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goldrushcam.com
· 2026-09-18
Juliet Mora, a former Hayward resident, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy related to a $36 million transnational fraud scheme targeting over 400 elderly American victims. The scheme involved fraudsters impersonating attorneys offering restitution to timeshare owners and fraud victims, collecting fees through fake agreements, and laundering money through shell companies and U.S. bank accounts. Mora, who operated from Nicaragua as an organizer directing co-conspirators, received and laundered approximately $1.57 million in victim funds before her arrest in December 2025.
valdostatoday.com
· 2026-09-18
Ogechi Urenna Udunka of Decatur, Georgia was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in laundering $158,000 stolen through a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scam targeting an agricultural company. The scam occurred when criminals sent fraudulent emails impersonating an Oregon seed company, tricking the victim into wiring funds that Udunka then received and disbursed to conceal their origin. Udunka was ordered to pay full restitution and perform 200 hours of community service.
wktv.com
· 2026-09-18
Cryptocurrency scams operate similarly to traditional fraud schemes like romance and investment scams, but criminals can move funds instantaneously and anonymously across borders, making them nearly untraceable compared to regulated fiat currency transfers. The lack of cryptocurrency regulation stems from the technology outpacing existing laws and the decentralized, geographically borderless nature of digital currencies, with no central authority to hold accountable. The FBI reported nearly $11 billion in cryptocurrency-related losses in 2025, and experts recommend protecting yourself by scrutinizing requests for urgency or threats and verifying requests through alternative contact methods.
cyberguy.com
· 2026-09-17
A 75-year-old South Carolina man with Parkinson's disease and a brain injury had his home transferred to his caregiver via quitclaim deed for $5, along with significant unauthorized bank transfers, after the caregiver obtained power of attorney and allegedly isolated him from family. This case of alleged elder financial exploitation highlights the risks of undue influence and coercion targeting vulnerable seniors, where a caregiver exploited the victim's cognitive decline. The FBI warns that such quitclaim deed fraud can involve forged documents or manipulation by close associates, and recommends families monitor property records and enroll in free county title alerts to detect suspicious ownership changes early.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-17
Ohio seniors lost over $160 million to fraud in 2025, with an average loss of $20,000 per victim, according to FBI data. Scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence, including voice imitation technology, alongside traditional methods like investment schemes, phishing emails, and impersonation of government agencies and tech companies. Many of these transnational scams originate in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa, with cryptocurrency schemes being particularly prevalent.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-17
Cybercriminal losses reached nearly $21 billion last year, with investment fraud accounting for $8.65 billion of that total, as scammers increasingly use sophisticated tactics including AI and phone number spoofing to impersonate banks and other trusted companies. The primary tactic involves creating panic by falsely claiming victims are subjects of fraud, then exploiting that urgency to extract sensitive information or drain accounts. Security experts recommend never answering unexpected calls from companies, instead independently verifying contact through trusted phone numbers on bank cards or official websites before responding to any requests for personal information.
aarp.org
· 2026-09-17
I cannot provide a summary of this content because the provided text does not contain an actual article about a scam or fraud. The text is a navigation menu and header structure from an AARP website showing various section links and topics, but it does not include the substantive article content mentioned in the title "Scammers Target Service Members – Learn to Fight Back at September Events." To summarize the scam details, I would need the actual article text.
ic3.gov
· 2026-09-17
Between January 2025 and July 2026, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received nearly 61,000 complaints of law enforcement and government impersonation scams resulting in over $1.6 billion in losses. Scammers contact victims via phone, email, and text using spoofed official numbers and credentials to make urgent threats of legal consequences, demanding payment through prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, bank wires, or cash. Targeted victims include the general public, medical professionals threatened with license revocation, and foreign nationals threatened with extradition, with specialized schemes against these groups resulting in hundreds of millions in additional losses.
wnky.com
· 2026-09-17
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2978, the GUARD Act, by a vote of 414-7, legislation cosponsored by Congressman Brett Guthrie that provides additional federal funding to law enforcement agencies to combat elder fraud and financial scams targeting seniors. The bill would enable law enforcement to use existing federal grant programs to hire and train officers dedicated to countering fraud schemes such as relationship scams, phishing, and confidence schemes, with requirements for agencies to report on implementation. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost nearly $16 billion in reported fraud schemes in 2025, with estimates suggesting actual losses exceed $190 billion when accounting for unreported schemes.
weartv.com
· 2026-09-17
"Seniors vs. Crime Northwest Florida" is an organization recruiting volunteers to help prevent scams targeting elderly residents in the region. The group aims to reduce the number of fraud cases affecting seniors in Northwest Florida through community education and awareness efforts.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-17
OpenAI and AARP launched a free AI training program in September 2025 to teach 1,000 older adults across 10 US communities how to use ChatGPT to identify scams and suspicious messages. The initiative addresses a critical problem: Americans aged 60 and over filed 201,266 fraud complaints in 2025, resulting in $7.748 billion in losses—a 59% increase from 2024, with investment scams alone accounting for over $3.5 billion. The workshops teach older adults to recognize warning signs in suspicious communications such as urgent language, demands for secrecy, and suspicious links, while emphasizing that ChatGPT should be combined
wfmz.com
· 2026-09-17
Employment scams targeting college students have doubled in 2025, with approximately 32 percent of Gen Z job seekers reporting they've fallen victim to these scams compared to 15 percent of Gen X. Scammers use realistic-looking job postings and professional recruiter communications to lure victims, then request personal information like Social Security numbers, bank details, or upfront payments for background checks or equipment. To protect themselves, job seekers should verify positions directly on company websites, confirm recruiter email addresses match the actual company, and remember that legitimate employers never ask candidates to pay for a job.
moneymag.com.au
· 2026-09-17
Tracy Hall lost $317,000, including her 20-year superannuation savings, to serial fraudster Hamish McLaren, whom she met on a dating app and believed was her romantic partner and financial advisor over 16 months. McLaren, using the false identity "Max Tavita," engineered the relationship to gain her trust, forged investment documents, and made the accounts disappear while presenting himself as a caring finance executive. McLaren was convicted of defrauding 15 Australian victims of over $7.6 million and was released on parole in July.
nbcmiami.com
· 2026-09-17
Florida's Attorney General introduced the Florida Anti-Spam Communications Act to combat rising scam calls and texts targeting residents through spoofed government agencies, fake jury duty notices, and fraudulent payment demands. The proposed legislation aims to establish tougher penalties for scammers and the "phone farms" and "SIM farms" that blast thousands of numbers, addressing gaps in current law. Victims cited in the announcement lost amounts ranging from $190 to $700, with the state's Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit having recovered nearly $10 million from scammers to date.
ottumwaradio.com
· 2026-09-16
The U.S. House passed the bipartisan GUARD Act 414-7, which provides state and local law enforcement with resources and tools to investigate financial fraud and "pig butchering" scams targeting older Americans, including blockchain tracing technology to recover stolen funds. According to the FBI, Iowans lost $96 million to fraud in 2025, an 85 percent increase from the previous year, with scammers using social media, email, text messages, and phone calls to lure retirees into fake investment schemes. The legislation, led by Representatives Zach Nunn, Josh Gottheimer, and Scott Fitzgerald, now awaits Senate consideration.
mustsharenews.com
· 2026-09-16
A Singaporean man nearly fell victim to a WhatsApp phishing scam impersonating Booking.com that requested credit card details to "confirm" his hotel reservation, but became suspicious after noticing a foreign phone number and Safari's fraud warning. The scam targeted multiple travelers in Singapore through deceptive messages containing links to fake booking confirmation pages that mirrored legitimate Booking.com details, with Booking.com confirming they are aware of ongoing phishing attempts via WhatsApp and reminding customers they never request payment information through text or email.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-16
A woman lost nearly $1 million over two years in a LinkedIn romance scam involving a man using the stolen identity and photos of a real person named Brian Haugen. The scammer built trust gradually through compliments and conversation before requesting money, and crucially returned some initial payments to establish credibility before escalating to larger financial demands. The scammer exploited the victim's connection to a mutual LinkedIn contact to lower her guard and used information from her social media to craft a convincing approach.
northfortynews.com
· 2026-09-16
The Loveland Police Department warned seniors about multiple scam tactics including grandparent scams, tech support fraud, phishing messages, bank impersonation, romance scams, and investment schemes that exploit urgency and fear to extract money or personal information. Police recommend hanging up on unsolicited callers, contacting companies directly using verified numbers, avoiding clicking unexpected links, and consulting trusted contacts before making financial decisions. A common warning sign across all scams is pressure to act immediately.
surfshark.com
· 2026-09-16
Users reported losing $425 million to WhatsApp scams in 2025, according to FTC data, as scammers exploit the app's intimate nature and direct messaging capabilities to conduct social engineering attacks. Common scams include verification code theft (risking full account takeover), wrong number schemes that build trust before promoting fake investments or cryptocurrency trading, and family emergency impersonations requesting urgent money transfers. Red flags include suspicious links, requests for verification codes or personal information, and unsolicited messages from unknown contacts claiming urgent situations or investment opportunities.
malwarebytes.com
· 2026-09-16
Scammers are using AI to create convincing fake antivirus renewal pages that impersonate brands like Avast to trick victims into providing personal information such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers. A Belgian-targeted scam site claiming a €129.99 Avast Premium renewal showed signs of AI generation, including polished design, grammatically correct but vague copy, and code comments suggesting contractor work. These collected details are then used for follow-up scam calls where perpetrators pose as support staff to convince victims to install malware or reverse non-existent payments.
orlandosentinel.com
· 2026-09-16
Travel scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with scammers using AI tools to create fake websites and exploit real reservation data stolen from hotels and airlines to impersonate legitimate companies. Common scams include reservation hijacking (fraudulent payment requests using actual reservation details) and fake flight cancellation alerts that pressure victims into rebooking through malicious links. The FTC reported Americans lost $3.5 billion to impostor scams in the past year, with experts recommending travelers verify communications by calling official company numbers directly rather than using contact information from suspicious messages.
androidpolice.com
· 2026-09-16
This article provides guidance on Gmail settings adjustments to reduce spam and AI scams rather than documenting an actual fraud incident. The author recommends four strategies: reporting phishing emails to Google, creating strict spam filters for individual addresses, filtering entire domains to catch multiple scammer emails, and reviewing filters carefully to avoid blocking legitimate messages. No specific scams, victims, or dollar amounts are mentioned; instead, the piece serves as a preventive how-to guide for email users.
fox59.com
· 2026-09-16
Indiana University police warned students about four recent online scams involving fraudulent job offers with fake checks and sextortion attempts. The fake job scam used a common tactic where victims were sent fraudulent checks and asked to send money back via Cash App, while the other three cases involved sextortion where scammers threatened to share intimate images unless victims paid them. Police attributed the rise in sophisticated scams to artificial intelligence platforms making it easier for scammers to create convincing fake profiles and job offers.
rstreet.org
· 2026-09-16
Government impersonation scams surged 87% in 2025, with Americans losing $920 million to criminals posing as agencies like the IRS and toll authorities, up from $789 million in 2024. A Gallup survey estimates the actual problem is far larger—roughly 15 million Americans (6% of adults) lost about $68 billion to all scam types in 2025, though only 13% reported their victimization to federal authorities. Without stronger enforcement against scam operations and the communication channels enabling them, eroding public trust in government will further undermine legitimate government communication.
law.georgia.gov
· 2026-09-16
Ogechi Urenna Udunka of Decatur, Georgia pleaded guilty to theft and money laundering for her role in a Business Email Compromise scam that defrauded an agricultural company of $158,000 in June 2021. She received the stolen funds through fraudulent wire transfers and then conducted financial transactions to conceal the money's source before disbursing it to herself and others. Udunka was sentenced to 10 years with 90 days in prison and the remainder on probation, and ordered to pay full restitution and perform 200 hours of community service.
prevention.com
· 2026-09-15
Approximately 73% of U.S. adults have been targeted by online scams, with email phishing being a primary attack method, according to Pew Research Center data. Common email scam tactics include impersonating government agencies or legitimate companies, using suspicious sender addresses, creating artificial urgency, requesting personal or financial information, and employing spelling errors or AI-generated text that appears robotic or overly formal. The FTC and CISA recommend carefully scrutinizing unexpected emails for red flags such as generic greetings, requests to claim prizes or refunds, and threats of account closure or action consequences.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-09-15
A Pistachio report analyzing 2.47 million simulated phishing attacks across 600+ organizations found that nearly 30% of IT and tech development workers fell for phishing emails, with about one-third of those also submitting credentials. The research revealed that inattention is the biggest predictor of susceptibility, and that attackers exploit job-relevant details to craft convincing scams, with construction and real estate workers being most vulnerable at 46% click rates while financial services employees showed greater resilience at 25%.
pulse.ng
· 2026-09-15
Five Nigerian men allegedly linked to the Black Axe criminal network were extradited from South Africa and face federal fraud charges in the US for operating romance scams from at least 2011 to 2021, with maximum collective prison sentences potentially reaching 100 years. The defendants allegedly posed as romantic interests on social media and dating websites to deceive US victims into sending money or valuable items, sometimes threatening to release sensitive photographs if victims refused, while also laundering money from advance-fee fraud and business email compromise schemes. South African authorities reported the scheme targeted over 100 US women, including pensioners and businesspeople, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million (approximately $5.5 million
salemreporter.com
· 2026-09-15
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation warned investors about fraudsters using artificial intelligence to create sophisticated-looking investment pitches, websites, and videos, including deepfakes impersonating celebrities or trusted individuals and AI-generated romance scams. The agency urged consumers to verify investments independently, avoid pressure tactics, and remember that offers sounding too good to be true likely are scams. Suspected victims can report fraud to Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation at 1-888-877-4894 or the Federal Trade Commission.
leadership.ng
· 2026-09-15
Five Nigerians based in South Africa were extradited to the United States and charged with defrauding American women of over $6 million through online romance scams between 2011 and 2021. The defendants, identified as leaders of the Black Axe criminal organization, used fake identities on social media and dating platforms to trick victims into sending money and valuables, and allegedly laundered proceeds through U.S. bank accounts and shell entities. If convicted on all conspiracy charges, the five men could face up to 100 years in prison combined, with individual charges carrying maximum sentences of 20 years for wire fraud and money laundering, plus mandatory consecutive sentences for aggravated identity theft.
ukrmedia.news
· 2026-09-15
Criminals are increasingly using AI-generated content including voice cloning, deepfakes, and synthetic identities to commit fraud at scale, with INTERPOL estimating AI-enhanced schemes are 4.5 times more profitable than traditional fraud and requiring only about 10 seconds of publicly available audio to create convincing voice clones. During a 2026 international operation targeting social engineering, law enforcement from 97 countries arrested 5,811 people and seized $293 million in assets. Experts recommend verifying suspicious calls by hanging up and calling the person back using a known number, as AI-generated audio and video have become sophisticated enough that familiar voices and realistic deepfakes are no longer reliable indicators of
foxbangor.com
· 2026-09-15
Research from Malwarebytes analyzing threat data from April-July 2026 found that scammers strategically time fraudulent messages to maximize engagement, with scam text volume peaking around 12 p.m. ET (874% higher than at 1 a.m.) and increasing throughout the week, reaching peak levels on Fridays. Different scam types favor different platforms—job scams via email, romance scams via social media, and tech support scams via phone calls—while phishing websites remain the leading delivery method with Malwarebytes blocking approximately 500,000 fake pages daily. The data suggests scammers deliberately target busy times when victims are distracted and more likely
kptv.com
· 2026-09-15
A statewide Oregon survey of 1,828 adults found that nearly half experienced unfair or illegal treatment in the past year, with scams and fraud being the most common issues, with roughly half of fraud victims reporting being targeted via text, phone call, or email. The survey revealed significant financial vulnerability among Oregonians, with most unable to cover a $400 emergency expense, and identified food costs, housing, and utility bills as leading sources of financial stress. Approximately half of those surveyed encountered scam attempts but managed to avoid losing money or personal information.
cnn.com
· 2026-09-15
Brian and Wendy VanDoeselaar, a Michigan couple preparing to close on a $460,000 condo purchase, lost $66,026.92 in a suspected AI voice-cloning scam days before closing. The scammers sent a fake email with a nearly identical phone number to their loan officer's and used voice cloning technology to impersonate him, creating artificial urgency to wire funds for down payment and closing costs. The couple discovered the fraud the next day when their actual loan officer sent them a legitimate closing statement, but the money had already been transferred and the deal was canceled.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-15
Scammers are using AI to identify widows from publicly available obituaries and targeting them with tax evasion scams, with one widow losing $7,000 after being told she needed to pay to preserve her inheritance from her late husband's alleged tax scheme. The FBI reports that Americans aged 60+ lost $7.7 billion to internet and cyber-enabled crimes in 2025, up 59% from 2024, with an average loss of $38,500 per case. AI enables fraudsters to quickly extract personal information from obituaries, create convincing fake communications, and target grieving widows who are vulnerable while managing financial and administrative tasks following their spouse's death.
kttc.com
· 2026-09-15
Scammers in Olmsted County are sending phishing emails impersonating county employees, using fake domains like "@usa.com" instead of official "@olmstedcounty.gov" addresses, and targeting contractors, businesses, and property owners with requests for money or personal information. The fraudsters are pulling real project details from public meeting agendas and signing emails with actual county employee names to appear legitimate. Officials advise recipients not to click links in suspicious emails and to report them directly to the planning department.
creators.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-15
A man impersonating an Adams County Sheriff's Office sergeant attempted to scam the author with a police-impersonation scheme, claiming a legal matter required immediate attention and falsely stating he was calling from the "Adams County Sheriff's Department" (the correct name is "Sheriff's Office"). The scammer, who identified himself as "Sgt. Don Davis," was part of a known fraud operation targeting people with claims of missed jury summons or legal issues to extort money, though the author detected the deception through basic fact-checking and independently verified the call was fraudulent.
einpresswire.com
· 2026-09-14
PurrtectMe.com is a free AI tool designed to help seniors aged 60 and older identify potential scams by analyzing suspicious emails, texts, or call scripts and providing instant, plain-language verdicts without requiring account registration. The tool aims to prevent financial losses by enabling older adults to verify whether communications are fraudulent before responding or taking action.
wral.com
· 2026-09-14
North Carolina law enforcement reports a 59% increase in elder fraud complaints in 2025, with seniors over 60 filing more complaints than any other age group, resulting in billions in losses including one case where an individual lost approximately $4 million from a phishing scam. Cary-area high school students have launched a nonprofit called Click With Confidence to educate seniors about avoiding common scams such as phishing emails, the "Grandparent Scam" using AI voice mimicry, and impersonation of government officials. Investigators advise seniors to pause and verify requests before acting, emphasizing that the IRS does not contact people demanding passwords or social security numbers.
amac.us
· 2026-09-14
Patients using MyChart and other healthcare patient portals are being targeted by phishing emails and text messages designed to steal login credentials, with scammers also impersonating healthcare providers to trick users into downloading malware or revealing personal health information. While the MyChart system itself has not been breached, successful attacks could expose sensitive medical records, insurance details, and personal identifying information that criminals could use for medical identity theft, fraudulent insurance claims, or sale on the dark web. Patients are advised to access their accounts only through official apps and to avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages, even if they appear legitimate.
tuko.co.ke
· 2026-09-14
Kenyan content creator Eric Mboya received a fraudulent email claiming he won a US Green Card through a lottery he never entered, with red flags including a suspicious gmail sender address instead of an official .gov domain and a PDF attachment. The scam exploits the legitimate US Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program, which does not notify winners via email or text and requires no payment; the US government only confirms selection through an official portal using a personal confirmation number.
tech.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-14
MetaMask is launching new security features including AI-powered scam detection, warnings for lookalike wallet addresses, and protections against investment and romance fraud to help users avoid sending cryptocurrency to scammers. The wallet provider is implementing contextual alerts and an "Added Protection" feature that automatically reverts transactions that don't match their previews, with priority support access for uncertain users. This comes as U.S. authorities recently seized over $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to investment and romance schemes that defrauded thousands across the U.S. and Canada.
aarp.org
· 2026-09-14
I cannot provide a summary of the article content because the text provided contains only the navigation menu and page structure of an AARP website, not an actual article about a "Naples Coffee Scam." To write an accurate summary, I would need the actual article content that describes the scam details, who was affected, the type of fraud, and any monetary amounts involved.
bitdefender.com
· 2026-09-14
Bitdefender won the Best Awareness Campaign award at the 2026 Global Anti-Scam Summit for its Scam Radar feature, which uses real-time threat intelligence to alert users about emerging scams in their specific regions before they become widespread. The tool addresses the growing challenge of AI-enabled scams that are increasingly sophisticated and localized, providing timely alerts with real examples of fraudulent messages and practical guidance to help users and their families recognize scam attempts across email, text, and social media.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-14
Malwarebytes research reveals that scammers strategically time their attacks, with scam text volume peaking around noon EST (874% higher than 1 a.m.) and increasing throughout the week, reaching peak volume on Fridays. Criminals also tailor their scam delivery channels—job scams via email, romance scams through social media, and tech support scams by phone—to maximize effectiveness, while phishing websites remain the leading method for reaching victims, with Malwarebytes blocking approximately 500,000 phishing sites daily.
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-14
A North Carolina high school student founded Click With Confidence after his grandfather's business collapsed following a 2022 phishing scam, and the organization now deploys over 30 teenagers to senior centers to educate older adults about fraud recognition and safe technology use. The effort addresses a growing crisis: the FBI recorded 201,266 fraud complaints from Americans 60 and older in 2025 with losses totaling $7.75 billion, while the IRS opened 255 elder fraud investigations from fiscal 2021-2026 involving approximately $885.86 million in alleged fraud. Click With Confidence provides in-person presentations, digital mentorship training, and a browser extension to help seniors identify
business.scoop.co.nz
· 2026-09-14
The Banking Ombudsman Scheme in New Zealand received 283 disputes in 2025-26, a 26 percent increase driven primarily by a 59 percent rise in lending disputes attributed to financial hardship facing many New Zealanders. Fraud and scam complaints dropped 40 percent, with phishing and information harvesting scams remaining most common, likely due to improved bank fraud detection measures and increased public awareness efforts. The scheme resolved disputes in an average of 49 working days, 14 days faster than the previous year.
retailnews.asia
· 2026-09-13
Nearly half of all scam cases across six Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) remain unresolved, with 82% of victims recovering no money and only 10% achieving full reimbursement. Messaging applications account for 41% of fraudulent outreach, with AI-enabled schemes including deepfakes and voice cloning accelerating scams targeting investment, cryptocurrency, job opportunities, and fake e-commerce. The high fraud rates are causing consumers to abandon digital service providers at twice the rate of unaffected users, creating significant commercial losses for merchants and operators.
transcripts.cnn.com
· 2026-09-13
This transcript is not about elder fraud or scams. It covers President Trump's visit to Ireland for meetings with Irish leaders and attendance at a golf event. While the transcript mentions "Nigerians Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges in Romance Scams" in the headline, the actual content provided does not include details about that story. I cannot summarize elder fraud content that is not present in the provided text.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-13
A 70-year-old retiree lost over $2,400 (1,800 pounds) in an Amazon impersonation scam after fraudsters called claiming suspicious activity on his account and used social engineering tactics, including a fake verification call and warnings about a compromised IP address, to convince him to authorize 12 separate bank transfers. According to the Federal Trade Commission, nearly 96,000 consumers reported being targeted by Amazon impersonators over one year, with almost 6,000 reporting losses totaling over $27 million, and adults 60 and older being four times more likely than younger people to lose money with a median loss of $1,500. The scammers explo