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in Identity Theft
marketrealist.com
· 2025-12-08
In October 2023, Charlotte Cowles, a New York Times financial columnist, was scammed out of $50,000 by perpetrators posing as Amazon customer service, FTC, and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and used to purchase vehicles and properties, with warrants allegedly issued for her arrest. The scammers used social engineering tactics including spoofed government phone numbers, fake badge numbers, and threats of home raids to build credibility and pressure her into withdrawing cash. Cowles ultimately handed over $50,000 in a shoe box to a stranger, despite her professional expertise in personal finance and skepticism about the claims.
atlantanewsfirst.com
· 2025-12-08
A 62-year-old man in Haralson County, Georgia was charged with exploitation of an elder person, identity theft, and financial transaction card fraud after investigators discovered he had made unauthorized credit card purchases and transactions in the victim's name without consent. The investigation was initiated in September 2023 following a report from the victim's family, who provided financial records documenting a pattern of fraudulent activity.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
A Joliet family lost access to a $10,000 federal tax refund after scammers gained access to their H&R Block online account and filed a fraudulent tax return in their names, using the family's personal information and their children's Social Security numbers. The scammers filed early online after obtaining credentials from a previous year's tax filing, and despite the family reporting suspicious access attempts to H&R Block, the company failed to prevent the fraudulent filing. The IRS instructed the family to file a paper return to resolve the issue, but the process is lengthy, forcing the family to take out personal loans to cover expenses they expected the refund to cover.
6abc.com
· 2025-12-08
A Brooklyn-based financial advice columnist for New York Magazine lost $50,000 to an elaborate phone scam in October in which fraudsters impersonated Amazon, the FTC, and a CIA agent over a five-hour call, ultimately convincing her to withdraw cash and hand it to a stranger. The scammers used personal details about her and her family to build credibility and pressure her into believing she faced arrest and identity fraud. According to the FTC, such government impersonation scams are widespread, with Americans losing $2.7 billion annually to these schemes.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a financial columnist for New York Magazine's The Cut, lost $50,000 in a sophisticated phone scam that began with a fraudulent Amazon customer service call on October 31, 2023. The scammers used personal details about her family and threats of surveillance to manipulate her over five hours, employing the tactic of "blocking the exits" to prevent her from reaching out to trusted contacts. Cowles publicly defended her story by emphasizing that scam victims come from all walks of life—including financial professionals, doctors, and lawyers—and advised others to identify trusted people to contact and create exit strategies when feeling pressured.
the-sun.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a New York financial columnist, lost $50,000 in an elaborate phone scam in October where scammers impersonated Amazon, the FTC, and a CIA agent, using fear tactics and personal information about her and her family to convince her that her identity had been compromised and a warrant was out for her arrest. The scammers kept her on the phone for five hours and instructed her to withdraw cash and hand it to a car that pulled up to her apartment building. According to the FTC, such government impersonation scams are increasingly common, with Americans losing $2.7 billion to these schemes in 2023.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A 44-year-old former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, Washington, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for stealing over $1.2 million from eight elderly and vulnerable customers through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and cashier's checks between 2014 and 2019. Davie deliberately targeted seniors with dementia or limited English skills who were less likely to monitor their accounts, with one victim losing more than $566,000 from her retirement accounts. Wells Fargo partially reimbursed victims for their losses, and the court will determine final restitution amounts in March 2024.
fox5atlanta.com
· 2025-12-08
A 28-year-old business manager at Countryside Healthcare in Buchanan, Georgia, Johnna Hannah, was arrested and charged with 78 counts of fraud and elder abuse after stealing over $53,000 from at least 39 patients' accounts between June 2023 and February 2024. Hannah used fraudulent invoices, company checks, debit cards, and mobile banking to drain patient accounts, including those of eight deceased residents; police discovered the scheme after a questionable $880 withdrawal was reported, prompting a forensic audit. She was released on a $50,000 bond, and authorities indicate additional charges are likely pending a second audit.
news.caloes.ca.gov
· 2025-12-08
California emergency officials warn that disaster survivors should remain vigilant against common post-disaster fraud schemes, including fake repair contractors, fraudulent aid offers, and price gouging on essential goods. Key protective measures include using only licensed contractors with written guarantees, never paying money to anyone claiming to offer federal or state disaster aid, and verifying charities before donating. Residents should report suspected fraud to local law enforcement, FEMA's fraud division, or the Department of Justice hotline.
columbian.com
· 2025-12-08
Brian Davie, a former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, was sentenced to 3½ years in federal prison for stealing $1,279,840 from eight customers' accounts between 2014 and 2019 through unauthorized withdrawals, forged cashier's checks, and forged signatures. Davie specifically targeted elderly customers, including those with dementia or limited English proficiency, deliberately avoiding detection by preventing relatives from monitoring the accounts. Wells Fargo reimbursed all victims for their losses, and Davie faces additional restitution to be determined at a future hearing.
skepchick.org
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a financial advice columnist for The Cut, lost $50,000 to a government impersonation scam in which she received a phone call spoofed to appear from Amazon, was transferred through fake FTC and CIA contacts, and was instructed to withdraw cash, place it in a shoebox, and hand it to an "undercover agent." The scam succeeded despite being transparently fraudulent—involving obvious red flags like being told not to inform her husband and to conduct the handoff immediately—partly due to Cowles' lack of financial literacy despite her advice columnist role and her apparent overconfidence that she was not a typical scam victim.
messengernews.net
· 2025-12-08
Iowans lost nearly $30 million to fraud in 2022, with older adults disproportionately targeted because they tend to have more assets, may be less tech-savvy, and are more trusting. People ages 70-79 lost an average of $43,000 per scam incident, though many cases go unreported due to victim embarrassment and fear. Common red flags include promises of something free, pressure to act quickly, requests for personal information or money transfers, vague details, and unsolicited contact.
tryondailybulletin.com
· 2025-12-08
A 72-year-old woman named Donna lost $34,000 in a romance scam after seven months of communication with someone she met on a dating site who promised to buy a house with her but disappeared after receiving her money. The article highlights that the FTC reported over $10 billion in losses from scams last year, with elderly individuals particularly vulnerable to sweetheart scams, fake prize winnings, grandparent scams, contractor fraud, and phishing emails. The article recommends protective measures including frequent password changes, two-factor authentication, monthly credit monitoring, antivirus software, limiting personal information on social media, and recognizing red flags like pressure to send money immediately.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Latron Earl Williams, 24, of Miami was arrested and indicted on February 21 on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft after fraudulently obtaining personal information from approximately 50 bank account holders nationwide between April 2022 and March 2023. Using stolen identifiable information, debit card numbers, and bank account details, Williams illegally accessed victims' accounts and orchestrated over $2 million in fraudulent wire transfers into accounts he controlled, with accomplices withdrawing the funds to conceal his involvement. If convicted, Williams faces up to 30 years in prison per bank fraud count, plus a mandatory minimum two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft
cavazossentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
Military personnel, veterans, and their families can protect themselves from scams by using strong passwords, password managers, two-factor authentication, and separating work and personal accounts. The most rapidly growing scams targeting this population are confidence and romance scams, along with online impersonation accounts (often impersonating high-ranking officials), credit repair schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, social media account takeovers, and extortion attempts involving compromised photos. Awareness of common tactics—such as requests for gift cards or money from supposed military officials via text, fake investment opportunities posted from hacked accounts, and suspicious website URLs—can help individuals avoid becoming victims.
travelpulse.com
· 2025-12-08
This article provides consumer awareness advice on recognizing and avoiding travel scams. Travel industry expert Byrd Bergeron identifies six common warning signs including last-minute vacation deals, suspiciously cheap airline tickets, risky vacation rental listings (noting Airbnb removed 59,000 fraudulent listings), requests for personal documents or confidential information, and bogus fees. The article advises travelers to verify legitimacy before booking, guard personal information, and report any scams to authorities while documenting interactions.
fox13seattle.com
· 2025-12-08
Brian Davie, a former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, Washington, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after stealing $1,279,840 from elderly and vulnerable customers between March 2014 and June 2019 through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and checks. One victim lost $566,000 from her retirement accounts, and Wells Fargo partially reimbursed victims while a federal judge will determine additional restitution amounts. Law enforcement and fraud prevention experts urge victims to report incidents immediately to banks and law enforcement, and recommend seniors use online banking, set up account alerts, and monitor transactions to prevent similar exploitation.
valdostatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Georgia residents lost $234.3 million to fraud in 2023 across 65,825 reported incidents to the FTC, ranking the state 15th most defrauded nationally. The three most common scam types were Credit Bureaus/Information Furnishers (25% of reports), Identity Theft (23%), and Imposter Scams (9%), with victims advised to monitor credit reports, avoid sharing personal information unsolicited, and never send money to unknown parties.
michigan.gov
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel reissued a tax identity theft alert in February 2024, urging residents to file taxes early to prevent criminals from using stolen personal information to claim fraudulent refunds. The alert provides guidance on protecting Social Security numbers, using secure filing methods, and recognizing IRS scams, while advising victims of tax-related identity theft to contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit and file an FTC complaint.
islandssounder.com
· 2025-12-08
The Orcas Senior Center is hosting National Consumer Protection Week (March 3-9, 2024) in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission, featuring an in-person discussion on March 6 at 1:00 pm led by FTC Assistant Director Jennifer Tourjé about avoiding scams and recovering from identity theft. The center also offers free consumer education materials and resources through the FTC website to help individuals learn to spot, report, and avoid fraud and scams.
cantonrep.com
· 2025-12-08
Medical billing scams trick consumers into paying fake or fraudulent bills by impersonating legitimate medical providers or collection agencies and using scare tactics about credit damage or legal consequences. To protect yourself, verify claims directly with your doctor or hospital, look up official customer service numbers, ignore pressure tactics, and never share personal information with unexpected callers. Report suspected scams to BBB.org/ScamTracker to help raise awareness.
mashable.com
· 2025-12-08
Tax season scams commonly target vulnerable people through three main schemes: criminals impersonating the IRS via phone, email, or mail to steal personal information like Social Security numbers and bank details; fraudsters filing fake tax returns in victims' names to claim their refunds; and scammers offering fraudulent tax preparation services. The IRS advises people to never click links in unsolicited communications, avoid sharing personal data over the phone, file taxes early to prevent refund theft, and verify any IRS contact directly through official channels like 1-800-829-1040 or the IRS website.
menafn.com
· 2025-12-08
A Bengaluru woman lost Rs 48,199 in a phishing fraud after clicking on a fake online egg seller's website offering eggs at Rs 49 per order. After entering her credit card details on the fraudulent site, the scammers debited Rs 48,199 from her account before she could complete the OTP verification, transferring the funds to an account named 'Shine Mobile HU'. The victim's bank's fraud detection call prevented further losses, and a case has been filed under the IT Act with investigations ongoing and the fraudster's account frozen.
pennwatch.org
· 2025-12-08
The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities is hosting multiple educational presentations throughout March 2024 to help seniors and the public protect themselves from financial fraud and identity theft. Topics include recognizing elder financial abuse (which is the #1 reported issue to Adult Protective Services), avoiding identity theft, cybersecurity best practices, investment fraud awareness, and common scam tactics, with sessions offered both in-person and virtually across the state.
netnewsledger.com
· 2025-12-08
The Thunder Bay Police Service warned of persistent grandparent scams targeting seniors in the community, with one victim losing $3,000 after receiving a call from someone impersonating a lawyer representing her grandson who allegedly needed bail money. The scam typically involves fraudsters calling from private numbers, sometimes playing background voices to create credibility, and requesting urgent fund transfers via email or gift cards. The police recommend protective measures including hanging up on suspicious calls, independently verifying claims with family members, being alert to pressure tactics, reporting suspicious activity, and staying informed through resources like the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
abcmoney.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
This educational article provides guidance on protecting oneself from delivery scams, which exploit the prevalence of online shopping and home deliveries. Common delivery scam tactics include fraudulent emails or messages impersonating delivery services (with phishing links), fake delivery personnel demanding payment for non-existent packages, and credit card data breaches. The article recommends four key protective measures: verify delivery notifications through official tracking information, use official communication channels to confirm suspicious messages, request and validate official identification from delivery personnel, and shop only on reputable online marketplaces with robust security measures.
wmar2news.com
· 2025-12-08
The "Phantom Hacker" scam has cost Marylanders millions of dollars through a multi-layered scheme where scammers pose as government officials (CIA, FBI, Treasury, etc.) and convince victims their identities have been stolen and accounts compromised. Victims are instructed to withdraw large sums of cash or purchase precious metals to "protect" their assets, which are then handed over to couriers; between May and December 2023, the FBI's IC3 received reports of over $55 million in losses nationwide, including $3.8 million from 7 Maryland victims, with one individual losing over $2 million.
khou.com
· 2025-12-08
A financial advice columnist lost $50,000 to a scam, illustrating that fraud victims span all demographics and expertise levels. According to Deloitte research, Gen Z actually reports higher rates of identity theft, romance scams, phishing, and social media hacking than older generations, likely due to their comfort with online engagement and reduced exposure to internet safety warnings compared to earlier generations.
primepublishers.com
· 2025-12-08
The Middlebury Senior Center (located at 1172 Whittemore Rd., open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday) is hosting an Elder Fraud Prevention Lunch & Learn at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, presented by Brandon Ross, Financial Crimes Officer at Ion Bank. The free program will cover elder financial exploitation, common scams, identity theft safeguards, and prevention strategies, with registration required by calling 203-577-4166.
palmcoastobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
The Ormond Beach Police Department reported 246 fraud cases in 2024, with victims losing thousands of dollars in schemes including fake investments (Belgian mine), romance scams (Gaza war), and tech support fraud using gift cards and cryptocurrency. Elderly victims over 60 are disproportionately targeted, with national data showing losses increased 84% and cryptocurrency-related losses surged 350%, with victims averaging $35,101 in losses. Police note that cryptocurrency fraud cases have grown from roughly one per month to several per week, as criminals increasingly exploit digital payment methods and cryptocurrency ATMs to evade detection.
nbcboston.com
· 2025-12-08
Job scams have nearly tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with the FTC receiving nearly 61,000 complaints in the first nine months of 2023 alone, resulting in losses exceeding $186 million. Scammers create fake LinkedIn accounts and job listings to impersonate recruiters and steal personal or banking information from job seekers. Red flags include requests for upfront payment, pressure to move conversations off LinkedIn, unrealistic job offers, immediate job offers without interviews, and receiving checks before employment begins.
gobankingrates.com
· 2025-12-08
A sophisticated phone scam cost journalist Charlotte Cowles $50,000 after scammers impersonating Amazon customer service, an FTC investigator, and a CIA agent convinced her that her identity had been compromised and linked to illegal activities. The perpetrators manipulated her through fear and urgency, instructing her to withdraw cash and hand it over to an unknown individual, falsely promising it would be secured and returned as a Treasury check. The article emphasizes the importance of skepticism toward unsolicited calls, verifying caller identities through official channels, and resisting pressure tactics commonly used by scammers.
kpmg.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadian organizations of all sizes face evolving fraud risks driven by technological advances like generative AI, cryptocurrency, and digital payment systems, with SMBs particularly vulnerable due to limited fraud prevention resources and awareness. Fraudsters employ increasingly sophisticated tactics including crypto scams, online payment fraud, social engineering attacks targeting elders, and ESG misrepresentation, with 88% of victimized Canadian SMBs experiencing internal fraud and 75% experiencing external fraud over the past five years. Organizations must strengthen their fraud prevention strategies through risk assessment, robust controls, and cross-sector partnerships to effectively counter these threats.
aithority.com
· 2025-12-08
GetSetUp, an educational platform for older adults, launched a Cyber Safety and Fraud Hub in response to rising AI-driven scams targeting seniors, including voice cloning and deepfake fraud. The initiative, developed with support from the White House National Security Council and federal agencies, provides educational classes, articles, checklists, and resources accessible to millions of older Americans through partnerships with healthcare plans and government websites. The program aims to equip seniors with skills to recognize and avoid AI-powered fraud while protecting their personal information in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
thebamabuzz.com
· 2025-12-08
Alabama college students are vulnerable to common fraud schemes including fake apartment listings, online marketplace scams, dating app fraud, and credit card loan scams that specifically target their lifestyle needs and desires. A banking fraud expert emphasizes that scammers use phishing via email and text to initiate contact, then tailor their approach based on publicly available personal information, making password management, multi-factor authentication, and privacy settings critical defensive measures.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Dr. Osama Nahas and medical assistant Isabel Pruneda were convicted of healthcare fraud, kickback conspiracy, and identity theft for operating a multimillion-dollar scheme at an adult daycare in the Rio Grande Valley from 2016-2017, in which they ordered unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions for elderly patients, forged consent forms, and misappropriated medications while receiving tens of thousands in kickbacks from testing companies and bribing daycare facility owners. Both face up to 10 years in federal prison, with Pruneda facing an additional mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft, plus potential fines up to $250,000 each.
ftc.gov
· 2025-12-08
During National Consumer Protection Week (March 2-8, 2024), the Federal Trade Commission and partner organizations hosted multiple virtual and in-person events across the United States to educate consumers about avoiding scams, identity theft, and fraud. The events included webinars, podcasts, social media outreach, and community presentations targeting specific populations such as college students, older adults, small business owners, and multilingual communities, with free educational materials distributed at various locations.
thetimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Lauren McEwen, a 70-year-old Missouri woman, fell victim to a romance scam using stolen photographs of Dr. Christian Boving, a Danish doctor and television personality, who was impersonated by scammers on Facebook under the alias "Ace Swift." The article reveals that an estimated 140,000 people lose money annually on Meta platforms, with romance scams causing £18.5 million in losses in the first half of the prior year, and notes that Meta has failed to remove numerous fake profiles using Boving's images despite repeated reporting and complaints about inadequate identity verification measures.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
An identity fraud victim lost $11,300 when someone impersonated them at a bank branch and withdrew funds from their checking account. Despite taking standard security precautions—strong passwords, credit freezes following the Equifax breach, and account alerts—these safeguards did not prevent the fraud, as the perpetrator used personal information already circulating on the dark web from past data breaches. The victims recovered their full loss within 36 hours, filed a police report (resulting in a Class D felony classification due to the amount stolen), and learned that recovering from identity fraud requires significant time and effort beyond prevention alone.
khmoradio.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI has issued a warning to Missouri residents about 13 active scams currently targeting the state, including adoption fraud, investment schemes, business email impersonation, charity fraud, elder fraud, romance scams, ransomware attacks, and skimming at ATMs and gas stations. The advisory emphasizes that elderly Missourians are particularly vulnerable targets and recommends citizens verify legitimacy before responding to unsolicited contacts, providing funds, or clicking links from unknown sources.
kiow.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece promotes Iowa State University Extension's "Spot, Stop and Avoid Fraud" workshop, which teaches adults 60+ and caregivers how to identify and protect themselves from common scams and financial crimes. The workshop emphasizes that older Americans face heightened fraud risk, with elder financial fraud being the most common form of elder abuse affecting over 50 million Americans aged 62+. Free resources and community workshops are available through local Extension offices and the Federal Trade Commission.
theorcasonian.com
· 2025-12-08
The Orcas Senior Center, in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission, is offering educational resources and an in-person workshop during National Consumer Protection Week (March 3-9, 2024) to help seniors protect themselves from fraud, identity theft, and scams. FTC Northwest Region Assistant Director Jennifer Tourjé, an Orcas resident and former prosecutor, will lead a discussion on March 6 at 1:00 pm about avoiding scams and recovering from identity theft, with free consumer education materials available through the FTC website.
dallasnews.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes common modern scams targeting older adults, including impersonation calls from fake government officials, phishing emails with malicious links, and various fraudulent schemes conducted via phone, email, and social media. The author, an attorney, provides practical prevention advice such as using strong unique passwords, freezing credit reports, verifying caller identity by independently calling businesses back, and avoiding unsolicited requests for personal information or financial details.
english.khabarhub.com
· 2025-12-08
Three individuals were arrested in Kathmandu for impersonating a senior police official by fraudulently using his photo on WhatsApp to threaten victims and extort money. The scammers defrauded victims of 1.3 million rupees through this impersonation scheme, and authorities are investigating the full scope of the fraudulent operation.
observer-review.com
· 2025-12-08
Schuyler County declared the week of March 3-9 as National Consumer Protection Week, with the County Office for the Aging and County Attorney distributing educational materials about scams, fraud, and identity theft to vulnerable residents. County officials highlighted that seniors are especially susceptible to scams, with the FTC reporting 5.2 million fraud reports totaling $8.8 billion in losses in 2022, with investment scam losses doubling year-over-year to $3.8 billion.
wdio.com
· 2025-12-08
According to the Federal Trade Commission, older adults are increasingly targeted with scam calls and texts, with those aged 70 and older experiencing significantly higher median losses compared to younger adults, despite young adults reporting fraud losses more frequently. Experts recommend that older adults protect themselves by recognizing emotional manipulation tactics in messages (such as urgent language or threats), verifying sender identities, and having conversations about financial management, as awareness of scams helps reduce vulnerability. The Senior Linkage Line is offering free online classes on detecting and reporting Medicare fraud and healthcare scams targeting seniors.
atlantafed.org
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission reported over 850,000 imposter fraud complaints in 2023, resulting in approximately $2.7 billion in losses—a 60 percent increase over five years. Business and government imposters account for nearly 80 percent of these complaints, with phone calls generating the highest median losses per victim at $1,500. While older adults are frequently targeted, younger people also fall victim to phone-based imposter scams involving fake government agencies, tech support, or romantic partners using emotional manipulation to extract money.
thepointsguy.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FTC received 2.6 million fraud reports totaling $10 billion in losses, with imposter scams being the most common type, and AI technology is rapidly enabling new fraud methods including voice cloning, deepfakes, email spoofing, and credential stuffing attacks. Scammers use AI to impersonate loved ones, clone voices, generate fake images, mimic writing styles, and create convincing fraudulent communications to steal money and loyalty points, with the technology expected to advance further to include convincing deepfake video calls. Protection strategies include awareness of these AI-enabled tactics, verification procedures beyond video calls, and regulatory efforts like the FTC's
ajc.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece outlines six key warning signs of travel scams to help consumers avoid fraud when planning vacations. Travel industry expert Byrd Bergeron identifies red flags including last-minute deals, suspiciously cheap airline tickets, vacation rental properties listed at multiple price points, unsolicited requests for personal documents or information, and bogus service fees. The article advises travelers to verify legitimacy through official channels, protect personal information, and report any suspected scams to authorities while maintaining documentation of fraudulent interactions.
idahobusinessreview.com
· 2025-12-08
At a February 2024 cybersecurity conference in Boise, industry experts discussed the rising threat of digital fraud as financial technology adoption has surged—with 88% of Americans now using fintech services, up from 60% pre-COVID. The FBI reported 800,944 cyber-crime complaints in 2022 with $10.2 billion in losses, while the FTC received 5.4 million complaints in 2023, with Idaho alone losing $40.6 million to fraud across 9,829 reports. Experts emphasized that younger generations (ages 20-29) filed 44% of fraud complaints due to lower financial literacy and less skepticism