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in Robocall / Phone Scam
thetottenhamindependent.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Football ticket scams increased by 32% during the 2023/24 Premier League season, with victims losing an average of £177 and some losing over £1,000, according to Lloyds Bank analysis. People aged 25-34 were most vulnerable, and scammers typically created fake social media posts with real ticket images to trick buyers into bank transfers before disappearing. Lloyds recommends purchasing tickets only from official club channels or authorized partners to avoid these frauds.
dlnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned about scammers impersonating crypto exchange employees who contact victims with urgent claims of account problems or compromises, then trick them into providing login credentials or clicking malicious links to steal their cryptocurrency. The agency advises recipients to hang up immediately, independently verify concerns by calling the exchange's official number, never provide login information, and avoid clicking links or visiting websites sent by the caller. Victims should report incidents to the FBI and be wary of recovery services claiming they can retrieve stolen crypto.
noozhawk.com
· 2025-12-08
Chief Investigator Kristina Perkins has taken over as host of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's weekly podcast "Scam Squad," which educates the community about scams targeting elderly residents, including internet, romance, telemarketing, and other fraud schemes. The podcast, which launched in 2017 and airs on KTMS Newstalk 990 and multiple streaming platforms, will continue featuring guests sharing personal fraud experiences and providing guidance on identifying and avoiding scams. Residents can report scams or request community presentations by contacting the District Attorney's Scam Hotline at 805-568-2442.
miragenews.com
· 2025-12-08
Operation Spincaster, a joint AFP and blockchain platform Chainalysis initiative, identified over 2,000 compromised cryptocurrency wallets belonging to Australians and targeted "approval phishing" scams that have stolen more than $4 billion globally since May 2021. This tactic deceives victims into signing malicious blockchain transactions that grant criminals access to drain their crypto wallets, particularly through investment and romance scams. The AFP is conducting ongoing investigations into Australian losses and, alongside multiple law enforcement agencies and cryptocurrency exchanges, is implementing training and intelligence-sharing to detect scams in real time and support victims.
e.vnexpress.net
· 2025-12-08
A romance scam ring in Vietnam lured vulnerable singles through fake dating service pages on social media and Telegram, creating fictitious profiles of compatible partners and then requesting escalating payments ($39-$788 USD and higher) under false pretenses of meeting fees, compatibility assessments, or prize claims. At least three victims—Thao, Hong Hanh, and Pham Trung—lost between 20 million and 90 million Vietnamese dong (approximately $788-$3,550 USD), with scammers using fake versions of legitimate dating service websites and impersonating real companies like Rudicaf to build credibility.
wsbt.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel conducted a senior fraud awareness presentation in St. Joseph, educating nearly 70 Southwest Michigan seniors on protecting themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams including spoofing, phishing, romantic scams, and AI-enhanced fraud schemes. Nessel emphasized the importance of verifying sources before making payments, never sharing personal information without fact-checking, and reporting scams to authorities—noting that Michigan seniors lose millions annually to fraud and that reporting helps protect both victims and future potential targets.
tomsguide.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating bank employees via spoofed caller IDs, tricking victims into cutting up their debit cards while keeping the chip intact, then sending accomplices to collect the chip and coerce the PIN from victims' homes. Once obtained, the scammers use the chip and PIN to withdraw funds directly from victims' accounts in person, bypassing bank fraud detection systems. The FBI warns that to protect yourself, scrutinize the call quality and professionalism of the caller, ask verification questions, and never comply with requests to damage your debit card—legitimate banks never ask customers to do this.
nbcmiami.com
· 2025-12-08
Criminals are increasingly using Google Voice scams to gain access to victims' accounts by tricking them into sharing multi-factor authentication codes, then making calls and texts that appear to come from the victim's number while remaining anonymous. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 60% of over 13,000 crimes reported in 2023 involved Google Voice, affecting victims of all ages. The key prevention strategy is to never share multi-factor authentication codes with anyone, and victims can disconnect their number from a compromised account through Google Voice's account recovery tools.
earlytimes.in
· 2025-12-08
**Not applicable for elder fraud database.** This article concerns alleged financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds within India's Congress party during the 2023 Bharat Jodo Yatra political event. While it involves fraud allegations, it does not relate to elder abuse, elder fraud, or scams targeting seniors and therefore falls outside the scope of Elderus research materials.
wsbt.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel conducted an educational presentation for approximately 70 seniors in Southwest Michigan to raise awareness about common scams targeting older adults, including romantic scams, spoofing, phishing, and AI-enhanced fraud schemes. Nessel advised seniors to verify sources before making payments, never share personal information without confirming facts, and report suspected scams to authorities so others can be warned, noting that Michigan seniors lose millions annually to fraud. The event was organized by the Area Agency on Aging in St. Joseph to help seniors protect themselves and maintain their independence and dignity.
vietnamnet.vn
· 2025-12-08
Online fraud remains widespread, with scammers exploiting social media, e-commerce platforms, and OTT applications through five primary tactics: fake money recovery services, counterfeit miracle medications, labor export/visa scams, copyright extortion schemes, and fraudulent e-commerce alerts. Recent cases include a woman in Thanh Hoa losing additional funds to a fake recovery service and 10 victims collectively defrauded of over 747 million VND in overseas work scams. Prevention strategies include verifying service legitimacy through official channels, avoiding sharing personal information with unverified contacts, consulting certified healthcare professionals, and reporting suspected fraud to law enforcement.
digitalspy.com
· 2025-12-08
TV personality Denise Welch fell victim to a phone scam several years ago when scammers spoofed her bank Barclays' caller ID and posed as the fraud department, convincing her to share personal details including her full name, address, mother's maiden name, and crucially her four-digit PIN over multiple calls. The fraudsters cloned her credit card and stole over £2,000 from her account before the fraud was discovered after she mentioned the calls to her husband, who recognized it as a scam.
indiatoday.in
· 2025-12-08
A Supreme Court lawyer in India ordered an iPhone 15 from Amazon with an exchange offer for his old iPhone 13 on July 21, 2024, but lost Rs 38,000 when the delivery executive and supervisor orchestrated a scam by requesting the phone back under false pretenses of completing the exchange process the next day. When the lawyer followed up with Amazon customer care, the company denied his refund claim on July 31, 2024, despite an investigation, leaving him with neither the new phone nor a refund while still possessing his old device. The incident demonstrates vulnerabilities in third-party delivery and exchange processes even on established e-commerce platforms.
atlantablackstar.com
· 2025-12-08
Rebecca Adami from North Carolina lost $60,000 in an employment scam where a romantic interest connected her with a fake recruiter offering a charity finance position. The scammer obtained her banking information, made fraudulent charges on her credit cards, deposited bad checks in her name totaling $67,000, and reversed legitimate payments to trap her in debt. Employment scams surged 118% in 2023, with the FTC reporting $367 million in consumer losses in 2022, and the agency recommends verifying employers independently and never providing financial information or prepaying for legitimate job positions.
bankingjournal.aba.com
· 2025-12-08
Fraud cases are surging across financial institutions, with Kennebec Savings Bank in Maine tripling its fraud cases between 2021 and 2023 and preventing over $430,000 in losses in 2023 alone. Scammers increasingly use sophisticated social engineering tactics—including impersonation, phone number spoofing, and AI-generated content—to manipulate victims into voluntarily transferring funds, making it difficult for banks to prevent losses even with strong security measures. The FTC reported a 14% increase in fraud losses in 2023, with imposter scams accounting for nearly $2.7 billion of the over $10 billion in total annual frau
highlandcountypress.com
· 2025-12-08
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program empowers Medicare beneficiaries to prevent and report healthcare fraud, particularly medical identity theft where fraudsters use personal information to bill for unauthorized services. In 2023, the nationwide SMP program reached 1.2 million people through outreach events, assisted over 270,000 beneficiaries with fraud-related issues, and helped Medicare recoup more than $111 million in fraudulent billings while identifying 26 emerging fraud schemes.
timesgazette.com
· 2025-12-08
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a national program that educates Medicare beneficiaries and their families about detecting and reporting healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse, with particular focus on medical identity theft—when fraudsters use personal information like Medicare numbers to bill for unauthorized services. In 2023, the SMP program reached 1.2 million people through outreach events, assisted over 270,000 beneficiaries with fraud complaints, identified 26 emerging fraud schemes, and helped Medicare recover more than $111 million in fraudulent billings. The Ohio SMP, operated by Pro Seniors Inc., encourages beneficiaries to report suspicious activity and offers resources to protect Medicare information.
vaildaily.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud scams cause over $3.4 billion in annual losses, with the average senior victim losing $33,915, according to the FBI's 2023 report. Common scams include the "grandparent scam" (where fraudsters pose as grandchildren needing bail money) and IRS impersonation schemes that exploit seniors' trusting nature and politeness. To protect loved ones, maintain open communication, verify emergency requests with other family members, never share personal information over the phone, and report suspected fraud to relevant companies and authorities.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
A Schwab Bank customer received a text message impersonating the bank's fraud department asking about a suspicious $2,500 transfer; after replying "No," scammers called and tricked the victim into authorizing two wire transfers of approximately $5,500 each, claiming the transfers would return funds to the account. The client's advisor successfully helped cancel the second transfer with Schwab, preventing total loss, though the scam demonstrates how fraudsters use legitimate account holder names and mass messaging to impersonate trusted financial institutions.
wbrc.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau advises the public to report suspected scams to law enforcement before sending money, as scammers often operate from foreign countries and once funds are transferred, law enforcement has limited ability to recover them. The BBB emphasizes a proactive approach—contacting police about suspicious activity on devices or communications before financial loss occurs—enables better investigation and prevents crime, whereas post-fraud forensics rarely result in money recovery. Residents are urged to avoid clicking unknown links and contact local law enforcement with questions about potential scams.
popculture.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
YouTuber Fuslie fell victim to a "smishing" scam impersonating USPS, clicking a malicious link in a text message and entering her credit card information multiple times before realizing the website was fraudulent. She subsequently canceled all her cards to prevent unauthorized charges. The incident highlights the prevalence of these phishing scams, which attempt to steal personal and financial information by posing as legitimate government agencies or companies.
nj1015.com
· 2025-12-08
Three Dominican Republic nationals were extradited to the U.S. and charged in a multi-state "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly victims across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts out of millions of dollars. The defendants operated call centers that impersonated family members claiming relatives needed bail money for vehicle accidents, with scammers posing as attorneys and police to pressure victims into sending thousands of dollars via courier or mail. The three men face charges including mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering as part of an 11-person indictment involving a long-running operation targeting vulnerable seniors.
oig.ssa.gov
· 2025-12-08
Three Dominican nationals were extradited to face charges in a "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans across multiple states out of millions of dollars. The defendants operated call centers in the Dominican Republic where they impersonated grandchildren in distress, then had "closers" pose as lawyers or police to convince victims to send thousands in cash via couriers or mail. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and substantial fines if convicted on charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Christopher Parks, Christopher Noah Parks, and Stephen Miller operated a fraudulent medical debt collection scheme through companies Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC, sending thousands of false debt collection notices nationwide to veterans and older Americans demanding payment for medical devices they either did not owe or had never received. The scheme, which Parks directed while incarcerated for prior healthcare fraud charges, caused consumers to pay debts that were largely illusory, leading a federal court in Oklahoma to issue permanent injunctions on August 2 barring the defendants from engaging in any future billing or debt collection activities.
ktvz.com
· 2025-12-08
QR code scams, known as "quishing," have surged dramatically since May 2023, with email-based attacks increasing 2,400% by March 2024, targeting both individuals and businesses by embedding malicious URLs or malware in fake QR codes placed on physical locations or sent via phishing emails. Scammers use these codes to steal personal information, download malware, or trick users into providing login credentials, with executives facing disproportionately higher attack rates due to their access to sensitive data. To protect themselves, consumers should inspect QR codes for irregularities before scanning, keep their phone operating systems and apps updated, and use multi-factor authentication as a defense against
ca.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Major dating apps including Tinder, Hinge, Match, and Plenty of Fish launched a public awareness campaign with scam alerts to help users identify romantic fraudsters, advising them to stay on-platform, use photo verification, and avoid anyone claiming crypto expertise. Dating scams caused significant financial losses globally—8,036 UK reports totaling £91.4 million in 2023 and $300 million annually in the US since 2020, with average losses per victim reaching $190,000—prompting Match Group to partner with victim advocates and cyber-crime investigators on the safety initiative.
news.trendmicro.com
· 2025-12-08
Deepfake technology, powered by AI advances, is increasingly used in fraud schemes targeting individuals and businesses. Criminals employ deepfake videos, face-swapping, and voice cloning to impersonate celebrities, executives, and recruiters in romance scams, job recruitment fraud, and investment schemes, with deepfake content increasing 900% between 2019-2020 and an estimated 26% of small companies and 38% of large companies experiencing deepfake-related fraud in 2023. Notable cases include a Japanese manga artist losing nearly $500,000 USD to a fake video call impersonating actor Mark Ruffalo, while experts warn that by
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Sherlyn Sims was convicted of money laundering and conspiracy related to romance scams and business email compromise schemes that defrauded dozens of victims of over $1.2 million between December 2019 and August 2020. Sims registered sham businesses, including Grace Trading LLC, to open bank accounts where she deposited stolen funds, then quickly transferred the money to foreign countries, withdrew cash, or spent it; victims included elderly individuals and others who lost significant sums, with one romance fraud victim depleting her life savings of nearly $100,000 after being tricked by an online scammer posing as her boyfriend. Sims was sentenced to be determined at a November 2024
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
TRICARE beneficiaries in the Augusta area are being targeted by phishing scams via text messages claiming to come from Wisconsin Physicians Service (the TRICARE For Life contractor) and threatening coverage expiration due to nonpayment. TRICARE reminded beneficiaries that the agency never contacts them by phone or text requesting payment or personal information, and advised them to report suspicious messages to their TRICARE contractor or the Defense Health Agency's Office of the Inspector General.
lawfaremedia.org
· 2025-12-08
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun Rao discusses the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch work, which addresses the growing scale and sophistication of consumer fraud schemes, including elder fraud, that have been enabled by technological advances such as robocalls, texts, emails, and social media. The Consumer Protection Branch brings together criminal and civil cases across federal courts nationwide with nearly 250 staff members and over 100 trial attorneys, partnering with agencies like the FTC, FDA, and CPSC to protect consumer health, safety, economic security, and privacy.
freep.com
· 2025-12-08
A viral Facebook post claiming a missing autistic child named Brandan Cooper has circulated across multiple communities in Canada and the United States, but authorities and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children have identified it as a scam. Scammers use these fake missing child posts to gain shares and engagement, then alter the original post to promote fraudulent schemes such as fake apartment rentals, surveys promising cash prizes, or cryptocurrency investments, unknowingly enlisting people who shared the original post to spread the scam to their networks. To protect against these schemes, people should verify missing child posts only come from official law enforcement agencies or credible news sources before sharing.
ktvq.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Communications Commission warns college students about back-to-school scams that disguise themselves as legitimate fundraisers through cold calls, robocalls, deceptive emails, and text messages, with common schemes including fake scholarship offers, technical support fraud, and roommate/rental scams. The FCC advises students never to provide personally identifiable information like Social Security numbers or banking details over the phone and to monitor financial accounts closely, noting that scammers frequently target students with existing loans throughout the entire school year.
wmtw.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warns consumers to watch for three back-to-school scams: fake online shopping websites using clickbait ads to steal personal information, phone scams impersonating the College Board requesting payment for test prep materials, and job scams targeting students that involve fake checks and requests to send money back via gift cards or money orders. The advisory recommends verifying website URLs when shopping online, never providing financial information to unsolicited callers, and remembering that legitimate employers will never ask applicants to pay money or send funds before employment begins.
consumer.ftc.gov
· 2025-12-08
Scammers impersonate government officials or utility company representatives to pressure homeowners into purchasing solar panels or energy efficiency upgrades, falsely promising free installations, large rebates, or guaranteed bill savings that can cost victims tens of thousands of dollars. These scams typically begin with unsolicited calls, messages, or visits offering "free" energy audits or claiming the victim is already enrolled in a program requiring payment. To protect yourself, avoid any "free" solar offers, resist pressure for immediate payment or unusual payment methods (cash, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency), and never share personal information in response to unexpected online requests.
wpsdlocal6.com
· 2025-12-08
Smishing—text message scams that trick recipients into clicking malicious links or calling scammer numbers—has become increasingly common as cybercriminals shift from robocalls and emails to take advantage of higher text message open rates. Common tactics include fake package delivery notifications, impersonation of trusted brands like Amazon and FedEx, and social engineering to steal login credentials, financial information, or gain remote device access, potentially leading to identity theft and financial loss. Consumers can protect themselves by ignoring unsolicited texts, enabling two-factor authentication, verifying company contact information independently, and reporting suspicious messages to the FTC by forwarding to 7726 (SPAM).
thespec.com
· 2025-12-08
Hamilton police reported 465 crimes against seniors in 2023, a 127% increase from 2022, with fraud victims losing over $1 million since 2020. Grandparent scams remain a significant problem, accounting for 117 of 127 reported scams between 2022-2023, where fraudsters pose as distressed grandchildren claiming to need bail money. The rise in reported incidents is attributed both to an aging population and mandatory reporting requirements from long-term care facilities introduced in mid-2022, though police estimate only 5-10% of fraud victims report crimes to authorities.
chicagotribune.com
· 2025-12-08
**Event Type:** Scam Awareness Educational Initiative
The Palos Park Police Department held a National Night Out event to educate residents about elder fraud, highlighting that seniors in their predominantly elderly, affluent community are particularly vulnerable targets. Key scams discussed included door-to-door service schemes and "grandparent scams," with the FBI reporting that elder fraud caused $3.4 billion in losses in 2023 (up 11% from 2022), averaging $33,915 per victim, though many cases go unreported due to victim embarrassment and fear. Police advised residents to verify caller identities, trust their instincts when something feels off, and be
ktul.com
· 2025-12-08
The Wagoner County Sheriff's Office warns of multiple rising scams exploiting social media and artificial intelligence, including fake product listings, romance scams, and deepfake audio/video impersonations that target victims across all ages. Key threats include grandparent scams, charity fraud, peer-to-peer payment app scams, student loan forgiveness schemes, and cryptocurrency fraud, with scammers commonly requesting payment via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers. The sheriff's office recommends protecting oneself by adjusting privacy settings, verifying organizations independently, enabling multi-factor authentication, and avoiding unsolicited requests for money or personal information.
wtvq.com
· 2025-12-08
A Northern Kentucky man lost nearly $300,000 to a romance scammer who posed as a woman on a dating site following his wife's death, highlighting the growing prevalence of romance scams that exploit vulnerable individuals seeking online connections. The article features testimony from a reformed Nigerian scammer who admitted to defrauding victims of thousands of dollars, and emphasizes key prevention strategies including video call verification, trusting gut instincts, and using identity verification services before engaging with online romantic interests.
thedrum.com
· 2025-12-08
Age Concern New Zealand and ANZ Bank launched a scam prevention awareness campaign featuring the iconic 1980s TV show CHiPs to educate seniors about fraud protection. The campaign addresses findings that 80% of New Zealanders over 65 believe older people are too trusting and vulnerable to scams, using nostalgia and humor to encourage older adults to reject unsolicited calls, texts, and emails. The initiative includes TV spots, an ANZ Scam Academy website, and educational toolkits distributed through community centers and rest homes across New Zealand.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Beaver County woman in her 70s lost $87,000 in a phishing scam after clicking on a fake Apple security alert that froze her computer and prompted her to call a number where scammers posed as Apple support staff. The fraudsters convinced her that her banking information was compromised and instructed her to withdraw cash and deposit it through a Bitcoin machine, falsely claiming it was a federal government-funded recovery program. Detective James Degori notes that elder fraud cases are rising in the area, with phishing, romance, and grandparent scams being most common, and advises seniors to avoid clicking emails, answering unsolicited calls, and sharing personal information.
wpxi.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud cases are increasing in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, with a woman in her 70s losing $87,000 to a tech support scam in which fraudsters posed as Apple security personnel, convinced her that her computer and banking information were compromised, and directed her to withdraw cash and convert it to Bitcoin. Police Detective James Degori notes that scammers target elderly individuals because they typically have substantial savings, and the most common scams are phishing, romance, and grandparent schemes originating from outside the country. The Beaver Police Department is conducting community education seminars on fraud awareness at local venues to help prevent these crimes.
npr.org
· 2025-12-08
Criminal syndicates operating in Southeast Asia (particularly Cambodia and Myanmar) traffic and enslave people to conduct "pig butchering" scams—a fraud scheme where scammers build trust with victims to convince them to invest money before disappearing with their funds. Victims like Billy, a 41-year-old Ethiopian man, are deceived into traveling for fake jobs, then held captive in compounds, beaten, and forced to send scam texts impersonating wealthy individuals to defraud hundreds of people. This multi-billion-dollar cyber fraud industry involves systematic human trafficking, torture, and labor exploitation by organized criminal networks targeting both the scam victims and the enslaved workers forced to perpet
fortune.com
· 2025-12-08
Zelle, the payment app owned by major U.S. banks including JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, faces a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation over fraud vulnerabilities, with Zelle's chief fraud risk manager arguing the app has adequate safeguards while placing responsibility on users, lawmakers, and law enforcement to combat scammers. Between 2019 and 2023, the percentage of reimbursed Zelle fraud claims declined from 62% to 38%, according to Senator Richard Blumenthal, though Zelle reports a 50% decrease in fraud reports from 2022 to 2023 and attributes this partly to its anti
news-leader.com
· 2025-12-08
Utility impostor scams involve fraudsters impersonating utility company representatives via phone, email, or in-person visits, claiming customers have overdue bills that must be paid immediately to avoid service shutoff, or requesting home access under the guise of repairs or energy audits. To protect yourself, avoid paying by prepaid card or wire transfer, resist pressure to pay immediately, verify requests by calling your utility company directly using a number from your actual bill, and never allow strangers into your home without a scheduled appointment and valid identification.
latimes.com
· 2025-12-08
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is investigating whether banks offering Zelle are adequately protecting customers from scams, with JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo disclosing they've been contacted by the regulator. Zelle, which processed $806 billion across 2.9 billion transactions in 2023, is vulnerable to fraud because payments cannot be reversed once sent; while scams represent a small percentage of transactions (0.05% in 2023), the massive transaction volume means hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of users are affected, and banks currently refuse to reimburse victims who authorize payments to scammers.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial experts identify seven prevalent money scams targeting Gen Z, including phishing schemes, fake job offers, scholarship scams, online marketplace fraud, student loan forgiveness scams, and "get rich quick" investment schemes. Gen Z faces particular vulnerability due to their digital integration and inexperience with financial matters. Experts recommend verifying legitimacy of offers, avoiding unsolicited links, researching opportunities thoroughly, consulting certified financial advisors, and using strong passwords to protect against fraud.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
A security researcher discovered a massive smishing campaign impersonating the USPS to steal credit card information, tracking down a Chinese-language group operating 1,133 fraudulent domains that collected 438,669 unique credit cards and over 1.2 million pieces of personal information from U.S. victims. The researcher hacked into the scammers' systems, gathered evidence, and provided victim data to USPS investigators and banks to prevent fraudulent charges, though he estimates the actual scale of the operation is significantly larger as the same group has conducted similar scams in multiple countries. The campaign demonstrates the widespread nature of smishing fraud, with some fraudulent websites collecting thousands of victims' personal details
sixthtone.com
· 2025-12-08
A sophisticated antique fraud scheme targeting China's elderly through livestream shopping channels has cost victims hundreds of thousands of yuan by promising high returns on counterfeit collectibles like coins, stamps, and pottery. One victim in Shandong province lost nearly 300,000 yuan ($42,000) since March after being persuaded by livestream hosts who guaranteed buyback programs and claimed items could resell for millions. The scams have proliferated on platforms like Kuaishou, damaged family relationships as victims hide purchases and resist loved ones' warnings, and created legal challenges for authorities to recover funds, though victim support groups and legal experts are advocating for stronger platform regulations.
wtap.com
· 2025-12-08
A consumer advocate from the West Virginia Attorney General's office visited the Vienna Senior and Wellness Center to provide seniors with education on scam prevention, elder abuse awareness, and general consumer protection issues. The advocate offers monthly visits on the second Thursday of each month to answer questions and help seniors address fraud concerns and other consumer protection matters.