Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 22,013 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
8,448 results
in Robocalls / Phone Scams
ny1.com
· 2025-12-08
New Yorkers have reported receiving scam messages claiming they owe money for unpaid E-ZPass or tolling charges, with such scams increasing after holiday travel periods like Memorial Day weekend. Scam experts note these fraudulent messages exploit the timing of heavy travel to appear more credible to potential victims.
troopers.ny.gov
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
The New York State Police warned of an ongoing phone spoofing scam in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or government officials to extract sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers from victims, often threatening arrest or legal action. Legitimate government agencies never demand personal information or threaten consequences over the phone; recipients should hang up immediately, avoid sharing any data, and verify calls by contacting agencies directly using trusted numbers.
thetimes.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes a common tax authority impersonation scam via unsolicited phone calls and discusses the broader UK scam landscape, where fraudsters stole £11.4 billion in the previous year. The author explains various scam tactics (fake tax demands, computer virus threats, romance scams, taxi fare requests) and humorously suggests that victims can waste scammers' time through delay tactics—keeping them on the line with endless holds, feigned technological incompetence, and false information—as a strategy to disrupt their operations and prevent them from targeting more vulnerable people.
timesobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
Lacy G. Abraham, a 39-year-old in-home caregiver in Warren, was charged with second-degree felony forgery and financial exploitation after stealing approximately $1,750 from an elderly client between October 2023 and May 2024, including forging checks and misappropriating a beneficiary check. The victim's financial harm was severe enough to cause her bank to close her checking account, and the case was initiated by the Area Agency on Aging in October 2024. Abraham was jailed with bail set at $25,000 after admitting during police interviews to cashing checks she kept for personal use rather than their intended purposes.
limerickleader.ie
· 2025-12-08
AIB has issued a warning to Irish customers about an ongoing threat of text message and phone call fraud, with reports of people being scammed through impersonation of legitimate institutions. The bank's Financial Crime Prevention team advised customers to avoid clicking suspicious links, never share login details or PINs, and to hang up and call back on trusted numbers if receiving unexpected calls. AIB encourages victims to report fraud through their website security center or contact their 24/7 fraud support line.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
A 46-year-old MBA graduate in India lost ₹11 crore (approximately $1.3 million USD) over three months in a sophisticated online job scam, reported as one of India's largest cyber frauds. Fraudsters created a fake website impersonating an international consultancy firm and convinced the victim he was hired for an executive position, then extracted money through fake onboarding fees, documentation charges, and purported investment plans before disappearing with funds transferred to crypto wallets and offshore accounts. Authorities suspect this may be part of a larger fraud operation and are urging the public to verify online job offers and avoid upfront payments.
commercialappeal.com
· 2025-12-08
The "Mystery Shopper" scam is resurfacing, targeting job seekers with offers to earn hundreds of dollars weekly by evaluating retail experiences. Victims receive official-looking checks and are instructed to purchase money cards, photograph them, and send the images to scammers, who then drain the funds after the check bounces, leaving victims thousands of dollars in loss. The BBB and FTC advise avoiding job offers promising high guaranteed pay, requiring upfront payments, or involving depositing checks and sending money elsewhere, and recommend researching companies online and consulting trusted contacts before accepting any job offer.
news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania residents are receiving scam text messages impersonating state agencies including the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, claiming outstanding traffic tickets or toll fees require immediate payment via links or gift cards. The scammers threaten fictitious penalties such as license suspension, criminal prosecution, and credit damage to pressure victims into sending money through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. State authorities advise recipients to ignore suspicious links, never provide personal information, and report such messages to local police or the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, emphasizing that legitimate state agencies never solicit payment via text message.
whio.com
· 2025-12-08
This article explores the legal landscape of scams and fraud, explaining that while scamming is generally illegal, some deceptive practices exist in legal gray areas by technically offering a service or relying on consumer awareness. The article discusses how scammers exploit loopholes—such as with carnival games and deceptive solicitations (like fake domain renewal notices)—by staying vague about their offerings and not explicitly making false promises, allowing them to operate despite feeling fraudulent to consumers. The key takeaway is that scamming tactics are increasingly sophisticated and difficult to distinguish from legitimate services, making consumer vigilance essential.
toledocitypaper.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau of Northwest and West Central Ohio and Southeast Michigan operates ScamGuard, an educational program launched three years ago to protect seniors from increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. The program warns older adults about common scams including telephone/tech support scams, gift card tampering, fake charities, grandparent scams, sweepstakes fraud, and online dating schemes, providing practical advice such as verifying unfamiliar callers, researching charities before donating, and never sending money to individuals met only online.
law.georgia.gov
· 2025-12-08
During May 2025's Older Americans Month, Georgia's Attorney General Consumer Protection Division reached over 1,300 seniors to educate them on recognizing, preventing, and reporting financial abuse and exploitation. The division highlighted common scams targeting older adults—including government imposter schemes, investment/cryptocurrency fraud, and romance scams—and provided resources such as their free "Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults" (available in English, Spanish, and Korean) along with reporting contacts for suspected financial abuse.
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
**Event Type:** Educational Webinar
Melissa Negrin-Wiener and Ken Kern, Senior Partners at Cona Elder Law, are hosting a webinar for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to educate seniors, caregivers, and families about protecting older adults from scams and financial exploitation. The session covers common scams targeting seniors (phishing, fake charities, grandparent schemes), warning signs of fraud, strategies to protect identity and assets, and steps to take if scammed, including reporting and accessing legal support.
mycouriertribune.com
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational awareness piece by senior news writer Matilda Charles discussing phone scams targeting seniors. The article addresses the prevalence of scam calls and offers guidance on how to recognize and avoid falling victim to phone-based fraud schemes. The piece emphasizes the importance of seniors learning strategies to protect themselves from scammers who target their demographic.
halifax.ca
· 2025-12-08
Police responded to five reports in one week from seniors targeted by an advanced "grandparent scam" where fraudsters used artificial intelligence to clone family members' voices, claiming the victim's loved one was arrested and demanding bail payment via courier pickup. Authorities warn that law enforcement never collects bail money in person and advise victims to hang up immediately and not confirm personal or financial information when receiving such calls.
tucson.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial scams targeting seniors (age 60+) have increased significantly in the digital age, leading the U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative to educate older adults about common fraud schemes. The article describes four prevalent scams targeting seniors: Social Security Administration impostor scams (using caller ID spoofing to demand money be moved to gift cards), tech support scams (falsely claiming viruses exist and requesting remote device access to steal information), lottery scams (claiming winners owe fees until funds are depleted), and romance scams (using dating sites to manipulate victims into sending money).
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Gavin Butters, 27, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for courier fraud targeting elderly people across eight UK areas, stealing over £50,000. Butters impersonated police officers and bank investigators in phone calls, convincing victims to hand over cash, bank cards, and jewellery, then collected the items in person; in one case, he used a victim's three bank cards to purchase £5,896 worth of iPhones.
govinfosecurity.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Philippine-based Funnull Technology and its administrator Liu Lizhi for operating as a content delivery network that powered romance scam websites, using trafficked workers to deceive victims into fake investments. The FBI identified over 332,000 domains linked to Funnull infrastructure, which caused an estimated $200 million in losses to U.S. victims (averaging $150,000 per person), with global romance scam losses reaching $4.4 billion. The company supplied bulk IP addresses, website templates, and algorithmically-generated domain names to scammers, enabling them to rapidly create resilient scam networks difficult to take down.
moneysense.ca
· 2025-12-08
Relationship fraud and romance scams are increasing in Canada, typically beginning when scammers contact victims on social media, dating apps, or email, then gradually build trust over months before requesting money or promoting fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency. Victims suffer not only financial losses but also emotional trauma from the betrayal, and scammers may use harvested personal information for identity theft. Key warning signs include pressure and urgency in requests, and protection strategies include verifying requests with trusted individuals and being cautious of AI-generated personas.
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Between April 2022 and March 2025, online dating scams defrauded UK victims of over £271 million across 21,976 reported cases, with Lancashire residents losing £4 million across 554 incidents (average £7,281 per victim). Women and transgender individuals suffered disproportionately higher average losses (£16,370 and £27,234 respectively), and some victims lost as much as £500,000 or more to scammers posing as romantic interests. Reports to Action Fraud increased 17% in 2024/25 to 8,122 cases, reflecting a concerning rise in this type of fraud targeting increasingly older
whio.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article explains how to identify fake social media profiles used by scammers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tinder. Key warning signs include fake or AI-generated profile pictures (verify with reverse image search), brand-new accounts with unusual activity patterns, generic or automated posting behavior, and follower lists consisting of random unconnected accounts. The article advises online users to maintain skepticism about profiles they encounter and check for these indicators before engaging with unfamiliar accounts.
theledger.com
· 2025-12-08
A Palm Beach County couple based in Westlake was arrested in May for operating a "SIM swap" scam that targeted at least 50+ victims across the United States. The scheme involved tricking victims into transferring their phone numbers to different carriers, which allowed the scammers to bypass two-factor authentication and gain unauthorized access to bank accounts and email—in the documented case, they stole $1,500 in cash and attempted to wire transfer over $200,000 from a single victim. SIM swapping complaints have decreased from a peak of 2,026 cases in 2022 (with $72.6 million in losses) to 982
waff.com
· 2025-12-08
A Morgan County woman lost $813,000 to a phone scam between January and May in which a caller impersonated law enforcement and claimed she had an arrest warrant, demanding payment to resolve the matter. The scammer continued calling and extracting money after the victim's initial payment, making this the largest fraud case Morgan County Sheriff's Office has ever documented. Officials advise that legitimate law enforcement never calls about warrants or missed jury duty and recommend treating all unsolicited calls with suspicion and hanging up if fraud is suspected.
oprahdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
Scams targeting consumers are rising dramatically, with phishing, deepfakes, tech-support scams, and spoofing becoming increasingly common. Readers shared varied experiences including fraudulent tax and loan collection calls, fake rental listings, phishing texts posing as delivery services and financial institutions, and sextortion emails with personal information. The advice emphasized by victims includes not answering unknown numbers, immediately deleting suspicious messages, verifying requests independently, and never providing personal information or upfront payments to unverified sources.
wxii12.com
· 2025-12-08
Government impersonation scams stole $789 million in 2024, with scammers now using fake FTC agent credentials and badges to target victims through urgent alerts about viruses, compromised accounts, or identity theft, then pressuring them to transfer money. The FTC warns it has no agents and never requests money transfers, advising victims to verify claims by contacting their banks directly using official numbers and to report suspected scams at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.
investopedia.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines common cryptocurrency scams and protection strategies. According to the FBI, crypto fraud losses surged 45% year-over-year to $5.6 billion in 2023 based on 69,000 complaints, with scams ranging from phishing attacks to fake ICOs and rug pulls. The article advises crypto investors to verify website URLs, enable two-factor authentication, and remain vigilant about suspicious links and messages to protect their digital assets.
freep.com
· 2025-12-08
Beginning in June, the federal government will resume aggressive collection of defaulted student loans, offsetting up to 15% of Social Security benefits (with $750 monthly protected) and garnishing up to 15% of wages for approximately 5.3 million borrowers. This financial crackdown is expected to trigger a surge in student loan scams, with fraudsters using unsolicited calls, texts, and emails to target vulnerable borrowers with offers of fake debt relief in exchange for upfront fees or to charge them for free services like income-driven repayment plans available directly through StudentAid.gov.
ghanaweb.com
· 2025-12-08
A Ghanaian man known as Dada Joe (Nana Kojo Boateng) was arrested by Ghana's Economic and Organized Crime Office in collaboration with the FBI for alleged involvement in romance fraud and cybercrime. The suspect may face extradition to the U.S. for prosecution, marking part of an international effort to combat transnational romance scams that target vulnerable individuals by building fake online relationships to extract money from victims.
ghanaweb.com
· 2025-12-08
A Ghanaian man identified as Dada Joe (Nana Kojo Boateng) was arrested by Ghana's Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) in collaboration with the FBI on allegations of romance fraud and cybercrime. The suspect faces potential extradition to the United States for prosecution in what represents part of an international effort to combat transnational romance scams that target vulnerable individuals for financial exploitation.
etnownews.com
· 2025-12-08
This article outlines ten common fraud schemes targeting Indian consumers, including phishing impersonations of banks and government agencies, Ponzi schemes promising unrealistic returns, fake law enforcement extortion, fraudulent work-from-home jobs, UPI PIN theft, ATM skimming, predatory loan apps, pump-and-dump stock schemes, romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals, and fake parcel delivery scams. The piece emphasizes that fraudsters exploit trust through multiple channels (email, SMS, calls, apps) and advises victims to verify legitimacy through official channels, avoid sharing sensitive information like OTPs and UPI PINs, use only RBI-registered financial services, and report suspicious
okcfox.com
· 2025-12-08
This editorial discusses the evolution and pervasiveness of fraud from ancient times to 2024, noting that the FBI received 859,532 online crime complaints in 2024 with losses exceeding $16 billion—a 33% increase from the prior year. The article highlights emerging threats including cryptocurrency fraud ($24.2 billion in illicit transfers in 2023), AI-powered deepfakes (which surged 1,740% in North America between 2022-2023, with one incident targeting a Hong Kong firm for $25 million), and voice-cloning scams targeting individuals through fake calls from loved ones. Williams emphasizes that fraud affects all demographics—not just the
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Nearly 7,500 AARP members and New Yorkers delivered letters to state legislative leaders urging support for bills (S.6379 and A.7019) to protect older adults from financial exploitation, following an FBI report showing scams targeting New Yorkers age 60+ resulted in over $257 million in losses from more than 6,200 victims in 2024—a significant increase from $203 million in 2023. The proposed legislation would require bank employees to identify signs of financial exploitation, place holds on suspicious transactions, and refer cases to law enforcement. AARP is calling on lawmakers to pass this measure before the 2025 legislative session ends in June
hometownstations.com
· 2025-12-08
Ohio's older adults face significant financial exploitation risk, with projected losses exceeding $60 million in 2025 and complaints to the Division of Securities increasing 22% year-over-year (302 complaints in 2024 versus 247 in 2023). Common scams targeting seniors include romance schemes, tech support impersonations, and grandparent scams, with warning signs including unexplained withdrawals, changes in banking practices, and unpaid bills. The Ohio Department of Commerce and Department of Aging are partnering during Elder Abuse Awareness Month to educate the public on recognizing exploitation and providing resources for reporting, including hotlines for securities fraud, adult protective services, an
columbiamagazine.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers operating on dating apps and social media platforms defrauded Americans of over $1 billion in 2023 and at least that much in 2024, with one notable victim being a 72-year-old widower named Gary who lost $50,000 to a scammer posing as a woman named Nasha. Scammers use tactics including requests for money for travel or investments, pressure for gift cards, and AI-generated photos to impersonate real people and celebrities. The U.S. Secret Service recommends avoiding financial transactions with people you've never met in person and being wary of red flags such as urgent money requests, pressure for gifts, an
cointelegraph.com
· 2025-12-08
Seniors are increasingly targeted in cryptocurrency scams because scammers view them as wealthy, trusting, and less technologically savvy, exploiting the irreversible nature of crypto transactions and victims' reluctance to report fraud. The FTC reports growing losses from crypto investment fraud, romance scams, and government impersonation, with seniors in Beaufort County, South Carolina alone losing over $3.1 million in 2024, while sophisticated schemes using AI voice cloning and fake websites are becoming more prevalent. Examples include British pensioners losing hundreds of thousands to romance fraud operations in Cambodia, Minnesota crypto ATM scams that cost over $189 million in 2023, and government impersonation
lsj.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Transnational organized crime groups operating "scam factories" in Southeast Asian countries (Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia) force trafficked workers into sophisticated multilingual fraud operations targeting international victims. Between January 2024 and February 2025, Australia lost $384.2 million to scams, with investment scams causing the largest losses ($225.7 million), while over 300,000 people are estimated to be forced laborers in scam operations across the Mekong region, generating approximately $43.8 billion annually for criminal enterprises. These operations employ advanced technologies including deepfakes and AI language models to impersonate authority figures and craft convincing fraud scripts.
ibsintelligence.com
· 2025-12-08
UK fraud losses remained at £1.17 billion in 2024, with 70% of authorised push payment fraud cases originating online through social media and messaging platforms. Investment and romance scams are surging despite fewer reported cases, with victims often losing life savings to sophisticated social engineering tactics that bypass bank warnings. Experts warn that fraudsters are evolving tactics—particularly toward remote purchase fraud—and call for a unified national strategy involving banks, law enforcement, and technology providers to address fraud, which now represents 40% of all UK crime.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, the UK experienced £12,332 crore in reported fraud losses, with banks blocking even greater unauthorized attempts, yet emerging threats like remote access scams, social engineering, and platform-enabled fraud continue to outpace defenses. Seventy percent of authorized push payment scams originated online, while investment fraud and romance scams increasingly target victims through social media and polished digital ads, often exploiting emotional manipulation or false financial promises. Experts warn that fraud now represents 40% of all UK crime, yet the fragmented regulatory approach places disproportionate responsibility on banks rather than holding tech platforms, telcos, and other enablers accountable, necessitating a unified national strategy
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods—including AI-powered technology—to conduct online scams, with reported fraud losses reaching $12.5 billion in the previous year, a 25% increase. Google's report identifies five trending scams: customer support impersonation, malvertising (fake ads spreading malware), fake travel websites, package-tracking phishing, and toll road scams, and emphasizes that many people remain uninformed about recognizing these fraud tactics. The report recommends verifying contact information directly with companies, downloading software only from legitimate sources, being skeptical of unrealistic deals, and avoiding clicking links in unsolicited messages.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article explains how large language models like ChatGPT can be exploited to gather personal information about individuals, since these AI tools pull from publicly available online sources including people-search sites, social media, and public databases. The article provides guidance on protecting privacy by opting out of people-search sites individually or using automated data removal services, emphasizing that personal information is already widely exposed online and requires proactive steps to limit access.
wistv.com
· 2025-12-08
A rise in phone scams impersonating law enforcement has been reported in South Carolina's Midlands region, with scammers using spoofed caller IDs, real deputy names, and personal information to convince victims they owe fines for missing court dates or jury duty. Two victims—a doctor and a homeowner—nearly lost $3,000 each before recognizing the fraud, with the scammer in the first case threatening medical board reporting to create urgency. Law enforcement advises that legitimate agencies never request payment by phone or online and urges people to verify calls independently rather than trusting caller ID or acting under pressure.
cleveland19.com
· 2025-12-08
Olmsted Falls Police are warning residents about an increasingly sophisticated scam targeting senior citizens in which fraudsters pose as celebrities or their family members to obtain personal information, bank details, or money. In one case, a scammer claimed to be Johnny Carson's son and told a resident they had won a large cash prize, then later called back impersonating police to pressure the victim further. Police advise residents to hang up and not respond immediately to suspicious calls, texts, or emails, and note that scammers are using spoofed phone numbers to appear as legitimate callers.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore has developed Meralion, an AI model trained to understand English, multiple regional languages, and Singlish, which can be deployed to check on elderly seniors' well-being and intercept scam calls at anti-fraud centers. The AI can analyze emotional cues in speech, remind seniors to take medication, flag urgent health concerns to social workers, and has been funded by a $70 million national initiative to create regionally-tailored language models. Talks are underway with social service agencies to deploy the chatbot for eldercare purposes.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore has developed Meralion, a locally-trained AI model capable of understanding English, Mandarin, Tamil, Malay, Thai, and Singlish, to check in on elderly patients and intercept scam calls. The AI can analyze emotional cues, medication reminders, and well-being concerns among seniors while flagging urgent cases to social workers, and can identify suspicious calls at anti-scam centers. The $70 million initiative, funded by the National Research Foundation and IMDA, addresses gaps in existing AI systems that struggle with regional languages and local communication styles.
pa.gov
· 2025-12-08
The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities is hosting multiple free educational events throughout June 2024 aimed at seniors, service providers, and the general public to help them avoid scams, detect fraud, and prevent identity theft. Events include interactive presentations such as "Fraud BINGO" and "$camJam" held at senior centers and community locations across Pennsylvania, with Pennsylvanians encouraged to report scams via 1-866-PACOMPLAINT or pa.gov/consumer.
malwarebytes.com
· 2025-12-08
Toll fee smishing scams—fraudulent text messages claiming users owe payment for tolls—have surged in waves since 2024, with the FBI and FTC issuing warnings and state DMVs in New York, Florida, and California recently alerting residents to the threat. In April 2025 alone, Americans received 19.2 billion spam texts, and text-based fraud attempts generated approximately $470 million in criminal revenue according to the FTC's 2024 data. The article advises consumers to verify sender phone numbers and domain names, check official toll agency websites, avoid engaging with messages, use mobile security features, and report suspicious texts to the FBI's Internet Crime
smh.com.au
· 2025-12-08
A person lost over $20,000 to a scam and sought advice on recovery and moving forward emotionally. The article provides practical security measures (two-factor authentication, strong passwords, avoiding suspicious links) and emphasizes that recovery requires processing difficult emotions like shock, anger, and grief rather than rushing to "move on," while avoiding shame and ensuring the experience doesn't negatively define future financial decisions.
theage.com.au
· 2025-12-08
A financial contributor shares their experience losing over $20,000 to a scam and seeks advice on recovery and moving forward emotionally. The article emphasizes that emotional processing is crucial to healing from scam trauma—acknowledging feelings of shock, anger, and grief rather than rushing past them—and warns against developing shame or self-blame, since scammers actively employ deception tactics. Practical prevention steps like two-factor authentication and avoiding suspicious links are recommended, along with the importance of preventing past trauma from negatively shaping future financial decisions.
moneyweek.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, fraudsters stole £144.4 million through investment fraud in the UK—a 34% increase from 2023—despite a 24% reduction in the number of cases, indicating victims are losing larger amounts per scam. Investment fraud involves criminals convincing victims to invest in fictitious funds or fake opportunities (cryptocurrencies, property, commodities, etc.), often amplified through AI deepfaking on social media. Overall UK fraud losses reached £1.17 billion across 3.31 million confirmed cases in 2024, with unauthorised fraud (particularly card fraud and remote purchase fraud) being the most prevalent type.
mirror.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Oliver Wright, 23, from Warrington, died by suicide in December 2022, five years after falling victim to an online financial scam at age 18 that cost him £10,000 in three days. The scammer promised quick profits if Wright transferred £100, but instead drained his savings, causing significant emotional distress and embarrassment that his mother believes contributed to his declining mental health. Wright's death highlights the severe psychological impact financial fraud can have on victims, particularly young people.
bernama.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old company director in Perak, Malaysia lost over RM1.47 million in an online trading scam that began in April when he received a call from an unidentified woman offering him a partnership opportunity. The victim was persuaded to download an app called SHV Shop and was promised 30% commissions on purchases, but deposited funds across six different bank accounts from April to May without receiving any returns. The case is under investigation for fraud under Section 420 of the Penal Code.