answered all her verification questions using information about a real local police station, ultimately pressuring her into nearly paying before she recognized the fraud. Court officials warn that legitimate jury summonses are sent only by U.S. Mail and courts never demand payment by phone, credit card, or wire transfer.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Experian's 2024 fraud report, AI-generated deepfakes, identity theft, and fake charity schemes are among the year's biggest scams targeting consumers and businesses, with nearly 70% of businesses reporting increased fraud losses and over half of consumers feeling more vulnerable to fraud than the previous year. The report identifies five major fraud threats: AI scams and deepfakes, weaker in-person bank identity verification, retail return fraud, synthetic identity fraud, and fake charitable campaigns—with deepfakes particularly empowering fraudsters to conduct more accessible and convincing attacks.
goldrushcam.com
· 2025-12-08
The Orange County Sheriff's Department issued a February 2024 awareness advisory warning residents about romance scams and various other fraud schemes, noting that scammers manipulate victims into believing they're in committed relationships to steal money and that criminal tactics evolve constantly. The advisory identified eight common scam types including text phishing, online employment fraud, tech support scams, and impersonation schemes (involving fake tax, utility, warrant, and arrest claims), and advised victims of financial fraud to immediately report incidents to their financial institutions and request new accounts.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Singapore reported a record high of 46,563 scam cases with victims losing $651.8 million, marking a 46.8 percent increase in cases from 2022 despite public warnings. Job scams were the most prevalent fraud type, followed by e-commerce scams (which more than doubled), with 73 percent of victims aged below 50, contrary to assumptions that elderly people are most vulnerable. The police attributed most scams to organized criminal groups operating transnationally and noted that 19 scam syndicates were dismantled in 2023 through international cooperation.
channelnewsasia.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, approximately 1,899 Android malware scams affected Singaporean victims, resulting in losses of at least S$34.1 million (average S$17,960 per victim). The majority of victims were aged 30-49 and were targeted on Facebook and Instagram through fake service advertisements that prompted them to download malicious apps, which then compromised their banking credentials and enabled unauthorized fund transfers, including CPF savings withdrawals. After authorities and banks implemented anti-malware measures starting in August 2023, cases declined significantly from 933 in Q3 to 279 in Q4.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
India's government think tank Niti Aayog proposed comprehensive senior care reforms including reverse mortgage system improvements, tax and GST reforms on senior care products, and increased financial literacy to protect elderly citizens from fraud. The paper addressed four key areas—health, social, financial, and digital inclusion—with recommendations to strengthen geriatric insurance, expand digital access, and involve the private sector in elder care, as India's senior population is projected to grow from 10% to 19.5% by 2050 and the senior care industry is expected to expand significantly from its current $7 billion value.
yaledailynews.com
· 2025-12-08
Yale Law School's Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy hosted a panel discussion on February 16 addressing elder fraud and abuse in America, where one in ten Americans over 60 have experienced some form of exploitation. The event featured lawyers, medical experts, and Senator Richard Blumenthal discussing innovative prevention mechanisms, including screening tools, domestic violence initiatives, and financial monitoring apps, while emphasizing the need for bipartisan federal action, stronger nursing home oversight, and AI regulation to protect seniors from online exploitation.
pembinavalleyonline.com
· 2025-12-08
**Grandparent Scam Alert from Winkler Police**
Winkler Police Service reports an increasing number of scams over the past five years, with the grandparent scam emerging as a recent variation targeting elderly residents. Scammers pose as grandchildren or their representatives claiming to be in trouble (car accidents, arrests) and requesting money for bail or emergencies, often using spoofed local phone numbers and information gathered from social media to appear credible. Police recommend hanging up, verifying the claim with family members or local police, and contacting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center if targeted—noting that legitimate police requests differ significantly from scammer tactics.