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in General Elder Fraud
hometownregister.com
· 2025-12-08
Edward L. Stief, Jr., a 41-year-old from Effingham County, faced federal charges including five counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of monetary transaction in criminally derived property for defrauding an elderly victim of over $330,000. Stief gained the victim's trust by becoming their financial and healthcare power of attorney in May 2023, then convinced them to leave a nursing home under his care and systematically transferred their assets—including cashed-out life insurance policies—into his personal bank accounts. The FBI and Effingham Police Department investigated the case, and Stief was held in federal custody awaiting trial.
irs.gov
· 2025-12-08
Samuel Kristofer Bunner of West Virginia was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for defrauding a dementia patient of $1,906,229 through bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, including selling the victim's real estate, draining accounts, and opening fraudulent credit cards. Bunner used the stolen funds to purchase homes, campers, cars, and consumer goods, and was ordered to pay full restitution of $1,906,229 and serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
wxxinews.org
· 2025-12-08
This discussion addresses the rising prevalence of scams targeting older adults, including text message schemes impersonating government agencies (like the Thruway Authority), unsolicited calls offering medical supplies, and investment fraud from fake celebrities. Experts from law enforcement and elder care organizations, along with a caregiver, discuss how to recognize these scams and respond when a loved one has been victimized.
communitycare.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
This educational guide from Community Care Inform Adults outlines best practices for social workers protecting vulnerable adults from scams, which are recognized as financial abuse under the Care Act 2014. Key recommendations include treating scams as safeguarding concerns, working multi-agency with police and trading standards, acting quickly to prevent escalation, assessing mental capacity, and developing comprehensive risk assessment and protection plans in partnership with clients. The guide notes that 73% of UK adults have been targeted by scams, with 35% (19 million people) losing money, yet fewer than one-third report the crime to authorities.
americanbanker.com
· 2025-12-08
A widow lost $87,000 to Social Security Administration impersonators who contacted her two weeks after her husband's death, likely finding her through obituaries. The incident illustrates a broader crisis: over 8.68 million elder fraud cases occur annually in the U.S., costing victims an average of $20,015 each and totaling $113.7 billion yearly, with perpetrators increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes and threatening language to exploit vulnerable seniors unfamiliar with modern technology. Several states are responding by passing laws that require banks to report suspected fraud, block suspicious transactions, and train employees to identify elder exploitation schemes.
whec.com
· 2025-12-08
An 83-year-old woman in Webster, New York lost $400,000 in four months when her computer was compromised and scammers made 76 fraudulent withdrawals from her bank account, none of which were flagged or stopped by ESL Bank despite many being five-figure amounts. Dan Lyon, a fraud expert at Lifespan, notes that banks typically release funds if customers request them and cites a proposed state budget provision that would have allowed tellers to place holds on suspicious withdrawals—a measure that was removed during spring negotiations but AARP is pushing to reinstate. Experts emphasize that seniors over 60 are deliberately targeted because they hold the nation's wealth
newsweek.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud targeting Americans over 60 increased 3% between 2022 and 2023, with victims losing an average of over $36,000 per incident. Arizona, Utah, and Rhode Island experienced the largest increases (36%, 23%, and 22% respectively), with research suggesting scammers are increasingly targeting high-income areas with large senior populations. Prevention measures include educating seniors and financial professionals about common scams, improving digital literacy among older adults, and implementing stronger security settings on financial accounts.
fingerlakes1.com
· 2025-12-08
The New York State Department of Consumer Protection is warning seniors about financial scams ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, noting that older adults lost an estimated $3.4 billion to fraud in 2023. The department recommends vigilance and education to combat common scams targeting seniors, including investment fraud, reverse mortgage scams, and government imposter schemes. Officials advise seniors to verify unexpected requests for personal information or money before responding.
romesentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection is raising awareness about financial scams targeting older adults, noting that Americans aged 60 and older lose at least $3.4 billion annually to fraud—the highest amount of any age group. Investment scams represent the costliest fraud type, with losses jumping 38% from $3.31 billion in 2022 to $4.57 billion in 2023, with seniors losing over $1 billion to these schemes in 2023 alone.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Employment scams increased 118% last year, resulting in over $70 million in losses, the FBI reports. Criminals use fake job offers and AI-generated text messages to steal victims' personal information and money. Job seekers should verify job offers directly with companies and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unverified employers.
aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Journalist April Helm watched her widowed mother, Sherri Tyson, lose $350,000 to a romance scammer between 2018 and 2020, despite Helm's extensive intervention efforts including presenting evidence, involving family, and arranging federal law enforcement involvement. The article explains that chronic fraud victims like Tyson often cannot reject scammers' lies due to psychological manipulation, isolation, emotional investment, and rationalization traps that make admitting the fraud feel more shameful than continuing to deny reality. Risk factors for chronic victimization include isolation, depression, cognitive decline, and lack of purpose, and scammers deliberately create immersive false realities that prevent rational thinking
sonomasun.com
· 2025-12-08
An 88-year-old woman lost $4,600 to a sophisticated scam that began with a fraudulent Norton AntiVirus email. After calling the number in the email, she was socially engineered into sharing a two-factor authentication code, which gave scammers access to her bank account; they transferred $4,000 to her checking account, then intimidated her into sending back $3,600 via Bitcoin and cash to an Uber driver. The article emphasizes the importance of verifying sources, never sharing sensitive information or authentication codes, consulting trusted individuals, and reporting scams to authorities.
ca.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
James and Jessica Dougherty of Boise were sentenced for wire fraud exceeding $187,000 after systematically defrauding elderly rancher Donna Douglass, now 81, beginning in 2015. The couple befriended the former teacher, moved onto her 46-acre property, isolated her from communication and transportation, gained control of her finances as power of attorney, and fraudulently sold the ranch to themselves for $96,085 despite it being valued at over twice that amount. James received 41 months in prison and Jessica received three years of probation, with restitution to be determined later.
sanantonioreport.org
· 2025-12-08
San Antonio's City Council approved a policy requiring municipal employees in high-contact departments—including police, fire, and health services—to receive training on identifying and reporting elder abuse, addressing what officials describe as an underreported crisis. In 2023, Bexar County documented 157 verified exploitation cases despite over 10,400 reports and nearly 7,000 investigations, with the county surpassing Harris County for the first time in verified cases as the elderly population grows. The initiative, developed with Texas Adult Protective Services, represents the first mandatory elder abuse training policy for city employees in Texas and is supported by a separate $800,000 federal grant to establish a Senior Justice Assessment Center for
spokesman.com
· 2025-12-08
James and Jessica Dougherty of Boise were sentenced for wire fraud involving over $187,000 after systematically defrauding 81-year-old Donna Douglass, a former elementary teacher. The couple befriended Douglass, isolated her by controlling her transportation and communication, obtained power of attorney over her finances, and fraudulently sold her 46-acre Idaho ranch to themselves for $96,085—far below its assessed value of over $190,000—without her consent. James Dougherty received 41 months in prison and Jessica received three years of probation, with restitution to be determined later.
bigcountrynewsconnection.com
· 2025-12-08
James Dougherty of Boise was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for wire fraud after gaining control of an elderly retired teacher's finances and property through a scheme involving a fraudulent trust and power-of-attorney, resulting in over $250,000 in losses when he purchased her 46-acre ranch at below-market value. His wife, Jessica Dougherty, received three years of probation for obstruction of justice after directing someone to destroy evidence during the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office with assistance from multiple agencies including the Ada County Sheriff's Office and IRS Criminal Investigations Division.
lagrangenews.com
· 2025-12-08
Troup County law enforcement warned of an active impersonation scam where callers falsely claim to be sheriff's deputies, demanding immediate payment of $2,000 or more to settle warrants or fines, often keeping victims on the phone and coercing them to withdraw cash from ATMs. The sheriff's office received at least 20 reports of the scam in a single morning, with scammers using convincing tactics like police radio background noise and caller ID spoofing; authorities emphasized that legitimate law enforcement never collect fines by phone and advised citizens to hang up and call back using verified numbers.
calgaryherald.com
· 2025-12-08
An article detailing the author's personal experiences with various phone scams—including fake Amazon Prime warnings, impersonation of police, grandparent scams, and suspicious robocalls—while critiquing the ineffectiveness of the Do Not Call registry. The author notes that despite over 240 million numbers on the registry since 2003, scammers continue unabated because the list exempts political parties, charities, and surveys, and explicitly does not stop illegal calls. The piece highlights common scam tactics targeting seniors and emphasizes that the recommended solution of not engaging with suspicious calls offers limited practical protection.
usatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Young adults ages 18-24 are increasingly targeted by scammers during back-to-school season, with this age group reporting a median loss of $155 per scam in 2022—higher than other age groups for the first time. Common scams include textbook fraud, scholarship schemes, and employment offers, which exploit college students' inexperience with financial transactions and life decisions. Protection strategies include verifying websites, using credit cards for purchases (which offer more protection than peer-to-peer payment apps), and being cautious of unsolicited offers and deeply discounted prices.
thesenior.com.au
· 2025-12-08
A Westpac bank teller in Horsham, Victoria, prevented a customer from losing $500,000 to a term deposit scam by questioning an unusually high interest rate offer and verifying banking details with ING directly, discovering the BSB number did not match any legitimate ING account. The sophisticated scam promised returns that did not align with actual bank offerings, highlighting how fraudsters create seemingly legitimate investment opportunities to deceive savings-focused customers. Australians lost $1.3 billion to investment scams in 2023, and experts recommend verifying any financial offers directly through official company websites or publicly sourced contact numbers rather than using details provided by the offeror.
hometownsource.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
The Senior LinkAge Line is offering two educational classes on September 11 to help older adults detect, report, and prevent health care fraud, waste, and abuse. Participants will learn how to identify Medicare scams, protect their Medicare beneficiary numbers, and review their Medicare paperwork, with registration available online or by calling 800.333.2433.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
James Dougherty of Boise was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for defrauding an elderly retired teacher of over $250,000 and her 46-acre ranch through a scheme involving fraudulent power-of-attorney, trust documents, and self-dealing property sales. His wife, Jessica Dougherty, received three years of probation for obstructing the investigation by destroying computer records from jail. The victim's health decline in 2015 enabled the Doughertys to gain control of her finances and ultimately purchase her ranch for less than half its assessed market value without her knowledge or consent.
housingwire.com
· 2025-12-08
The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection released consumer awareness tips for National Senior Citizens Day warning older adults about reverse mortgage scams, where fraudsters pose as lenders to pressure seniors into signing poorly explained contracts without allowing them to consult trusted advisors or review documentation. Legitimate reverse mortgage professionals encourage clients to seek second opinions and comply with mandatory HUD counseling requirements, whereas scammers discourage outside consultation and rush borrowers into decisions. The advisory recommends seniors research multiple lenders independently and consult resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before pursuing any reverse mortgage.
dos.ny.gov
· 2025-12-08
The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection released fraud prevention guidance for older adults, noting that financial exploitation is the most prevalent form of elder abuse. According to the FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Report, adults aged 60 and older lost at least $3.4 billion annually to fraud, with investment scams accounting for over $1 billion of those losses—a 38% increase from 2022. The agency advises seniors to recognize red flags in investment and reverse mortgage scams, conduct independent research before committing funds, and avoid unsolicited financial contacts.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
A GOBankingRates survey of over 1,100 Americans found that nearly 40% reported being victims of identity theft, financial fraud, or financial scams. The article identifies 14 common scam types affecting Americans, including phone scams (17% of victims), money transfer scams (12%), online shopping fraud, phishing, imposter scams, Social Security scams, debt collection scams, romance scams, and tax scams, along with practical prevention tips for each. No specific dollar loss amounts are provided, but the survey emphasizes that scams are widespread and offer guidance on how to protect oneself from each type.
freep.com
· 2025-12-08
Metro Detroit police report a surge in scam schemes targeting residents, in which perpetrators impersonate government agencies, tech support, or financial institutions to convince victims to withdraw large sums of cash or cryptocurrency. Victims are instructed to either hand cash to "couriers" or deposit funds into bitcoin ATMs, with one Northville Township woman in her 70s losing $300,000 through a combination of cash, bitcoin, and gold bars in summer 2024. Scammers keep victims on the phone to prevent them from seeking help and often direct them to multiple banks to avoid suspicion.
foreignaffairs.co.nz
· 2025-12-08
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theitem.com
· 2025-12-08
An 83-year-old Maryland woman named Mae fell victim to a tech support scam when a fake Apple alert prompted her to contact fraudsters posing as Apple and bank employees, who ultimately convinced her to purchase gift cards totaling thousands of dollars over a 10-hour period. The case illustrates a broader problem: an estimated $8 billion is stolen annually from seniors age 60 and older through fraud, with gift cards increasingly becoming the payment method of choice for criminals because they lack consumer protections afforded to credit and debit cards. Federal regulators have failed to adequately protect consumers from gift card fraud despite it being a growing problem, while technology companies and retailers benefit financially from these crimes due to
upi.com
· 2025-12-08
An 83-year-old Maryland woman named Mae fell victim to tech support fraud after clicking a malicious link on her frozen laptop, leading fraudsters to convince her to purchase gift cards worth thousands of dollars over a 10-hour period. The case illustrates a broader problem: an estimated $8 billion is stolen annually from seniors age 60 and older through fraud, with gift cards increasingly becoming the preferred payment method for criminals due to minimal consumer protections and difficulty in tracing funds. Federal regulators have failed to provide gift cards with the same protections as credit and debit cards, while retailers, technology companies, and fraudsters all profit from the scheme at victims' expense.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
An 83-year-old Maryland resident named Mae fell victim to a tech support scam that ultimately resulted in fraudsters convincing her to purchase gift cards as payment. The article documents how gift card fraud has become a leading payment method in elder fraud schemes, with an estimated $8 billion stolen annually from seniors age 60 and older, yet federal regulators have failed to implement consumer protections for gift cards comparable to those for credit and debit cards. The investigation reveals that while fraudsters, gift card companies, and retailers profit from these schemes, the privately-held technology companies managing the gift card infrastructure are best positioned to prevent fraud but lack legal requirements to do so.
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
The Local Office on Aging in Roanoke, Virginia advises seniors to protect themselves from cyber scams and identity theft by staying informed about their finances, recognizing common scam tactics, and safeguarding personal information. The organization is hosting a free Senior Legal Safety Conference on September 20 featuring presentations on fraud prevention and legal protections for older adults.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
New York's Department of Consumer Protection issued guidance for National Senior Citizens Day warning older adults about reverse mortgage scams, advising that fraudsters may impersonate legitimate lenders, pressure clients to sign contracts without full disclosure, and discourage consultation with financial advisers or family members. The bulletin emphasizes that legitimate reverse mortgage professionals encourage borrowers to seek multiple opinions and conduct thorough research, and notes that federal law requires mandatory counseling for FHA-backed mortgages to protect consumers.
columbuscountynews.com
· 2025-12-08
Federal investigators in North Carolina seized approximately $5 million in cryptocurrency tied to a "pig butchering" scam, in which criminals pose as romantic partners to build trust with victims before directing them to fake cryptocurrency trading platforms. The scammers promised high investment returns on these fraudulent platforms, then prevented victims from withdrawing funds and demanded additional payments for supposed taxes and penalties. The FBI traced victim funds through multiple cryptocurrency wallets used to launder the proceeds, with one victim losing an entire individual retirement account to the scheme.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman applying for an internship as an influencer manager through Internshala was nearly scammed by a fake company that promised a ₹15,000 stipend but provided minimal work and later requested a registration fee. When she verified the company's details, she discovered the business address and GST number did not exist, and the owner subsequently blocked her. The incident highlights how students seeking internship opportunities are vulnerable to employment scams that use legitimate-looking job platforms to target applicants.
doj.state.or.us
· 2025-12-08
Registered Nurse Phyllis Dodds pleaded guilty to felony Criminal Mistreatment in the First Degree for failing to provide nursing care to three residents at Pacifica Senior Living in Klamath Falls, Oregon, including failing to complete critical assessments and follow-up medical treatment that resulted in one patient's death in January 2022. As part of her plea agreement, Dodds surrendered her nursing license, received three years of supervised probation, 150 hours of community service, and was prohibited from working as a paid caregiver. The Oregon Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Unit, working with local law enforcement and Adult Protective Services, has prosecut
foreignaffairs.co.nz
· 2025-12-08
I cannot provide a summary of elder fraud, scams, or abuse from this content. The text appears to be only a website header, navigation menu, and legal disclaimer from ForeignAffairs.co.nz—it contains no article content, transcript, or information about fraud or elder abuse. Please provide the actual article or transcript you'd like summarized.
forbesafrica.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud losses exceeded $3.4 billion in 2023, representing an 11% increase from the previous year, with scammers increasingly employing long-term relationship-building tactics rather than quick schemes targeting seniors aged 60 and older. Beyond elder fraud, the IRS has initiated over 460 criminal investigations into Employee Retention Credit (ERC) abuse, including a case where a preparer filed over $124 million in false claims, while also offering a second voluntary disclosure program through November 2024 for businesses to repay incorrectly claimed credits at 85% of the amount received.
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-08
An 83-year-old Maryland woman named Mae fell victim to tech support fraud when she clicked a malicious link claiming to be from Apple, leading scammers posing as tech support and bank fraud personnel to convince her to purchase gift cards totaling thousands of dollars over a 10-hour period. The case illustrates a larger problem: an estimated $8 billion is stolen annually from seniors age 60 and older through stranger fraud, with gift cards increasingly becoming the preferred payment method for scammers because they lack consumer protections afforded to credit and debit cards and are easily converted to untraceable purchases or resold on dark web marketplaces. The investigation reveals that federal regulators have consistently
weku.org
· 2025-12-08
An international study revealed big banks lost hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud, with checks identified as the number one threat to the financial sector. Central Bank Senior Vice President Shane Ensminger explained that organized criminals use stolen blank checks and counterfeit checks, sometimes recruiting homeless individuals to cash them, and recently stole checks from approximately 150 homes in Lexington's higher-income neighborhoods. He advised that only 25% of individual customers report fraud losses and recommended using chip-enabled cards, avoiding cellphone payments to strangers, and watching for red flags at financial institutions.
liherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Nassau County police arrested two Bronx men in July 2024 after they attempted to scam a 73-year-old East Meadow resident by falsely claiming his bank account was compromised; the investigation revealed they were responsible for numerous additional scams. The county is warning residents about prevalent scams including home improvement fraud, fake relative arrest schemes, Social Security and IRS impersonation scams, lottery fraud, and computer remote access scams, which collectively cost victims thousands of dollars. Officials urge residents, particularly seniors, to remain vigilant, verify caller identities, avoid unsolicited services, and report suspected scams to authorities immediately.
rockislandtoday.com
· 2025-12-08
State Representative Dan Swanson reported on a community scam awareness event held in Alpha, Illinois, organized in collaboration with Farmers State Bank, the Illinois Attorney General's office, and local sheriffs to educate residents—particularly seniors—about various fraud schemes ranging from local to international operations. Swanson emphasized that awareness and simple precautions, such as avoiding unknown calls and protecting personal information, are the best defenses against becoming a scam victim. Additionally, an upcoming senior and veterans fair was announced for September 9 in Macomb to provide health screenings and information from senior service agencies.
irs.gov
· 2025-12-08
James Dougherty of Boise was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for wire fraud after systematically defrauding an elderly retired schoolteacher of her 46-acre ranch and over $250,000 through a scheme involving gaining power of attorney, establishing a fraudulent trust, and selling the property to himself at below-market value. His wife, Jessica Dougherty, received three years of probation for obstruction of justice after destroying evidence on a computer while in custody. The victim, whose health had deteriorated, lost control of her finances and real property between 2015 and 2017 when the Doughertys fraudulently transferre
news5cleveland.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Akron senior citizens—a 75-year-old and a 74-year-old—were defrauded of a combined $156,000 in an online scam that escalated to in-person theft. Scammers used fake pop-up warnings claiming hacked accounts and impersonated Microsoft and federal agencies to convince the victims to withdraw cash and hand it over to couriers who appeared at their homes. The cases have been referred to the FBI and Cyber Task Force, with police urging residents to be cautious of unsolicited demands for large cash payments and to report suspected fraud immediately.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece explains why telephone scams disproportionately target seniors over 60, accounting for more than 25 percent of fraud reported by this age group compared to less than 10 percent for those under 60. Scammers exploit seniors' ingrained etiquette behaviors (answering phones politely when they ring) and the telephone's familiarity as a lifelong communication device. The article provides practical defense tactics including not answering unknown calls, questioning callers, verifying government contact through independent channels, and recognizes that despite 2019 legislation requiring "Possible Scam" caller ID warnings, fraudulent calls remain difficult to stop due to provider circumvention of rules
securityboulevard.com
· 2025-12-08
Kansas bank CEO Shan Hanes was sentenced to 24 years in prison for embezzling $47.1 million through wire transfers to cryptocurrency wallets as part of a "pig butchering" scam in which he was the victim-turned-perpetrator. His actions directly caused Heartland Tri-State Bank to collapse, resulting in $9 million in losses to investors, with the FDIC absorbing the remaining $47.1 million. Hanes circumvented internal banking controls with the help of employees to facilitate the fraudulent transfers between May and June 2023.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Portland woman fell victim to a romance scam after matching with someone on Tinder who posed as "Barton Nathan" and convinced her to send over $40,000 under the guise of needing money for visa fees, medical emergencies, and legal costs. The scammer used emotional manipulation and false promises of meeting in person to extract funds over several months before the victim realized the relationship was fraudulent. Romance scams resulted in over $1.14 billion in reported losses across more than 64,000 cases in 2023, making them the costliest type of online fraud despite being significantly underreported due to victim shame.
androidauthority.com
· 2025-12-08
Phone scams are increasingly sophisticated and cost US consumers $2.7 billion in reported losses in 2023 alone, with numbers rising annually. The article identifies 12 common phone and text scams including the "loved one in need" (grandparent scam), government impersonation (FBI/IRS), and other fraudulent schemes that exploit emotional pressure and official-sounding tactics. Key prevention strategies include verifying caller identity through alternative contact methods, refusing to send money to unknown callers, and being skeptical of urgent payment demands, especially via wire transfers or gift cards.
abc7news.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI launched a new public awareness campaign called "Take a Beat" to educate the public about major fraud schemes, including impersonation scams (posing as banks or law enforcement), cryptocurrency investment fraud, grandparent scams using AI voice cloning, and recovery scams targeting previous fraud victims. One Bay Area victim lost $950 to a scammer impersonating a Citibank employee, illustrating how fraudsters exploit emotional urgency and personal information to manipulate victims into sending money or revealing passwords.
abccolumbia.com
· 2025-12-08
South Carolina cybersecurity experts and state leaders convened at an inaugural conference in West Columbia to address growing online security threats to the state's critical infrastructure, including energy, water, and government systems. The SC Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity organization, operating within SLED, provides threat prevention and recovery services while emphasizing the importance of law enforcement staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals. State officials recommend citizens utilize the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and participate in cybersecurity awareness training to protect themselves against fraud and cyber attacks.
myleaderpaper.com
· 2025-12-08
Austin James, a 27-year-old contractor from Hillsboro, was sentenced to five years' probation, 90 days of house arrest, and ordered to repay $94,606 for his role in financially exploiting an 80-year-old St. Louis woman. James and accomplice Gino Rives convinced the elderly homeowner to write checks totaling over $550,000 for home renovations that were actually worth only $50,000, with James receiving eight checks for work he never performed. Rives, the scheme's primary perpetrator, was separately sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to repay over $1 million to elder