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in Robocalls / Phone Scams
magnoliareporter.com
· 2025-12-08
Five defendants in a transnational organized crime syndicate were sentenced to federal prison (109 to 480 months) for defrauding approximately 100 victims—including elderly persons, companies, and government entities—of roughly $17 million between 2017 and 2025 through online romance scams, business email compromise, investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud. The defendants laundered the stolen money through networks of bank accounts in Africa and Asia before being caught by an FBI-led multi-agency investigation in the Eastern District of Texas.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 65-year-old Houston man lost approximately $500,000 of his life savings in a government impersonation scam after receiving a call from someone claiming to represent the Vietnamese Embassy warning him of identity theft and money laundering in his name. The scammer exploited the victim's prior receipt of an official IRS identity theft warning, then directed him over five months to transfer funds via wire transfer while communicating through encrypted messaging and using forged documents and AI-generated videos. The loss has forced him to sell his home and reconsider retirement, though his daughter has launched a GoFundMe that has raised five figures to help him recover.
khou.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers in Bay City, Texas are impersonating business owners via phone calls to deceive employees into withdrawing cash from registers and depositing it into Bitcoin machines. The Bay City Police Department warns that scammers target both main office lines and personal cell phones, building trust through fabricated urgent scenarios before directing employees to empty cash registers. Authorities recommend businesses train staff to verify caller identity with managers and hang up if uncertain, as scammers continuously develop new tactics.
wgrz.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau is warning about a significant rise in text message job scams targeting young adults, with fraudsters using unsolicited texts and emails to advertise remote positions with high pay and flexible hours, often impersonating legitimate companies. Employment scams resulted in average losses of $1,500 per victim among ages 18-34 last year and ranked among the top three scams reported to the BBB, with scammers increasingly using AI to create convincing fake offers and sending fraudulent checks. The BBB recommends verifying the legitimacy of job offers, avoiding sending money to unknown contacts, and watching for red flags like unsolicited contact and pressure to act quickly.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the U.S. Department of Justice announced reinvigorated prosecutorial efforts against transnational and domestic elder fraud schemes that cost seniors billions of dollars annually, highlighting recent cases involving romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. A notable Montana case resulted in the arrest of a man involved in an India-based scheme impersonating U.S. Marshals that defrauded an elderly victim of over $1 million. The DOJ emphasizes the importance of community vigilance, victim restitution efforts, and encourages seniors and their families to contact the free National Elder Fraud Hotline for assistance with
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced reinvigorated efforts to prosecute transnational elder fraud schemes that cost American seniors billions of dollars. Recent prosecutions in the District of Rhode Island include: a British national convicted in a multi-state construction fraud targeting seniors across four states for over $1 million; eight individuals indicted for orchestrating transnational tech support scams that defrauded approximately 300 seniors across 37 states of over $5 million; and two residents charged with grandparent scams that defrauded seniors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts of at least $230,000. The DOJ urged seniors an
cp24.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadians lost $638 million to scams last year, with seniors disproportionately affected across multiple fraud types including romance scams, grandparent scams, investment fraud, and door-to-door scams, with individual losses ranging from $8,000 to $750,000. Experts attribute seniors' vulnerability to their trusting nature and oversharing of personal information online, and recommend that seniors adopt protective measures such as using strong passwords, being assertive in declining requests, and consulting trusted family members before making financial decisions.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pamela nearly fell victim to a tech support scam after receiving a pop-up warning claiming her computer was locked and her IP was being used on pornographic sites. The scammer impersonated both a Microsoft employee and an FTC official, using fake credentials and pressure tactics to try to extract her full credit card numbers, but Pamela avoided the fraud by verifying the FTC official's identity and refusing to share sensitive information. The article warns against pop-up scams impersonating legitimate companies or government agencies and recommends contacting organizations directly through official channels, using strong unique passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication to protect against such schemes.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Lawrence Hall from Columbus lost $149 after responding to a robocall scam promising a product he never received; the number became unlisted after he contacted them. Hall receives over 35 robocalls daily and is among millions of victims, with seniors identified as particularly vulnerable due to loneliness and phone-answering habits. The Ohio Attorney General's Office recommends not answering unfamiliar numbers, avoiding personal information disclosure, and reporting robocalls to authorities to prevent scammers from building profiles and selling victim data.
dayakdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
A man identified as "Kenny" rejected an online loan scam offer via WhatsApp in early June, but the scammer subsequently obtained his contact list and harassed Kenny, his wife, parents, in-laws, and siblings using multiple phone numbers, while also posting his identity card on Facebook pages with false accusations. Kenny reported the incident to police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), suspecting his phone may have been hacked during the initial scam communication.
metro.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Jenny's 68-year-old mother, a recent widow, appears to have fallen victim to a romance scammer posing as a US military veteran named "Don" on Facebook; Jenny suspects money may have been sent but faces resistance when trying to warn her mother about the scam. Financial adviser Sarah Davidson explains that romance scammers exploit vulnerable people through emotional manipulation and gradually request money, with victims aged 61+ losing an average of £19,000 each, and emphasizes that confrontation often backfires as victims are psychologically invested in the false relationship.
newstalkkgvo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Montana woman named Rita lost over $90,000 in an online romance scam where the perpetrator refused to meet in person and exploited her vulnerability during her divorce. According to FBI data, Montana residents reported 44 romance scam cases resulting in $2.2 million in losses during 2024, with common red flags including rushed declarations of love, isolation from friends and family, excuses to avoid meeting, and requests for money before an in-person meeting.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Five members of a transnational organized crime syndicate were sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for defrauding approximately 100 victims of roughly $17 million through multiple schemes including romance scams, business email compromise, investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud beginning in January 2017. The defendants, ranging from 32 to 51 years old, received sentences between 9 and 40 years, with sentences totaling nearly 160 years combined. The scheme specifically targeted elderly and vulnerable persons, and the defendants laundered stolen funds through bank accounts and businesses in Africa and Asia.
newstalkkgvo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Montana woman named Rita lost over $90,000 in an online romance scam where the perpetrator refused to meet in person, taking advantage of her vulnerability during a divorce. According to the FBI, Montana alone saw 44 romance scam victims report losses exceeding $2.2 million in 2024, making these scams particularly costly for seniors. Red flags include rushing declarations of love, isolation from family and friends, claims of inability to meet in person, and requests for money before any face-to-face meeting.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a reinvigorated effort to combat transnational elder fraud schemes that cost billions of dollars annually, with several recent prosecutions targeting romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Key cases included Troy Murray, who pleaded guilty to selling a database of over 7 million elderly Americans' personal information to Jamaican lottery scammers, and his son Cutter Murray, who pleaded guilty to money laundering $1.6 million in fraudulent proceeds; other defendants were charged for operating Jamaica-based lottery fraud schemes that defrauded seniors across the country, with one victim losing over $400,
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-08
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), the FBI Honolulu warned about elder fraud targeting seniors through investment scams, technical support schemes, romance scams, and money mule operations, noting that victims lost $4.885 billion across 14,127 complaints nationally in 2024—a 46% increase from 2023—with Hawaii alone losing $18.9 million, of which $9.8 million came from investment scams. Criminals target seniors because they perceive them as polite, trusting, financially stable, and less likely to report fraud, which is why the FBI recommends verifying unknown contacts, resisting pressure to act quickly,
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Maryland officials, the FBI, and AARP launched "Protect Week" to educate seniors and families about avoiding scams, following reports that more than 3,200 Marylanders over age 60 lost a combined $80 million to fraud in 2024. The statewide initiative highlighted common scam tactics including urgency, emotional manipulation, and impersonation, with officials advising seniors to verify sources before sending money and to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
bigcountrynewsconnection.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI released a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day reminder highlighting that elder fraud caused $4.885 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints in 2024, representing a 46% increase in complaints and 43% increase in losses from 2023. Seniors are frequently targeted through investment scams, technical support schemes, romance scams, and money mule schemes because they are often perceived as trusting, financially stable, and less likely to report fraud. The FBI advises seniors to verify unknown contacts, resist pressure to act quickly, avoid unsolicited offers, never share personal information with unverified sources, and report suspected fraud to local law enforcement, the FBI's tip line, or
irishexaminer.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines common scams affecting Irish people and warning signs to watch for, including phishing scams (fake bank alerts and delivery notifications), fake competition wins, malicious pop-ups, counterfeit online shopping sites, emotional manipulation scams (including deepfakes and voice cloning), hacked social media accounts, and high-pressure tactics. The piece advises always verifying suspicious messages by contacting organizations directly, checking for personalization in legitimate communications, ignoring unsolicited alerts, and reporting confirmed scams to local authorities with documentation of emails and account details.
stories.td.com
· 2025-12-08
**Smishing Scams Surge as Mobile Fraud Rises**
Online scams generated $16 billion in 2024, a 33% increase from 2023, with smishing (fraudulent text messages impersonating banks, government agencies, and delivery services) emerging as a prevalent threat. To protect against smishing, individuals should verify sender IDs, never share personal information via text, avoid clicking unsolicited links, enable spam filtering, and take time to pause before responding to urgent requests. Victims should immediately stop communicating with scammers, report the message to their bank and carrier, monitor accounts for unauthorized activity, change passwords, and watch their credit reports for
concordmonitor.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational column advises readers to assume all unsolicited emails, texts, and phone calls from organizations are scams, as fraudsters have become highly skilled at impersonating legitimate entities and fabricating personal details. The author highlights common scam tactics including fake DMV/Medicare/bank requests, charity donation schemes, and "grandchild in danger" extortion, while warning that artificial intelligence now enables criminals to create convincing audio and video impersonations of known contacts. The recommended defense is to never transfer money or share sensitive information unless you initiated contact, and instead verify requests by independently looking up official contact information or using a pre-arranged "safe word" with loved ones.
privatebank.jpmorgan.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals use social engineering tactics to target elderly individuals who are less familiar with technology and may trust official-looking communications, often isolating victims and creating pressure to share personal information or money. The article illustrates two common scams: a phishing email impersonating a charity that stole Jane's financial details when she donated to a fake disaster relief campaign, and a phone scam where "Amazon" and "FBI" impersonators convinced Gerald to withdraw cash before he recognized the fraud when asked to convert funds to Bitcoin. The best defense against these scams is community support from trusted friends, family, and financial advisors rather than acting alone.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
UK victims lost over £106 million to romance fraud in the 2024/25 financial year, with 9,449 reported cases representing a 9% increase, according to City of London Police data. The average loss per victim was £11,222, with the 50-59 age group suffering the highest financial impact (£22.1 million total), though male victims slightly outnumbered female victims for the second consecutive year. Police believe the actual figure is significantly higher due to underreporting caused by victim shame and embarrassment, and they have launched a public awareness campaign to educate people about the emotional manipulation and financial exploitation tactics used by romance scammers.
wbhm.org
· 2025-12-08
On World Elder Abuse Day, officials warned that seniors lost $4.8 billion to financial scams in 2024, with common schemes including romance scams, sweepstakes fraud, impersonation of government agencies and tech support, and family emergency requests. The FBI and IRS recommend seniors avoid sending money to strangers, sharing personal financial information online, and responding to pressure to act quickly or sign unfamiliar documents. Suspected fraud can be reported to the IRS Atlanta Field Office at 470-639-2228 or via email.
futurecio.tech
· 2025-12-08
A LexisNexis Risk Solutions study found that the Asia Pacific region is experiencing a surge in fraud, with human-initiated attacks rising 61% year-on-year, while countries like Japan and Hong Kong face significant losses from romance scams, investment fraud, and authorized push payment (APP) fraud. To combat these evolving threats, financial institutions in APAC are increasingly adopting AI-powered fraud detection systems that analyze user behavior and intent rather than relying solely on traditional anomaly detection, alongside explainable AI (XAI) approaches that provide transparent reasoning for flagged transactions to build customer trust and meet regulatory requirements.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
A social media engagement scam targets job seekers, particularly students aged 16-25, through unsolicited texts and calls offering remote work earning up to £800 per day by liking and sharing TikTok content. Victims are initially sent small fraudulent payments, then asked to pay fees for "training" to unlock higher earnings; typical losses range from hundreds to thousands of pounds, with cases escalating from initial contact to confirmed fraud within days. The scammers use victims' banking details for money laundering and may recruit them as "money mules," and the scam's rapid cycle and high volume pose a significant threat despite individual loss amounts being lower than traditional investment fraud.
irishexaminer.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article identifies common scams affecting Irish people and provides warning signs to recognize them. Key scam types include phishing through fake bank alerts, fake competition wins, malicious pop-ups, counterfeit online shopping sites, emotional manipulation scams (including voice cloning and deepfakes), hacked social media accounts, and pressure tactics using urgency. The article advises verifying suspicious messages by contacting organizations directly, checking for personalization in communications, avoiding clicking unfamiliar links, and reporting confirmed scams to local gardaí with supporting documentation.
indeonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating process servers in phishing calls, claiming victims have non-existent court cases, liens on their homes, or unpaid debts, and threatening immediate legal consequences or arrest. The callers use intimidation tactics and secrecy about details to pressure victims into quick action, often to unknown or blocked numbers. To protect yourself, verify any legal claims directly with courts or official agencies rather than responding to unsolicited calls.
9to5mac.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers increasingly use AI tools and deepfakes to impersonate trusted contacts and commit identity theft, potentially resulting in thousands of dollars in fraudulent loans or credit card debt opened in victims' names. The article advises protecting yourself through multiple security measures: use a password manager to create unique passwords for each account, replace old weak passwords (especially for financial services), adopt passkeys where available, and enable two-factor authentication via authenticator apps rather than text messages.
rdrnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The City of Roswell issued a warning after water customers received fraudulent phone calls and text messages from an unknown individual impersonating city officials and demanding payment while attempting to obtain financial information. The scam is part of a broader pattern of impersonation fraud targeting residents, including fake calls about arrest warrants, jury duty, and utility shutoffs, with scammers using caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate and creating urgency to prevent victims from verifying their identity. Authorities recommend hanging up, independently verifying the caller's identity through official websites or phone numbers, and advise seniors to consult trusted relatives before sharing personal information.
whio.com
· 2025-12-08
Lawrence Hall of Columbus lost $149 after responding to a robocall scam in which he ordered an item over the phone but never received it or a refund. The Ohio Attorney General's Office advises residents to avoid answering calls from unfamiliar numbers, not to share personal information with callers, and to report robocalls online, noting that seniors are particularly vulnerable to these scams due to isolation and their tendency to answer phones.
news4jax.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, Americans over 60 lost nearly $5 billion to elder fraud schemes in a 43% increase from the previous year, with approximately 150,000 complaints reported to the FBI. Common scams targeting seniors include tech support fraud, romance schemes, investment fraud, and government impersonation, increasingly enhanced by artificial intelligence technology that can mimic voices and create more convincing deceptions. The FBI recommends seniors protect themselves by avoiding sharing personal information with unverified contacts, researching unsolicited communications, resisting pressure for quick financial decisions, and reporting suspected fraud to law enforcement or the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
au.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans over 60 lost nearly $5 billion to online scams in 2024, a 43% increase from 2023, with over 147,000 victims averaging $83,000 in losses each according to FBI data. Major scam types include investment fraud ($1.8 billion), tech support scams ($1 billion), and government impersonation schemes ($200 million), increasingly leveraging AI and deepfakes. The article recommends family members and communities take preventive action through regular personal check-ins, education about common scam tactics, and directing seniors to trusted resources like the FTC and FBI rather than relying solely on technology.
amp.scmp.com
· 2025-12-08
Two teenagers in Hong Kong—a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man—were arrested for defrauding an 85-year-old woman of HK$50,000 (US$6,369) through a phone scam in which they impersonated her daughter and claimed to need bail money. The victim discovered the fraud after contacting her actual daughter, and the suspects were apprehended the same day when they attempted to solicit additional "bail money." Both were charged with conspiracy to defraud, which carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence in Hong Kong.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Yunming Fan, 36, of San Gabriel was arrested in Auburn, California for an elder fraud scheme in which he contacted an elderly victim online claiming she owed thousands of dollars due to a computer error from a payment app, then demanded she withdraw cash for a courier pickup. The victim provided a small amount of money before recognizing the scam and contacting authorities; detectives then monitored further conversations as Fan demanded tens of thousands more and eventually attempted to pick up cash at her home, where he was arrested and charged with felony conspiracy and theft by false pretenses. Investigators suspect Fan and related suspects may have been conducting similar cash pickup scams in the area.
northcentralpa.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI Philadelphia marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) to highlight the growing crisis of elder fraud, reporting that Americans over 60 filed over 147,000 complaints in 2024 with losses totaling approximately $4.8 billion nationally, while Pennsylvanians over 60 alone reported 6,300 complaints resulting in $151 million in losses. The FBI emphasizes that elder abuse takes multiple forms and urges the public to recognize scam attempts, resist pressure to act quickly, protect personal information, and report suspected fraud to law enforcement. Education, community outreach, and victim support services are identified as critical tools in protecting vulnerable seniors from exploitation.
actionnewsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI is urging elderly Americans and their families to be vigilant about elder fraud, particularly ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, highlighting that investment scams, technical support schemes, and romance scams target seniors by exploiting their vulnerability and trust. The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $4.8 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints in 2024, with California alone accounting for over $832 million in elder fraud losses. The FBI recommends scrutinizing unsolicited communications, verifying unknown sources, resisting pressure to act quickly, and reporting suspected fraud to local law enforcement or through the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
This article is a compilation of ten cyber crime news summaries curated by the Future Crime Research Foundation. Key cases include: a ₹3.34 crore fraud call center bust in Lucknow where 15 individuals lured youth via fake job ads on WhatsApp and Facebook to run scams targeting 1,000+ people; a Pune woman defrauded of ₹8.4 lakh in a matrimonial scam; a Mumbai man who lost ₹32 lakh in a cryptocurrency romance scam; and a multi-state investment and digital arrest scam network spanning Odisha, Gujarat, and West Bengal. The compilation also covers international
govtech.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are using fraudulent text messages to trick victims into paying fake fees, with popular schemes including the E-ZPass scam (claiming unpaid tolls and threatening license revocation) and DMV scams (impersonating state driver licensing offices). Additional common scams involve fake job offers via text from sites like Indeed with malicious links, and Facebook ads for fake Joann Fabric sales exploiting the retailer's closure.
chicago.suntimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A Chicago resident was targeted by scammers posing as AT&T who used social engineering to obtain two-factor authentication codes, gaining access to his account and compromising his sister's phone line within 24 hours. Two-factor authentication scams are increasingly common nationwide, with criminals obtaining victim information through data breaches and phishing, then manipulating the security codes to control accounts and devices. The key defense is to hang up on unsolicited calls claiming account problems and instead contact your bank, carrier, or company directly using known phone numbers, as legitimate companies won't pressure you to provide security codes over the phone.
cbs19news.com
· 2025-12-08
Senior citizens and vulnerable adults across the United States are being targeted at increasing rates by scammers using phone calls, emails, text messages, and artificial intelligence; in 2024, seniors lost nearly $4.9 billion across 147,000 complaints nationally, with Virginia seniors (age 60+) losing over $106.5 million in more than 3,800 reported incidents. Common scams targeting elders include the "Grandparent scam" using AI voice impersonation, text message schemes regarding undelivered packages and unpaid tolls, and cryptocurrency investment fraud. Officials recommend verifying contact information independently, resisting pressure to act quickly, and avoiding payment methods like gift cards
actionnewsjax.com
· 2025-12-08
Senior citizens in Baker County, Florida are being targeted by two related scams: one where fraudsters impersonate bank fraud department staff to convince victims to withdraw cash and deposit it into other accounts, and another where callers pose as sheriff's deputies claiming arrest warrants exist and demanding phone payment to avoid arrest. The Baker County Sheriff's Office warns that they never request payment over the phone and urges anyone affected to contact Detective Lieutenant David Mancini.
deccanherald.com
· 2025-12-08
A 72-year-old Ohio surgeon lost $1 billion to a romance scam involving a fake Ukrainian model within one month of his wife's death, while in New Delhi, a woman lost Rs 5 lakh ($6,000) when scammers impersonated her phone service provider during a family medical crisis. Globally, seniors lost $4.8 billion to cyber fraud in 2024 (US), with India projected to lose Rs 1.2 lakh crore ($14.4 billion) in 2025, driven by psychological manipulation that exploits neurobiological changes in aging brains, cultural conditioning toward authority and politeness, and widesprea
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
CIRO issued a warning on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day noting that scams targeting seniors are rising, with approximately 30% of CIRO enforcement cases involving seniors and one in five Canadians approached with possible investment fraud, primarily through unsolicited emails, texts, calls, and social media messages. The organization provided protective measures including being cautious with unsolicited communications, safeguarding personal information, obtaining legal advice before signing major documents, establishing a Power of Attorney, and naming a trusted contact person with financial advisors, while emphasizing that victims should report suspected fraud immediately to avoid secondary "recovery scams."
vancouver.citynews.ca
· 2025-12-08
Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2025, authorities warned that while technology and AI have improved seniors' quality of life, these same advances are increasingly being used to defraud them—with financial abuse being the most common form of elder abuse in Canada. Seniors are targeted because they have accumulated wealth, and fraudsters exploit AI and online platforms to conduct scams largely outside regulatory jurisdiction. The BC Securities Commission created "Scamtones"—specialty ringtones in various musical genres—to remind seniors to be cautious of suspicious phone calls and spark conversations with family members about investment fraud prevention.
wndu.com
· 2025-12-08
Mishawaka Utilities warned residents of a phone scam in which callers impersonating utility company representatives threaten immediate service disconnection and direct victims to call a 1-800 number to make emergency payments. The utility company clarified that it does not conduct business through unsolicited calls demanding immediate payment via specific phone numbers to avoid service shutoff.
menafn.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old Michigan administrative assistant lost $26,000 to a romance scam involving a man posing as a French project manager named "Richard" who used deepfake videos during Skype calls to appear authentic. Over several months, the scammer emotionally manipulated the victim into taking out loans under the pretense of needing legal and translation help in Qatar, then disappeared when confronted. The case highlights the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes in romance scams, with projections estimating eight million deepfakes will be shared worldwide in 2025, approximately one-fifth of which involve romantic fraud schemes.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman named Brittany received a spoofed call appearing to be from her sister, in which a man claimed to be holding her hostage and demanded $750 via digital payment apps, threatening violence while playing audio of screaming in the background. When Brittany attempted to send $200 through Cash App, the app's fraud detection flagged the transaction as a scam and automatically refunded it, prompting her to verify her sister's safety and confirm the call was fraudulent. Authorities recommend using code words with family members, avoiding clicking suspicious links that enable account hacking and call spoofing, and reporting such scams to law enforcement.
startribune.com
· 2025-12-08
A Maple Grove woman lost over $450,000 in bitcoin, gift cards, wire transfers, and cash to scammers posing as U.S. government agents between March and April. The suspects initiated contact via unsolicited email in early March, then used WhatsApp to communicate with the victim and falsely claim they needed funds for a federal investigation, promising reimbursement. The case represents at least the second major cryptocurrency theft in Minnesota involving email-based fraud, with suspects remaining at large.
landline.media
· 2025-12-08
Jefferson County, Tennessee authorities warned of two recent scams: truck drivers were targeted at a Love's Travel Stop on Interstate 40 on June 11, where suspects lured victims into betting games and stole money and jewelry; additionally, a phishing scam involving text messages falsely claiming to be from the Tennessee Department of Vehicles threatened recipients with fines and legal action for unpaid traffic tickets and included malicious links. The scam is part of a multi-state pattern targeting residents in at least 10 states with fraudulent DMV messages demanding payment for unpaid tolls or traffic violations.