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montreal.ctvnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
I appreciate you providing the article, but I'm unable to summarize it as requested. The text you've shared appears to be only the header and navigation content from a webpage, containing shopping recommendation headlines rather than the actual article about the bank card fraud scheme targeting seniors in Quebec.
To provide an accurate summary for the Elderus database, I would need the full article text that includes:
- Details about the fraud scheme and how it operated
- Information about the victims affected
- Specifics about the five arrests
- Any dollar amounts involved
- Outcomes or police findings
Could you please share the complete article content?
legalreader.com
· 2025-12-08
Abdul Mohammed, 31, of Des Plaines, Illinois, has been federally indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme targeting elderly victims. Mohammed and co-conspirators posed as FBI and Department of Justice agents, falsely claiming victims' information was compromised and instructing them to withdraw savings and retirement funds as cash or gold bars for "protection," with one elderly victim defrauded of at least $125,000 across multiple transactions. Mohammed is currently a fugitive, and if convicted, faces up to 60 years in federal prison.
bentoncountyenterprise.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reports that mail fraud schemes target consumers of all ages annually, but retirees are disproportionately affected compared to other groups. The article discusses the prevalence of mail-based fraud and its impact on vulnerable populations, particularly older adults.
churchleaders.com
· 2025-12-08
Emmitt Williams III, a 39-year-old former pastor of Springfield Missionary Baptist Church in Evanston, Illinois, was arrested and charged with felony loan fraud for acquiring three unauthorized mortgages totaling $178,000 on the church's property between April and December 2023 without trustee approval. The church terminated his employment in January 2024 after discovering multiple breaches including opening unauthorized accounts and misrepresenting himself as the church's corporate agent. Williams faces up to $25,000 in fines and 4-15 years in prison if convicted.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Tonya Denise Brown, a 48-year-old licensed practical nurse at Tangipahoa Parish Jail, was indicted on nine federal counts in September 2024 for defrauding vulnerable populations. Her schemes included soliciting money under false promises of assistance with criminal cases and disaster benefits (targeting hurricane victims), misusing a notary's identity to defraud FEMA rental assistance and HUD's Restore Louisiana programs, and illegally selling controlled substances including oxycodone online. Additionally, she was charged with making false statements to the FBI and lying to a judge, with potential sentences ranging from 5 to 30 years depending on the charges.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
A 39-year-old San Francisco man was arrested after attempting to scam a Grass Valley, California elderly woman out of $32,000 through a fake "Microsoft Windows error" tech support scheme. The scammer gained remote computer access, falsely claimed criminal activity on her account, and convinced the victim to withdraw $32,000 from her bank; however, the victim's family intervened and contacted law enforcement, who arrested the suspect when he arrived to collect the money. The suspect was charged with attempted grand theft, obtaining money by false pretense, conspiracy to commit a crime, and elder theft.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
A former Tangipahoa Parish jail nurse, 48-year-old Tonya Denise Brown, was indicted on multiple federal charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and perjury. Brown allegedly defrauded victims through four schemes: falsely promising assistance with criminal prosecutions while working at the jail, defrauding HUD-funded disaster relief programs (Restore Louisiana and FEMA rental assistance) by claiming she could obtain benefits for money, using a notary's identity in the rental assistance scheme, and illegally selling prescription drugs online. If convicted, Brown faces up to 30 years in prison depending on the charges.
thewesterlysun.com
· 2025-12-08
Two individuals, Jirui Liu (22, Canada) and Kush J. Patel (22, Connecticut), were charged with wire fraud and money laundering in separate but similar schemes targeting Rhode Island seniors. Liu's scheme defrauded a 79-year-old victim of $35,000 in cash and $130,000 in gold bars through fake pop-up warnings about illegal activity, while Patel's scheme extracted approximately $363,090 in gold bullion from another victim using the same tactics; both defendants were arrested when law enforcement arranged controlled deliveries of counterfeit items.
npr.org
· 2025-12-08
Cambodian investigative reporter Mech Dara was arrested and charged with incitement to commit a felony for social media posts, facing up to two years imprisonment. Dara is known for exposing online scams, human trafficking at scam compounds, and corruption across Cambodia—including "pig butchering" romance scams where victims are defrauded of large sums. His arrest has been condemned by international press freedom organizations and the U.S. State Department, which previously honored him for his anti-trafficking work.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta has partnered with Australian banks through the Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (Fire) program to combat celebrity deepfake investment scams, removing over 17,000 fraudulent pages and scam posts in its first six months. Australians reported $43.4 million in social media scam losses to Scamwatch from January to August 2024, with nearly $30 million attributed to fake investment schemes featuring manipulated images of public figures. The initiative enables direct information sharing between Meta and seven major banks to identify and block scams more rapidly, though the program's impact remains limited compared to the overall volume of reported losses.
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta announced an expanded information-sharing partnership with U.K. banks NatWest and Metro Bank to combat fraud on its platforms, leveraging its Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) system to detect and remove scamming accounts. The collaboration has already resulted in the removal of 20,000 accounts involved in a concert ticket scam targeting U.K. and U.S. consumers, with additional banks expected to join the initiative. The partnership addresses longstanding concerns from financial institutions about fraud and scams proliferating on Meta's platforms, including unauthorized push payment fraud and financial schemes.
usatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Federal officials are warning Hurricane Helene victims of an anticipated surge in fraud schemes, including fake charities, identity theft, and fraudulent contractor scams targeting vulnerable disaster survivors. The National Center for Disaster Fraud has received over 220,000 complaints since 2005, and authorities say criminals exploit disaster victims before, during, and after storms by impersonating government officials, soliciting fake donations, and committing price gouging. Experts advise survivors to verify the identities of helpers, avoid sharing sensitive information, obtain multiple repair estimates, and report suspected scams to FEMA or local authorities.
metro.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Co-operative Bank experienced a widespread outage of its mobile app and online banking services beginning around 1:30pm, preventing customers from accessing their accounts and prompting complaints on social media; the bank apologized and stated it was working to resolve the issue. The article also covers unrelated banking news including proposed government measures to extend fraud investigation time for suspicious transactions to 72 hours to better protect consumers from scams like romance fraud.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Two Ontario women were sentenced to house arrest for their roles as "money mules" in a grandparent scam that defrauded nine elderly Manitoba residents of nearly $90,000 in summer 2022. Gabriel Edith Marie Paradis received a one-year conditional sentence, while Vanessa Fatima Alves Dasilva received an 18-month conditional sentence, after they pleaded guilty to fraud charges for picking up cash from victims who were deceived by phone calls claiming their grandchildren needed bail money. While most victims recovered their funds, the court noted lasting emotional impacts including embarrassment, loss of trust, and shattered confidence among the seniors targeted.
senatedems.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan has over 73,000 older adult victims of elder abuse annually, experiencing scams, fraud, theft, and exploitation that cause serious physical and psychological harm. The Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee unanimously advanced four bills (SB 922-925) designed to strengthen protections for vulnerable adults by enhancing penalties for abuse and financial exploitation, creating personal protection orders for seniors, extending prosecutions beyond victims' deaths, and establishing multidisciplinary teams to prevent and investigate elder abuse.
localnewsmatters.org
· 2025-12-08
A Marin County scammer attempted a "grandparent scam" by falsely telling an older man that his grandson was in custody at Alameda County Courthouse and needed $4,000 for bail. When the victim agreed to provide the money, the Marin County Sheriff's Office arranged for the suspect to pick up the cash in person and arrested him upon arrival at the victim's residence. The suspect was charged with attempted embezzlement of an elder adult and attempted grand theft.
dhs.gov
· 2025-12-08
HSI arrested two men in Rhode Island in connection with elder fraud schemes targeting seniors through online pop-up scams. Jirui Liu, 22, of Canada was charged after allegedly defrauding a 79-year-old man of $30,000 in cash and $130,000 in gold bars by impersonating federal authorities and falsely claiming his assets were compromised; a 72-year-old victim lost nearly $200,000 in a similar scheme involving Kush J. Patel, 22, of Connecticut, who posed as an FTC agent directing the victim to purchase and deliver gold bullion.
thehackernews.com
· 2025-12-08
INTERPOL arrested eight individuals in Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria under Operation Contender 2.0, targeting phishing and romance cyber fraud in West Africa. A large-scale phishing scheme targeting Swiss citizens resulted in over $1.4 million in losses, with criminals using fake buyer profiles and QR codes to direct victims to fraudulent payment websites; the main suspect confessed to making $1.9 million illicitly. In a separate case, two suspects were apprehended in Nigeria for a romance scam that defrauded a Finnish victim of a substantial amount of money.
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Revolut criticized Meta on Thursday for inadequate fraud prevention measures, arguing the tech giant should directly compensate victims of scams originating on its platforms rather than simply sharing data with banks. Revolut's report found that 62% of fraud reported on its platform originated from Meta services (39% from Facebook, 18% from WhatsApp), and the company contends that social media platforms lack incentive to combat fraud since they bear no financial responsibility for victims. New U.K. regulations effective October 7 will require banks and payment firms to compensate authorized push payment fraud victims up to £85,000, but Revolut maintains that Meta and similar platforms must also share in reimbursement
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Jay Shooster, a Florida State House candidate and consumer protection lawyer, revealed that scammers used AI voice cloning technology to impersonate him in a call to his father, claiming he had been in a car accident and arrested for DUI and needed $30,000 for bail. The scammers likely obtained a voice sample from Shooster's recent television appearance, and the fraud was ultimately detected when the callers refused card payment and made suspicious claims. Shooster emphasized the effectiveness of such scams despite his professional expertise and urged public awareness, while noting that voice-cloning technology creates a troubling secondary effect: the difficulty of verifying loved ones' identities during genuine emergencies.
wjhg.com
· 2025-12-08
The Bay County Sheriff's Office issued a scam alert after receiving multiple reports of a jury duty scam targeting residents. Victims received phone calls claiming they missed jury duty and had arrest warrants, followed by fraudulent emails with fake warrants demanding thousands of dollars to avoid arrest. The sheriff's office emphasized that law enforcement never calls about warrants or requests payment to avoid arrest, and urged residents to hang up and contact the BCSO directly at 850-747-4700 to verify any such claims.
knsiradio.com
· 2025-12-08
Amondo Antoine Miller, a 48-year-old from Littleton, Colorado, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for operating a magazine subscription fraud scheme that defrauded approximately 150,000 elderly victims nationwide of an estimated $300 million. Miller and his co-conspirators would contact people with existing subscriptions, offer renewal deals at lower rates, then trick them into signing up for multiple new subscriptions, with some victims billed by up to ten magazines totaling $1,000 monthly. This was the first conviction under the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Dolapo Lawal, a 34-year-old Baltimore man, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft targeting elderly victims through a stolen identity tax refund scheme. Lawal fraudulently obtained over $3 million in tax refunds using the identities of elderly victims, loaded the refunds onto debit cards opened in their names, and withdrew cash at ATMs; law enforcement discovered 24 fraudulent debit cards with over $80,000 in cash during an April 2022 traffic stop and over 300 additional cards during a June 2023 home search.
churchleaders.com
· 2025-12-08
A class action lawsuit was filed against Gateway Church leadership on October 4 by current and former church members, alleging financial fraud involving misallocation of tithes. The plaintiffs claim the church falsely promised that 15% of congregational tithes (approximately $15 million annually from the church's $100 million budget) would be spent on foreign missionary work, but failed to properly allocate these funds and refused independent audits despite accounting discrepancies. The lawsuit names founder Robert Morris (who resigned in June following child sexual abuse allegations), and three other church leaders, with only one defendant remaining at the church.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Two individuals—Darryl Lamont Young and Aqeelah Ngiesha Williams—were indicted for defrauding seriously ill veterans between December 2021 and April 2023. Young, calling from correctional facilities, posed as a VA employee to obtain personal and banking information from patients at medical facilities, which he and Williams then used to steal approximately $8,000 from over 60 victims across more than 30 facilities through 130 fraudulent transactions. Both defendants face charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, carrying potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Amondo Antoine Miller, 48, of Colorado, was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that defrauded over 150,000 victims, predominantly elderly and vulnerable individuals, between 2000 and at least 2023. The scheme involved Miller and co-conspirators fraudulently convincing victims with existing magazine subscriptions to "renew" them, when in reality they were signing up for unwanted new subscriptions, with some victims billed by up to ten companies monthly totaling over $1,000. This was prosecuted as the largest elder fraud case in the nation under the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act, marking
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams linked to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are surging in the UK, with Santander UK reporting £3.8 million stolen from customers over six months—a 27 percent increase from the previous period, with average losses of £4,500 per victim. Scammers use stolen images to build emotional relationships with targets across all age groups (18-93) before requesting money through fabricated sob stories about medical expenses or other emergencies. Research shows that 55 percent of people admit to loneliness, and nearly one-third would provide financial support to online romantic partners within six months of knowing them, creating vulnerability to these emotionally manipulative schemes.
tradingview.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warns of Ichcoin, a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform that has stolen approximately $30 million from U.S. investors since December 2023 by using fake social media profiles to lure victims into investment conversations, direct them to WhatsApp, and convince them to make large wire transfers. Victims are shown fake returns on the Ichcoin app but lose all funds when they attempt withdrawal and are ghosted by scammers. The scheme highlights a broader surge in crypto fraud, with stolen cryptocurrency nearly doubling to $1.58 billion by mid-2024, and demonstrates the evolving threat of pig butchering scams that use
keranews.org
· 2025-12-08
Gateway Church congregants filed a class action lawsuit alleging the megachurch committed financial fraud by falsely promising that 15% of tithes would fund global missions work, potentially totaling over $15 million annually, while church leaders allegedly ignored a certified public accountant's concerns about missing funds. The suit names former senior pastor Robert Morris and other church leaders, claiming they rejected congregants' requests for refunds despite Morris's previous sermons promising members could get their money back if unhappy. The proposed class action seeks over $1 million in damages on behalf of tens of thousands of church members across multiple states.
goldrushcam.com
· 2025-12-08
Former insurance broker Karen Marie Dondanville pleaded guilty to 90 counts including grand theft, insurance fraud, financial elder abuse, and forgery for collecting $183,047 in premium payments from 32 victims over eight years while failing to place their insurance coverage and providing fraudulent policy documents. She was ordered to pay $335,349 in restitution and faces 33 years in prison if she violates her three-year probation; one victim suffered approximately $100,000 in uncovered losses after discovering their property was uninsured. Dondanville's scheme involved overbilling customers, pocketing premium payments, and submitting fraudulent documents to insurers, leaving victims
postandcourier.com
· 2025-12-08
Rose Sherrie Davis, a 66-year-old woman, was arrested in September 2022 and faces felony charges including exploitation of a vulnerable adult and financial identity fraud after allegedly stealing $102,109.04 from a nursing home patient at NHC Healthcare West Ashley between November 2021 and April 2022 using her power of attorney access. Davis used the victim's bank accounts and debit cards for her personal expenses and was released on a $25,000 bond; the charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from six months to 10 years.
etvbharat.com
· 2025-12-08
During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, cybersecurity expert Mohit Yadav shared key strategies to protect against evolving cyber threats, including "digital arrest" scams where fraudsters pose as law enforcement to extract sensitive information like Aadhaar numbers. Common threats include fake telecom company calls promoting malware-infected apps, deepfake extortion schemes (one case resulting in losses exceeding one crore rupees), and phishing emails with deceptive links and misspelled sender addresses. Key protective measures include using strong passwords with eight+ characters and mixed case/numbers/symbols, enabling two-factor authentication, carefully verifying email sources, and avoiding clicking unsolicited links
dailycommercial.com
· 2025-12-08
A Leesburg woman named Kimberly Bitting and two accomplices allegedly stole approximately $350,000 from a senior widow over 18 months by abusing power of attorney authority to issue fraudulent checks and purchase property. Bitting is charged with three counts of elderly exploitation and one count of organized fraud (both first-degree felonies), while co-defendants Lara Larsen and Ashton Silvis face lesser fraud charges; all defendants have pleaded not guilty. The case highlights the vulnerability of grieving seniors to exploitation by those posing as concerned caregivers, with law enforcement recommending that families remain vigilant about monitoring relationships and financial decisions involving elderly relatives.
kfgo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Colorado man, Amondo Antoine Miller, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that defrauded over 150,000 victims, primarily elderly and vulnerable individuals, by deceiving them into unwanted magazine subscriptions. The scheme, which operated from 2000 onward, caused some victims to face monthly charges exceeding $1,000 from multiple fraudulent billings simultaneously. This case marked the largest elder fraud prosecution in the nation and was the first in Minnesota prosecuted under the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994, which provides enhanced penalties for telemarketing fraud targeting seniors.
masslive.com
· 2025-12-08
A 24-year-old New York woman, Yuxin Fu, was arrested at JFK Airport in September 2023 after fleeing to China, in connection with a government impersonation scam that defrauded a Cape Cod resident of $46,000 in December 2022. The scammer posed as a DEA agent and convinced the victim that their Social Security number was linked to a Texas investigation, instructing them to transfer money to a "safe" government account to prevent seizure. Fu was charged with larceny and receiving stolen property, held on $100,000 bail following her arraignment.
pymnts.com
· 2025-12-08
Haotian Sun and Pengfei Xue, Chinese citizens living in Maryland, were convicted of submitting over 6,000 counterfeit iPhones with spoofed serial numbers to Apple for repairs between 2017 and 2019, resulting in $2.5 million in losses. Sun was sentenced to 57 months in prison with over $1 million in restitution, while Xue received 54 months with $397,800 in restitution. The case reflects broader returns fraud challenges, with American merchants losing an estimated $101 billion in 2023 to fraudulent returns and returns policy abuse.
11alive.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Calvin Darden Jr., a Georgia businessman, was convicted of defrauding former NBA star Dwight Howard of $7 million and former NBA forward Chandler Parsons of $1 million through bogus investment schemes involving the purchase of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream and development of NBA player James Wiseman. Darden spent at least $6.1 million of Howard's money on luxury items including cars, a piano, real estate, and art, and faces 11-14 years in prison at sentencing in early 2025. This conviction marks his second major fraud case, following a 2016 conviction for impersonating his father in an attempte
insurance-edge.net
· 2025-12-08
Former insurance broker Karen Marie Dondanville pleaded guilty to 90 counts including grand theft, insurance fraud, and financial elder abuse for collecting $183,047 in premium payments from 32 victims over eight years while failing to place their insurance coverage, leaving them with over 10,000 collective days without coverage. One victim discovered fraudulent insurance documents after filing a claim and suffered approximately $100,000 in uncovered losses. Dondanville was ordered to pay $335,349 in restitution and faces 33 years in prison if she violates her three-year probation.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Five individuals were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for operating a tech support scam that stole at least $8 million from elderly victims across at least ten states. The scheme involved fraudsters falsely claiming victims' bank accounts were compromised and coercing them to transfer funds, sometimes through gold bars purchased by victims and collected by couriers; one 82-year-old St. Louis victim lost approximately $250,000 before law enforcement intercepted a courier attempting pickup. The defendants had differentiated roles as couriers and handlers coordinating the collection and transportation of stolen assets across multiple states.
capecodtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 24-year-old New York woman was arrested and charged after allegedly scamming a Marstons Mills resident out of $46,000 in a Social Security fraud scheme where the victim was impersonated by someone claiming to be a DEA agent. The scammer instructed the victim to transfer funds into a "safe" government account to protect them from seizure based on a false claim that their Social Security number was linked to a Texas investigation. Fu fled the country to China in May 2023 but was apprehended at JFK Airport in September 2023 upon attempting to reenter the U.S. and was extradited to Massachusetts.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe issued a warning about disaster fraud schemes following Hurricane Helene, urging the public to be vigilant against identity theft, fake charity solicitations, and fraudulent websites targeting hurricane victims and donors. The advisory provides guidelines for safe charitable giving, including donating directly to known organizations, avoiding unsolicited communications, and verifying charity legitimacy, with fraud reports accepted through the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
fox10phoenix.com
· 2025-12-08
According to an IPX1031 study, 30% of Americans were scammed in the last 12 months, with victims losing an average of $2,647 over their lifetime. The most common scams are credit card fraud (37%), identity theft (34%), and online shopping scams (32%), though only 56% of victims report incidents to authorities. While 80% of Americans take preventive measures like self-education and stronger passwords, significant gaps remain—including 10% who don't use two-factor authentication and 22% unfamiliar with credit freezes—and 76% express concern about AI advancing fraud tactics.
firstalert4.com
· 2025-12-08
An 82-year-old St. Louis woman was targeted by scammers posing as computer software support who convinced her that her financial accounts were compromised and persuaded her to wire money overseas and purchase approximately $250,000 in gold bars. Federal prosecutors charged five individuals, including 22-year-old Dariona Lambert and 51-year-old Chintankumar Parekh, with wire fraud conspiracy after Lambert was arrested attempting to collect the gold bars from the victim; prosecutors allege the group stole at least $8 million from elderly victims across at least 10 states.
christianpost.com
· 2025-12-08
Gateway Church leaders face a class action lawsuit alleging they misappropriated millions in tithes designated for global missions, with the lawsuit claiming the church pledged to allocate 15% of tithes to missions but actually gave away less than $3 million annually while the fund balance grew by approximately $10 million per year. In response, the church announced plans to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and conduct a forensic audit, following mounting pressure for transparency after founder Robert Morris resigned in June due to child sex abuse allegations. The lawsuit names Morris, former executive pastor Tom Lane, founding elder Steve Dulin, and executive global pastor Kevin Grove as defendants.
theglobeandmail.com
· 2025-12-08
While elder fraud remains prevalent, scammers are increasingly targeting younger social media users through platform-specific schemes including fake brand ambassador programs, cryptocurrency rug-pulls, and account impersonation. The article advises users of all ages to exercise skepticism, verify information through reliable sources, and wait 24 hours before providing money or personal information online to avoid falling victim to these evolving fraud tactics.
julieroys.com
· 2025-12-08
Dallas-based Gateway Church faces a lawsuit alleging it fraudulently claimed to donate 15% of member tithes to global missions when it actually gave no more than $3 million annually (versus the $15 million it should have given based on ~$100 million annual revenue), with a former CPA whistleblower also reporting $1.5 million in unexplained withdrawals from the global fund that church leadership refused to investigate. The church's elder responded by claiming independent audits by Capin Crouse since 2005 demonstrated proper financial management, but the CPA whistleblower (retired Big 4 partner Allen Shoulders) contradicted this, stating Gateway
kttn.com
· 2025-12-08
Five individuals were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for operating a tech support scam that defrauded elderly victims of at least $8 million across ten states. The scheme involved scammers posing as computer support representatives, convincing victims their financial accounts were compromised, and persuading them to transfer funds and purchase gold bars, which couriers and handlers then collected; one 82-year-old victim from St. Louis lost approximately $250,000. All five defendants face up to 30 years in prison and $1 million fines, with charges involving wire fraud conspiracy investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
abc6.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisdom Oghenekaro Onyobeno, 44, was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for leading a romance scam that defrauded elderly widows and divorcees across multiple states of more than $5.8 million. Onyobeno and his conspirators used fake personas on dating apps and online games to build trust with victims, then convinced them to send money through false scenarios involving military emergencies, stranded contractors, or overseas packages, with funds laundered through fraudulent business entities and bank accounts. The case underscores the need for seniors to be cautious about unsolicited financial requests from unknown contacts.
providencejournal.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisdom Onyobeno was sentenced to 121 months in prison for orchestrating a romance scam that targeted widowed women, primarily in their 60s and 70s, exploiting their grief, faith, and desire for companionship. The scheme left multiple victims, including a Rhode Island woman, financially devastated and emotionally traumatized. Onyobeno admitted to acting "in greed" while preying on his victims' vulnerability and trust.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Wisdom Oghenekaro Onyobeno, 44, an Atlanta man, was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for his role in a romance scam and money laundering conspiracy that targeted elderly widows and divorcees across Rhode Island and other states, resulting in losses exceeding $5.8 million. Onyobeno and his co-conspirators used dating apps and online games to create false personas—posing as military members, contractors, or government officials—to convince victims to send money for fabricated emergencies, which was then laundered through shell bank accounts and business entities. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal