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2,544 results in Identity Theft
fox11online.com · 2025-12-08
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is warning residents of a phishing scam where fraudsters send unsolicited text messages impersonating WisDOT/DMV officials, claiming unpaid traffic violations or issuing "final notices" to trick recipients into sharing personal information. The scam has surged in recent weeks, with the DMV experiencing an influx of customer inquiries; residents are advised to ignore unsolicited messages, avoid clicking links, and sign up for official eNotify alerts to monitor account activity. Victims should report incidents to local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, or IC3.gov.
explodingtopics.com · 2025-12-08
In 2025, scams affect billions globally: approximately 608 million people fall victim to scams annually worldwide, while in the US alone, 34% of adults experienced scams in the past year with losses exceeding $12.5 billion (a 25% increase year-over-year). The most common scam methods are phone calls and SMS messages, followed by email, with romance scams causing the highest average losses at $2,000 per victim, while identity theft remains the most prevalent scam type in the US.
law.georgia.gov · 2025-12-08
Christie Edwards, a 47-year-old Florida bookkeeper, was indicted in Glynn County, Georgia on charges of Racketeering and Theft by Taking for allegedly stealing over $380,000 from an elderly client through fraudulent ATM withdrawals, point-of-sale transactions, checks, and credit card payments while employed at a local accounting firm. The case was investigated by the Attorney General's White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit and highlights the vulnerability of seniors to financial exploitation by trusted individuals with direct access to their finances.
capitol-beat.org · 2025-12-08
Christie Edwards, a 47-year-old bookkeeper at a Glynn County accounting firm, was indicted for stealing over $380,000 from an elderly client through fraudulent ATM withdrawals, point-of-sale transactions, checks, and credit card payments. The case highlights the vulnerability of seniors to financial exploitation by trusted individuals with access to their accounts, and Georgia's Attorney General urged families to establish oversight systems and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
publicnewsservice.org · 2025-12-08
Medicare loses $60 billion to $80 billion annually to fraud, with common scams including callers requesting Medicare numbers under the pretense of issuing new cards, unsolicited medical equipment deliveries, and strangers offering fraudulent free services like house cleaning that are billed to the government. The Senior Medicare Patrol advises beneficiaries to regularly check their Medicare summary notices on MyMedicare.gov and remain vigilant for red flags such as charges for services never received or from unfamiliar providers, and warns that some scammers trick people into unknowingly enrolling in hospice care, which can result in Medicare denying essential surgeries or medications.
wired.com · 2025-12-08
Scammers are increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes in real-time video calls to conduct romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and other schemes, with experts reporting a dramatic rise from approximately 4-5 cases monthly in 2023 to hundreds per month currently. Notable victims include a Hong Kong finance worker who lost $25 million to a deepfaked CFO impersonation and a New Zealand retiree defrauded of $133,000 through a cryptocurrency scam using a deepfaked government official. As AI tools become more accessible and capable of creating realistic faces and voices, deepfake fraud is expanding to encompass job interview scams, identity theft for banking and housing
blog.google · 2025-12-08
A 2025 survey conducted with Morning Consult reveals that U.S. consumers are increasingly aware of rising online scams, with over 60% perceiving an increase in scam attempts and one-third having experienced a data breach, while the FBI reported online scams reached a record $16.6 billion in losses the previous year (up 33% annually). The study found that security practices vary significantly by generation, with older Americans (Gen X and Baby Boomers) relying on traditional passwords and two-factor authentication, while Gen Z is adopting more modern authentication methods like passkeys and social sign-ins that offer better protection against phishing and data breaches.
spectrumnews1.com · 2025-12-08
Scammers in Wisconsin are impersonating the Wisconsin Department of Transportation DMV by sending text messages claiming unpaid traffic violations or final notices, attempting to trick recipients into revealing personal information or clicking malicious links. The Wisconsin DMV received a large volume of complaints on June 2 and noted similar scams had recently targeted Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, and New York. The DMV advises residents not to respond to unsolicited texts, avoid clicking links, and warns to be suspicious of communications requesting money or creating urgency.
yahoo.com · 2025-12-08
**Summary:** A Google and Morning Consult survey found that over 60 percent of Americans report increased scam attempts in the past year, with email and text being primary channels; the FBI has documented a 33 percent year-over-year spike in online scams. Google is combating this threat with AI-powered detection tools that block 99.9 percent of phishing attempts, expanded scam flagging on Android, and safer login options like passkeys and two-factor authentication. Consumers can further protect themselves by enabling two-factor authentication, using password managers, and learning to identify red flags such as urgent language and suspicious links.
freepressjournal.in · 2025-12-08
A 65-year-old woman from Beed lost Rs 83 lakh in a digital arrest scam when fraudsters impersonating Mumbai police claimed her Aadhar card was used for money laundering and terrorism financing, then coerced her into transferring funds across multiple bank accounts over nine days. Mumbai police have registered 84 digital arrest cases this year, with 23 detected and 30 perpetrators arrested; charges filed include cheating and identity theft under Indian law.
mirror.co.uk · 2025-12-08
A travel expert nearly fell victim to a Booking.com phishing scam when scammers impersonating a "guest relations manager" contacted him via WhatsApp, claiming to verify his card details after a security flag. According to UK Action Fraud, this scam has resulted in 532 reports and £370,000 in losses between June 2023 and September 2024, with incidents reportedly increasing 500-900% across the travel market. The vulnerability stems from Booking.com's reliance on third-party hosts with weak security measures and minimal vetting requirements, which allowed hackers to access customer information through compromised host websites.
lptv.org · 2025-12-08
Minnesota's Department of Public Safety is warning residents of a scam involving fake text messages impersonating the state's motor vehicles department, falsely claiming unpaid traffic tickets and threatening legal action to pressure recipients into payment. The scam texts often escalate in threatening language across multiple messages and direct victims to click links that steal personal information. DPS advises residents not to open any payment links in unsolicited texts and notes that the department never requests payment via text message; victims should report incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
yahoo.com · 2025-12-08
Nirav Patel was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded multiple elderly victims across the Midwest of thousands of dollars in life savings. Patel, operating from Chicago, would collect money and gold from victims after scammers impersonating federal agents threatened them with identity theft and legal consequences, sometimes calling up to 12 times daily; the collected funds were then sent to accounts in India. In 2024, gold bar schemes similar to this operation stole $219 million nationally, making imposter scams the most common type of criminal scheme as of March 2025.
businessinsider.com · 2025-12-08
Text message job scams have surged dramatically, with reported losses reaching $470 million in 2024—five times the 2020 amount—making job offers the second most common scam after fake package delivery. Scammers pose as recruiters from well-known companies, using increasingly sophisticated AI-crafted messages to lure vulnerable job seekers with unrealistic offers, then steal personal information (Social Security numbers, IDs, bank details) or trick victims into sending money for supposed work equipment. The problem is expected to worsen as economic uncertainty and remote work demand increase, making people more susceptible to these plausible-seeming frauds.
nbcphiladelphia.com · 2025-12-08
Joe Subach lost over $1 million after calling a fake Apple customer service number found through an online search, which connected him to a scammer posing as "Daisy from Apple." The scam evolved from a fake account breach alert (requesting gift card purchases) into a romance scam, eventually leading Subach to surrender $780,000 in gold and silver to someone claiming to pick them up at his home. The FBI noted this case is unusual for combining financial, romance, and in-person theft elements, and emphasized that individuals are the best protectors of their own assets.
abc.net.au · 2025-12-08
Consumer Protection WA warned of escalating scratchie mail scams involving fake scratch-off tickets offering $US240,000 prizes sent via registered post from Kuala Lumpur, which request personal identification details and payment to claim winnings. Five West Australians lost $30,550 total to these scams over the past year, with scammers using collected personal information for identity theft, loans, and other fraudulent purposes. Since 2020, Australians have lost more than $5.8 million to unexpected winnings scams overall, and authorities advise recipients to never share ID documents and remember that legitimate prizes never require payment to claim.
kdhlradio.com · 2025-12-08
Minnesota Department of Public Safety issued a warning about scam text messages threatening residents with fines and license suspension for alleged outstanding traffic tickets. The texts falsely claim to be from the "Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles" or "DPSMN," include fake official language and links to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal information, and demand payment via wire transfer or similar methods. Officials recommend not responding to or clicking links in these messages, deleting them, and contacting Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) directly through drive.mn.gov if verification is needed; anyone who has already provided information or money should contact their bank and report the incident to law enforcement.
the420.in · 2025-12-08
Senior executives at Greenko Group in Hyderabad lost ₹2.7 crore ($325,000 USD equivalent) to a WhatsApp impersonation scam in June, where fraudsters posed as the Managing Director using his photo to trick officials into authorizing two fund transfers to fake accounts. The scam exploited corporate hierarchy and trust, with ₹1.95 crore transferred on June 2 and ₹75 lakh on June 5, only discovered fraudulent when details were shared with the actual MD's office. A similar attempt at another company (RCML) targeting ₹20 lakh was prevented when the CFO verified the request directly
kitv.com · 2025-12-08
During Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, Hawaii advocates warned seniors about rising scam threats, noting that kupuna lost over $52 million to internet scams in 2023. The Senior Medicare Patrol highlighted that imposter scams and identity theft are the most common fraud types targeting Hawaii residents, with particular concern as the state's aging population continues to grow.
foxnews.com · 2025-12-08
Online scammers use fake login alert emails impersonating legitimate companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook to create urgency and fear, tricking victims into clicking malicious links that lead to fake login pages where attackers steal credentials and personal information. The scam is effective because it mimics genuine security notifications that these companies actually send, though scammers increasingly use AI to write professional-sounding phishing emails that lack the grammar errors once considered a red flag. To protect yourself, verify alerts come from official company addresses, avoid clicking suspicious links, and check your account directly through the company's official website rather than through email links.
wbay.com · 2025-12-08
Americans receive approximately 50 billion nuisance and scam calls annually, with scammers responsible for roughly 30 billion of those calls and text messages. The article provides seven key ways to identify scam calls and texts, including checking the official organization's website, understanding what legitimate organizations will and won't do (such as the IRS never calling without sending a letter first), and recognizing common scam characteristics like pressure to act quickly and requests for personal information. While robocalls have declined somewhat since the TRACED Act gave regulators new enforcement tools, individuals remain primarily responsible for protecting themselves from these increasingly common scams.
nationalmortgagenews.com · 2025-12-08
Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are increasingly targeted by fraudsters exploiting record levels of home equity wealth and the rise of online lending through nonbanks. Common fraud schemes include identity theft by caretakers or relatives of elderly homeowners, false occupancy claims, forged checks, account takeovers with address changes, and borrowers taking out multiple HELOCs on the same property before absconding. Lenders should monitor for suspicious activity such as contact information changes followed by draw requests, and strengthen verification processes, particularly in online lending channels where borrowers lack existing relationships with the institution.
bankrate.com · 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines common annuity scams and reporting options for victims. It describes four prevalent fraud types: churning (agents convincing clients to repeatedly switch annuities for commissions), unsuitable sales (pushing products that don't meet client needs), fake credentials (misleading titles without legitimate qualifications), and false claims/high-pressure seminars. The article provides real examples including a 2023 SEC case where advisor Jeffrey Cutter earned $9 million in undisclosed commissions through churning, and a FINRA case resulting in $7.3 million in damages after an advisor steered a nonprofit foundation into $47 million in high-cost variable annuities.
komando.com · 2025-12-08
Elder fraud targeting seniors age 60+ is rapidly increasing, with nearly 72% of scams initiated using personal data scraped from the internet or purchased from data brokers, enabling criminals to conduct highly personalized attacks like AI-powered grandchild impersonation and spoofed bank calls. Texas seniors lost an average of $51,700 per complaint, while Arizona experienced the highest elder fraud rate per capita at 3.5 cases per 1,000 seniors. Protection strategies include freezing credit, using call-filtering apps, employing password managers, discussing scams with family, and utilizing data removal services to scrub personal information from people-search sites and data brokers.
manxradio.com · 2025-12-08
The Isle of Man Cyber Security Centre reported a surge in digital fraud from March to April, including over 700 suspicious emails, advance fee scams, phishing attempts, and impersonation schemes targeting residents and businesses through fake websites and social media accounts. Notable cases included a romance scam that escalated to sextortion (£1,500 + £4,000 demanded), deepfake videos impersonating politicians promoting cryptocurrency fraud, business invoice fraud costing £9,000, and marketplace scams resulting in losses ranging from £850 to £965. The Centre advised residents to verify financial claims through official sources and businesses to rely on their own websites rather than social media platforms where impersonation
lufkindailynews.com · 2025-12-08
The U.S. Marshals Service and FBI are warning of an imposter scam in which fraudsters claim to be law enforcement officials and threaten victims with arrest for alleged identity theft, jury duty violations, or false crimes, then demand payment via Bitcoin or other electronic transfers. Scammers use sophisticated tactics including spoofed government phone numbers, real law enforcement names and badge numbers, personal identifying information, and fake court documents to appear credible, often instructing victims to transfer 80% of their assets while staying on the phone. Texas residents have reported losses ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in these scams, and victims are urged to report incidents to their local FBI office and the Federal Trade
Phishing Identity Theft Robocall / Phone Scam Scam Awareness Financial Crime Cryptocurrency Crypto ATM Wire Transfer Gift Cards Cash
adomonline.com · 2025-12-08
Fredrick Papa Kow-Assifuah was arrested in Ghana on June 6, 2025, for impersonating a doctor and defrauding victims with false promises of international travel to Europe. He posed as a medical doctor at United Brain Hospital, used fake credentials to build online relationships with women, and obtained approximately GH¢8,500 before police apprehended him during an intelligence operation while he was dressed in medical attire preparing to meet another victim.
bocaratontribune.com · 2025-12-08
In 2024, Americans over 60 reported a 46% increase in financial scams compared to 2023, resulting in losses exceeding $4.8 billion, with nearly 12,000 victims in Florida alone. Common schemes include phone and mail scams, Medicare fraud, internet scams, and power-of-attorney abuse. The article provides prevention strategies including learning to identify common scams, understanding IRS communication practices, registering on Do Not Call lists, seeking reputable financial services, and reporting suspected fraud to consumer protection agencies.
apnews.com · 2025-12-08
Scammers are exploiting AI chatbots and online college enrollment systems to commit large-scale financial aid fraud, with crime rings creating "ghost students" who enroll in courses just long enough to collect federal aid checks using stolen identities. California community colleges alone reported 1.2 million fraudulent applications in 2024 resulting in at least $11.1 million in unrecovered losses, with victims like Heather Brady discovering loans for over $9,000 fraudulently taken out in their names. The U.S. Education Department has implemented temporary ID verification requirements for first-time aid applicants and is developing more advanced screening measures to combat the fraud that now imperils the
wfmj.com · 2025-12-08
The Ohio Attorney General's office held an educational conference in Warren addressing growing scam threats targeting seniors, including cryptocurrency scams, lottery fraud, and online relationship schemes aimed at stealing life savings and personal identity information. Experts advised older adults to be cautious with online links and downloads, research before acting, and consider freezing their credit with the three major credit reporting agencies. Resources for assistance include Pro Seniors' free legal hotline at (513) 345-4160 and local adult protective services.
local10.com · 2025-12-08
South Florida FBI agents are warning seniors about rising elder fraud trends, with impersonation scams (including AI-generated voice calls mimicking grandchildren and tax/immigration-related schemes) and "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment fraud among the most prevalent tactics. According to FBI Florida data, tech support scams affect the most victims (235 cases), while investment scams cause the highest financial losses at $13.3 million across 105 cases, with agents advising potential victims to stay calm, verify requests through third parties, and recognize urgency tactics as red flags.
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.
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
leisurebyte.com · 2025-12-08
This article is an entertainment recommendation piece, not a news report about a specific fraud case. It summarizes a Prime Video documentary series called "Romcon: Who the F**k is Jason Porter?" that examines romance scams and emotional manipulation, then lists five similar true crime documentaries including "The Tinder Swindler" (featuring Israeli conman Simon Leviev who scammed women out of millions), "Love Fraud" (about serial romance scammer Richard Scott Smith), "Sweet Bobby" (a 10-year catfishing case), "Hey Beautiful" (three women scammed using the same stolen identity), and "Hunting the Catfish Crime Gang" (about organized catfishing an
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.
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.
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.
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
nypost.com · 2025-12-08
The FBI warned approximately 150 million iPhone and Android users about a surge in text message scams impersonating state DMVs, which increased over 700% in a single month. The fraudulent messages falsely claim unpaid tolls or fines and direct recipients to click links that install malware or redirect to phishing sites designed to steal credit card and personal information. The FBI urged users to delete these messages immediately without clicking links and report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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.
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.
gazettengr.com · 2025-12-08
Five Nigerian fraudsters were sentenced to a combined 129 years in prison for operating a transnational scam that defrauded at least 100 victims—predominantly elderly—of over $17 million through romance scams, business email compromise schemes, and investment fraud between January 2017 and their arrest. The gang laundered the stolen funds through bank accounts and businesses in Africa and Asia, with some victims losing their life savings and being unable to recover financially.
etedge-insights.com · 2025-12-08
Romance scams on dating apps have escalated dramatically, with reported losses topping $1 billion globally in 2024 and a projected rise through 2025. Scammers use emotional manipulation, stolen photos, and increasingly sophisticated AI tools (deepfakes, voice cloning) to build fake relationships and extract money from victims, often through fake investment schemes or fabricated emergencies. The article illustrates this trend through Jay's experience with "Alina" and notes that India has been particularly hard-hit, with 39% of daters encountering scammers and 77% seeing AI-generated photos, while crypto-hybrid romance scams grew nearly 40% year-
Romance Scam Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Government Impersonation Tech Support Scam Cryptocurrency Wire Transfer Gift Cards Check/Cashier's Check
cnet.com · 2025-12-08
A nationwide DMV scam involves cybercriminals texting people claiming they owe fines for traffic violations or unpaid tolls, threatening license revocation or vehicle registration suspension to pressure victims into clicking malicious links or paying money. These phishing scams, reported in Indiana, Ohio, Maine, Texas, and other states, use official-sounding language, fake ordinance codes, and threats of jail time or credit score damage to create urgency, but legitimate DMVs typically only send texts that users have opted into and never request payment or personal information via text.
mhobserver.com · 2025-12-08
Elder fraud complaints increased 46% in 2024, with victims nationwide losing $4.885 billion—a 43% increase from 2023—while Arkansas seniors over 60 alone lost more than $27 million. The FBI identifies investment schemes, technical support scams, romance fraud, and money mule operations as common tactics targeting elderly individuals perceived as more trusting and financially stable. The FBI recommends seniors research unknown contacts, resist pressure to act quickly, avoid sharing personal information with unverified sources, and report suspected fraud through their tip line or online complaint center.
meta.com · 2025-12-08
This is an educational piece describing how a social media platform uses facial recognition technology to combat fraud and enhance account security. The technology is used to detect and remove scams involving misused images of public figures, confirm user identity through video selfies when accounts are compromised, and identify content violating policies on violent events or child exploitation. The platform notes that incidental processing of other individuals' images may occur during these detection processes, but identities are not recognized without user consent.
malwarebytes.com · 2025-12-08
Malwarebytes research surveying 1,300 people across the US and Europe found that 78% encounter scams on their smartphones at least weekly, with 44% encountering them daily, primarily through email (65%), phone calls/voicemails (53%), text messages (50%), malicious websites (49%), and social media (47%). Despite the high frequency of scam encounters, only 15% of respondents strongly agreed they could confidently identify a scam, highlighting the need for caution when receiving messages from unknown senders or urgent requests for money or personal information.
cbsnews.com · 2025-12-08
An Eagan, Minnesota couple in their 70s nearly lost $125,000 to a scam after receiving a fraudulent call impersonating the Federal Trade Commission, instructing them to transfer funds to Bitcoin to "protect" their identities following a recent data breach. A vigilant bystander at a local eatery noticed something suspicious and called 911, allowing police to arrive and stop the transaction moments before completion. The incident highlights the rising prevalence of identity theft scams targeting seniors through impersonation of trusted government agencies.
bethesdamagazine.com · 2025-12-08
Montgomery County held a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event highlighting scams targeting seniors, including tech support impersonation, government impostor schemes, and gold bar frauds. Maryland reported 1,385 complaints of tech support and government imposter scams in 2024 with nearly $30 million in losses—up 41% in complaints and 15% in losses over three years—while 84% of financial exploitation perpetrators were family members. Officials emphasized prevention through account monitoring, power of attorney transparency, and assertiveness in refusing suspicious requests, noting that recovery of scammed funds is rarely possible.
shreveportbossieradvocate.com · 2025-12-08
Door-to-door solar panel scams in northwest Louisiana have victimized residents with high-pressure sales tactics, leaving some liable for over $40,000 in fraudulent loan repayments for units marketed as "free." Fraud is also evolving to include online scams such as phishing emails, impersonation of law enforcement and government agencies via phone and text, and cryptocurrency and gift card fraud, with Louisiana experiencing nearly $47 million in fraud losses in 2023. Experts recommend protective measures including posting no-soliciting signs and avoiding clicking unknown links, answering unfamiliar calls, or engaging with unrecognized communications.