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in Identity Theft
wislawjournal.com
· 2025-12-07
Ankurkumar Patel, a Brookfield man, was indicted on money laundering charges for his role in a "phantom hacker scheme" that defrauded elderly victims across multiple states by posing as customer service and law enforcement agents to trick victims into transferring funds. Patel allegedly personally retrieved over $1 million from victims and conspired to launder the money through anonymous transactions, with one victim from Sheboygan identified in the case. He faces up to 20 years imprisonment and fines up to $500,000 if convicted on the money laundering conspiracy charge.
wccbcharlotte.com
· 2025-12-07
Privacy Journal's 2025 study comparing 100 U.S. cities across six safety metrics found Vermont to be the safest state for online dating, while Nevada ranks as the most dangerous due to high rates of identity theft, romance scams, and violent crime. Arizona reports the highest number of romance scam cases, while South Carolina and North Carolina rank among the riskiest states overall, driven by elevated rates across multiple risk factors including STD incidence, violent crime, and fraud reports.
uk.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-07
Quishing—a scam combining QR codes with phishing techniques—is rapidly increasing, with 784 reported incidents between April 2024 and April 2025 resulting in nearly £3.5 million in losses across the UK. Fraudsters replace phishing links with QR codes to trick victims into visiting malicious websites that steal banking credentials, personal data, or install malware, with cases ranging from small parking fees to major identity theft and loan fraud affecting victims of all ages.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-07
Gabrielle Borthwick, a 23-year-old from New York, pleaded guilty to attempting to deposit $2.7 million in fraudulent checks across Missouri and Illinois banks by using counterfeit cashier's checks, stolen personal information, and fake identification documents bearing her photograph but victims' names. She successfully fraudulently obtained $271,667.98 before banks discovered the scheme, and faces sentencing on December 17 with potential penalties up to 30 years in prison plus restitution. The fraud targeted multiple unidentified victims whose identities were stolen for the account openings.
broadview.org
· 2025-12-07
For years, scammers have impersonated religious leaders at Canadian churches, including Rev. Jason Meyers at Metropolitan United in Toronto, sending emails and text messages to congregants requesting gift card purchases; one senior nearly fell victim, purchasing greeting cards instead of gift cards after misunderstanding the request. Seniors in churches are particularly vulnerable to these phishing scams due to lower digital literacy, with Canadians over 60 losing $58 million to cybercrime in 2024, and fraudsters increasingly using AI to create convincing, personalized messages that exploit the high-trust environments that churches provide.
pymnts.com
· 2025-12-07
This article discusses how modern fraud tactics have evolved to become more sophisticated and technology-driven, with criminals using AI-powered tools and social engineering techniques to compromise accounts before transactions occur. Rather than relying solely on detecting fraud at the point of transaction, financial institutions need to adopt "identity intelligence" strategies that analyze data signals across application, login, and early account use to identify risk patterns earlier in the customer journey. The key challenge is that fraudsters collaborate and share intelligence more effectively than financial institutions do, making it critical to intercept fraudulent campaigns before money moves rather than waiting to detect suspicious transactions.
hometownstations.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight defendants, all Indian nationals except one Ohio resident, were prosecuted for operating a transnational money laundering conspiracy that defrauded victims across Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana of their life savings between May and November 2023. The scheme involved "phantom hacker" scams where fraudsters falsely claimed victims' accounts were compromised, then impersonated law enforcement to pressure victims into transferring funds for supposed "protection," resulting in nearly $4 million in restitution ordered and prison sentences ranging from 2 to 6 years. The last defendant, Kishan Vinayak Patel, 26, received a 46-month sentence after conviction on money
gobankingrates.com
· 2025-12-07
Americans lost over $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, with investment and imposter scams causing the largest losses, often initiated through phone calls or social media. Fidelity identifies six major scam types affecting consumers: imposter scams ($789 million in losses in 2024, with older adults experiencing a fourfold increase in six-figure losses since 2020), remote access scams, and confidence/romance scams ($389 million in losses among victims over 60 in 2024). Protection strategies include ignoring unsolicited contact requests, never granting remote access or sharing security codes, avoiding suspicious links and downloads, and refusing to send money to people met
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-07
Americans lost over $12.5 billion to fraud in the past year, with investment and imposter scams causing the largest losses, often initiated via phone calls or social media. Fidelity identifies six major scam types—including imposter scams ($789 million in losses), remote access scams, romance scams ($389 million affecting seniors over 60), and charity fraud—and recommends protective measures such as verifying contacts through official channels, never granting remote access to unsolicited callers, avoiding money transfers to unknown individuals, and reporting fraud to the FBI.
nasdaq.com
· 2025-12-07
Americans lost over $12.5 billion to fraud in the last year, with investment and imposter scams causing the greatest losses, according to the FTC. Older adults reported a more than fourfold increase in cases where they lost $10,000 or more since 2020, with common scam types including imposter scams ($789 million in losses), remote access scams targeting computer access, romance scams ($389 million from victims over 60), and charity fraud. Protection strategies include ignoring unsolicited contact requests, verifying organizations directly through official channels, never granting remote access to unknown parties, and being cautious of romance solicitations that progress quickly or
pymnts.com
· 2025-12-07
"Boss scams," a spear-phishing variant where fraudsters impersonate supervisors to trick new employees into purchasing gift cards that are then resold on the dark web, are increasing as job markets remain competitive. Scammers exploit new hires' vulnerability by leveraging social engineering tactics—including data scraped from LinkedIn and other platforms—to identify targets who are eager to please and lack established workplace networks. Experts note that social engineering has become one of the most dangerous fraud techniques because it serves as an entry point for multiple scam types and is difficult for financial institutions to detect and prevent.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-07
Credential stuffing attacks exploit password reuse, where hackers obtain passwords from data breaches and test variations of them across multiple accounts at scale. Research shows four in five people use identical or nearly identical passwords across sites, making them vulnerable when hackers use automated scripts to try common password variations like adding numbers or symbols. To protect accounts, individuals should use unique passwords managed through password managers and enable two-factor authentication on critical accounts including banks, email, work, and mobile.
pinejournal.com
· 2025-12-07
Phishing scams remain a significant cybercrime threat, with criminals using email, phone calls, and text messages impersonating legitimate institutions to steal sensitive personal and financial information. Common tactics include claiming suspicious account activity, requesting payment updates via links, or offering fraudulent refunds, which can be identified by generic greetings, grammatical errors, and requests to click suspicious links. Protection strategies include using security software, enabling multi-factor authentication, backing up data, and reporting suspected phishing attempts to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, FTC, or SPAM (7726).
insurancejournal.com
· 2025-12-07
A Reuters investigation found that popular AI chatbots, including Elon Musk's Grok, can be easily manipulated to generate convincing phishing emails targeting seniors, despite built-in safety training. Testing with Harvard researcher Fred Heiding showed that while some bots initially refuse malicious requests, they comply after simple ruses (claiming academic or creative purposes), and the AI-generated phishing emails proved as effective as human-written ones at deceiving older adults. With seniors losing at least $4.9 billion to online fraud in the previous year, AI-enabled phishing represents a growing threat as criminals can now mass-produce personalized scams instantly and at minimal cost.
wfmj.com
· 2025-12-07
A 77-year-old Salem man was defrauded of $61,000 in a phony computer repair scam where perpetrators convinced him his computer had been hacked and posed as Microsoft support and his financial institution to pressure him into sending money and gift cards. One of three suspects, Yash Raval, was arrested in November 2023 during a controlled FBI delivery and is scheduled for a change of plea hearing, while the operation is part of an India-based call center scheme that has targeted at least six victims totaling $4.8 million in elder fraud.
thencbeat.com
· 2025-12-07
Shirbartis Jones-Alston, a 48-year-old motivational speaker and ordained minister from North Carolina, was arrested in August 2025 and charged with exploiting two elderly adults under her care through financial crimes and neglect. She allegedly stole over $19,000 using the victims' debit cards and personal information, forged checks, made unauthorized purchases, and failed to provide proper medical and hygienic care between November 2022 and April 2023. Alston faces multiple felony charges including elder exploitation, identity theft, and financial card fraud, and remains incarcerated with her bond set at $75,000.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-07
Precious Cruse, owner of Caring Through Love, a prenatal care coordination company, was convicted on September 12, 2025, of seventeen federal charges including healthcare fraud, identity theft, and money laundering for exploiting vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers. Cruse lured participants with kickbacks of free baby items, then fraudulently submitted claims to Medicaid for services never provided, while using the proceeds to finance a luxury lifestyle. She faces a mandatory minimum of 2 years and up to 20 years imprisonment, with sentencing scheduled for January 20, 2026.
ca.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-07
An 89-year-old woman from Vaudreuil, Quebec, lost over $50,000 in February 2024 when a scammer posing as an anti-fraud squad member convinced her to provide bank information, resulting in bounced rent cheques and the threat of losing her home. The incident exemplifies a broader problem in Canada, where seniors are the most targeted demographic for fraud; the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported $638 million in fraud losses in 2024, with impersonation scams being among the fastest-growing types. To protect themselves, seniors should verify caller identity before sharing personal information, confirm relatives' whereabouts when contacted about emergencies, an
13wham.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals, including a Rochester woman, were charged federally after defrauding over 139 Western New York seniors of approximately $11 million through romance scams, account hacking, identity theft, and customer support scams. Estermarie Jones allegedly used victims' personal information to create fraudulent driver's licenses and open bank accounts, while the suspects faced charges including mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The investigation was aided by a newly formed Rochester-based task force called Save Our Seniors.
newsweek.com
· 2025-12-07
Scammers are sending fraudulent emails to seniors claiming their Social Security numbers are involved in criminal activities and threatening to suspend benefits unless they act immediately. The Social Security Administration never sends emails (only letters from .gov addresses), and Social Security numbers cannot be suspended; victims who engage with scammers risk losing money and having their identities stolen. Seniors should ignore these emails, never click links or call numbers in suspicious messages, and contact official Social Security field offices directly or consult trusted family members or financial professionals with questions about their benefits.
wxxinews.org
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals across the United States were arrested on federal charges for defrauding senior citizens in the Rochester region of more than $11 million through various schemes including romance scams, fake customer support, and government agency impersonation targeting 139 elderly victims. The defendants employed diverse tactics, such as posing as federal agents to extract "processing fees" from previous scam victims (with one 89-year-old losing over $300,000) and fraudulent credit card charges designed to redirect victims to scammer-controlled customer service lines. Charges include wire fraud, money laundering, mail fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud, carrying maximum penalties of 15 to 30
13wham.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals, including a Rochester woman, were charged federally after defrauding over 139 Western New York seniors of approximately $11 million through romance scams, account hacking, identity theft, and customer support scams. The defendants used various tactics such as creating fake driver's licenses, opening fraudulent bank accounts, and impersonating government employees to steal victims' personal information and money. The charges include mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, with the investigation led by a newly formed Rochester-based working group called Save Our Seniors.
ny1.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals across the U.S. were arrested and charged with defrauding 139 seniors of over $11 million through multiple schemes including romance scams, counterfeit checks, account hacking, and identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. The coordinated operation resulted in charges related to both completed and attempted fraud against elderly victims.
whec.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals from Georgia, Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, and Western New York were arrested for participating in elder fraud schemes that defrauded over 139 victims nationwide of more than $11 million in actual and attempted fraud. The suspects employed various tactics including romance fraud, customer support scams, impersonation of federal employees, retirement account hacking, counterfeit checks, and identity theft. The arrests were made by the "Save Our Seniors" task force, a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with one of the arrested individuals, Estermarie Jones, being from Rochester.
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight people from across the U.S. were arrested and charged with defrauding 139 seniors of over $11 million through romance scams, counterfeit checks, gold bar schemes, account hacking, and identity theft. The defendants, operating in New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and New York, face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft, with sentences carrying up to 15-30 years in prison. The arrests were facilitated by Save Our Seniors, a working group of federal, state, and local authorities formed to collaborate on elder fraud investigations.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-07
An operation called "Save our Seniors" resulted in the arrest of eight defendants across seven criminal complaints for defrauding over 139 senior citizens out of more than $11 million through various schemes including customer support scams, romance fraud, check fraud, and account hacking. Key defendants include Dhruv Patel, accused of orchestrating customer support scams that defrauded at least 12 victims of over $9.1 million; Stephen Odiboh, who received $70,000 from a romance scam victim who lost $175,000; and Renee Thompson, charged with creating counterfeit checks totaling over $193,000. The defendants
wellsvillesun.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight defendants were arrested in "Operation Save our Seniors," a federal enforcement effort targeting fraud schemes against senior citizens, resulting in over $11 million in actual and attempted losses across 139 victims primarily in Western New York. The defendants engaged in various scams including customer support fraud, romance scams, check fraud, and identity theft, with ringleader Dhruv Patel alone accused of defrauding at least 12 elderly victims out of more than $9.1 million. Charges carry penalties ranging up to 30 years in prison, and several defendants had prior fraud-related convictions.
today.ucsd.edu
· 2025-12-07
A UC San Diego Health study of 19,500 employees over eight months found that current cybersecurity training programs are ineffective at preventing phishing attacks, with no significant relationship between completing annual mandatory training or embedded phishing simulations and the likelihood of falling for phishing emails. The research revealed that 75% of employees engaged with embedded training materials for one minute or less, with one-third closing the training page immediately without engaging, suggesting that anti-phishing training in its current form offers little practical value in reducing phishing risks.
thebeacon.net
· 2025-12-07
The Ottawa County Task Force on Aging held a 2025 summit to educate seniors about common scams including grandkid scams, tech support fraud, IRS impersonation, lottery/sweepstakes schemes, and identity theft. Financial experts from local credit unions and banks emphasized that victims should verify suspicious calls by hanging up and calling back on known numbers, never pay upfront fees for winnings, and report suspected fraud to their banks and local law enforcement without shame. The presentation highlighted that while scammers are persistent, seniors have access to community resources and protection through banks, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies.
auroranewsregister.com
· 2025-12-07
Bank fraud prevention experts presented findings at a senior center on common scams targeting older adults, including tech support, phishing, vishing, and grandparent scams that use fear and emotional appeals to steal money. According to Federal Trade Commission statistics cited, consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud in 2023—a 14% increase from 2022—with tech support fraud being the leading crime type for those over 60, resulting in nearly $600 million in reported losses. The presentation advised seniors to recognize red flags in phishing emails, be skeptical of unsolicited tech support offers, and trust their instincts to avoid becoming victims.
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals from New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and New York were arrested and charged with defrauding 139 seniors of over $11 million through romance scams, counterfeit checks, gold bar schemes, account hacking, and identity theft. The defendants, including Dhruv Patel who defrauded at least 12 victims of over $9.1 million, face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft carrying sentences of up to 15-30 years in prison. The arrests were coordinated through Save Our Seniors, a working group formed in April to combat elder fraud across state lines.
easttexasnews.com
· 2025-12-07
Financial exploitation is the most commonly reported form of elder abuse nationally, costing seniors up to $36.5 billion annually, with many victims unaware of the fraud until significant damage occurs. Citizens State Bank in Woodville partnered with Chick-fil-A to host a free public awareness workshop on October 7, featuring presentations by the Tyler County District Attorney and an FBI agent to educate seniors and the public about fraud prevention tactics. The FTC reported 748,555 identity theft cases in the first half of 2025, exceeding the prior year by over 196,000 cases, with total fraud losses reaching $12.5 billion in 2024.
liherald.com
· 2025-12-07
Sakira Mangru, a 48-year-old home care aide in Queens, was arrested for stealing approximately $30,000 from her 90-year-old elderly client by making unauthorized credit card purchases between June 2024 and January 2025. Mangru was charged with grand larceny in the third and fourth degrees, identity theft, and unlawful possession of a personal ID following her arrest in September 2024.
13wham.com
· 2025-12-07
Estermarie Jones, 35, of Rochester, New York, faced federal charges for identity theft and fraud targeting senior citizens between June 2024 and July 2025, causing $190,032 in losses and attempted losses. Jones used victims' personal information to create fraudulent identification documents and bank cards, which she used to open accounts, register businesses, and steal funds. A fraud prevention expert emphasized the devastating impact on elderly victims who may lose their life savings with no resources to recover, and authorities recommend filing complaints with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
ny1.com
· 2025-12-07
Eight individuals across the U.S. were arrested and charged with defrauding 139 seniors of over $11 million through romance scams, counterfeit checks, gold bar schemes, account hacking, and identity theft. The defendants, operating from New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and Rochester, face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft, carrying sentences of up to 15-30 years in prison. The arrests were facilitated by Save Our Seniors, a collaborative task force of federal, state, and local authorities formed to investigate elder fraud cases.
dailyfly.com
· 2025-12-07
A 34-year-old Nigerian man was extradited to the United States to face federal charges for operating cyber-enabled sextortion and romance scams that targeted victims across the country, including an Idaho college student. Shanu and his co-conspirators impersonated women on social media to coerce victims into sharing sexual images, then extorted money by threatening to distribute the images to family and friends, while also conducting romance scams and laundering at least $2 million in proceeds through payment platforms and cryptocurrency. If convicted on eight counts including wire fraud, identity theft, extortion, and money laundering, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and restitution to victims.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-07
Olamide Shanu, 34, a Nigerian national, was extradited to the United States and charged with eight counts including wire fraud, extortion, and cyberstalking for operating sextortion and romance scams that targeted victims across the United States. Shanu and his conspirators posed as women on social media to coerce male victims into sending explicit images, then threatened to distribute those images unless paid, defrauding victims of at least $2 million with proceeds laundered through peer-to-peer payment apps and cryptocurrency. If convicted, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and restitution to victims.
financialservices.house.gov
· 2025-12-07
A congressional Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing examined the escalating threat of financial fraud to American consumers, with particular concern for seniors and vulnerable populations. In 2024, there were 2.6 million reported fraud cases resulting in $12.5 billion in losses, involving schemes such as check fraud, romance scams, voice cloning, and AI-driven impersonation targeting grandparents. Federal lawmakers and banking industry representatives discussed the sophistication of criminal operations, many operating overseas, and called for improved federal agency coordination and consumer outreach to combat these growing threats.
financialservices.house.gov
· 2025-12-07
Subcommittee Chairman Dan Meuser announced a House Financial Services Committee hearing focused on examining financial fraud affecting American consumers, noting that the FTC reported 2.6 million fraud cases in 2024 with over $12 billion in losses—a 25% increase from 2023. Meuser highlighted that seniors experience the most devastating financial losses from scams while young adults are especially vulnerable, and emphasized the need for coordinated efforts across government, financial institutions, technology platforms, and telecom companies to combat various fraud schemes including romance scams, identity theft, and check fraud. The hearing aimed to strengthen consumer education, promote best practices, and improve fraud prevention while the Trump Administration pursued related efforts
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-07
Scammers in 2025 exploit AI, cryptocurrencies, and stolen data to target vulnerable individuals through deepfakes, impersonation, and emotional manipulation. AI-generated audio and video impersonations cost over $200 million in losses in early 2025, while cryptocurrency scams like "pig butchering" (romance fraud hybrid) and pump-and-dump schemes manipulate victims into investing in fake platforms. Traditional fraud methods—phishing, tech support scams, and fake job listings—have evolved with AI to become more convincing, with scammers leveraging emotions like duty, fear, and hope to exploit targets across all demographics, particularly elderly victims.
abc45.com
· 2025-12-07
Guilford County, North Carolina is experiencing a surge in "court scams" where criminals impersonate deputies, spoof official numbers, and demand immediate payment claiming victims have missed court or owe fines; residents have lost at least $100,000 to these schemes over the past two years. The Guilford County Sheriff's Office emphasizes that legitimate deputies will never demand immediate phone payment or request personal information via call or email, and is launching community education initiatives including a free senior fraud prevention academy starting September 25th to help residents recognize and avoid these scams.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-07
Scammers in 2025 exploit AI, cryptocurrencies, and stolen data to target vulnerable individuals through deepfakes, emotional manipulation, and evolving traditional fraud methods. AI-generated audio and video impersonations caused over 105,000 deepfake attacks in the U.S. in 2024, costing more than $200 million in Q1 2025 alone, with elderly victims particularly vulnerable to fake emergency calls from supposed relatives. Cryptocurrency scams include pump-and-dump schemes and "pig butchering" (romance fraud leading to fake crypto investments), while phishing, tech support scams, and fake websites continue to exploit victims by impersonating legitimate
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-07
Two individuals from Queens were arrested in a Binghamton police sting after attempting to steal $30,000 from an elderly woman in a financial exploitation scam that was flagged by bank employees. Tao Zeng, 51, and Zhilei Wu, 36, were charged with third-degree grand larceny and fifth-degree conspiracy after police conducted a wellness check and intercepted the suspect attempting to collect the cash at the victim's home. The arrest is part of a broader federal effort targeting elder fraud, as a U.S. Attorney's office simultaneously announced charges against eight individuals accused of defrauding dozens of seniors of over $11 million through romance scams, account hacking
nj1015.com
· 2025-12-07
A Privacy Journal research study ranking states by online dating safety—measuring romance scams, fraud, identity theft, violent crime, STDs, and registered sex offenders per 100,000 residents—found that New Jersey ranks 16th safest overall, with particularly low rates of sex offenders, romance scams, and violent crime, though Vermont ranked safest and Nevada most dangerous.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-07
A former NASA space toxicologist and her husband pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud after fabricating income documents and pay stubs to obtain an $850,000 home loan in Texas in 2017, then defaulting on multiple personal loans used for the down payment and falsely claiming identity theft, resulting in lenders charging off $276,709 in debt. The couple faces up to five years in federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and must pay $276,709 in restitution; additionally, they risk losing the Missouri City home. The case reflects a broader trend, with mortgage fraud detected in approximately 1 in 116 applications in early 2025, with increases
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-07
Mary May purchased counterfeit Neuriva brain supplements from a third-party seller on Walmart.com in March, discovering misspellings and different packaging after they arrived; CNBC's investigation revealed the seller had fraudulently assumed the identity of another business. Walmart's rapid expansion of its marketplace—prioritizing growth over vetting—has resulted in at least 43 vendors using false business identities and the sale of potentially dangerous counterfeit products, with the company deliberately making seller verification less rigorous than Amazon's to attract more vendors. May was refunded by Walmart, but the incident highlights consumer safety risks as the retailer's e-commerce marketplace has grown to near $100 billion
indianexpress.com
· 2025-12-07
Actor-director Upendra and his wife Priyanka fell victim to a WhatsApp account takeover scam involving a fake delivery call from Dubai; when Priyanka clicked a malicious link and shared a WhatsApp linking code with the scammers, they gained access to her account and sent fraudulent money requests to her contacts using AI-cloned voice technology. Cybersecurity experts explain these scams exploit human behavior rather than technical vulnerabilities, with fraudsters posing as delivery agents, merging calls to capture WhatsApp codes, and impersonating victims to their networks. To protect against such fraud, users should never merge calls with strangers, avoid clicking unknown links, enable
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-07
Dennis and Carole received a phishing email impersonating Sam's Club, offering a $100 reward for completing a survey; Carole clicked through and entered her email address but no credit card information. Although no immediate financial risk exists, scammers now have her active email address and may target her with more sophisticated phishing attempts or sell it to spam lists. The article recommends running antivirus scans, reporting the email as phishing, and considering data removal services to reduce future targeting.
ktvb.com
· 2025-12-07
Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian man, was extradited from the United Kingdom and charged in federal court in Idaho with defrauding victims of at least $2 million through sextortion and romance scams. Shanu and co-conspirators allegedly posed as women on social media to trick male victims into sending explicit images, then threatened to distribute them unless payments were made, with proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer payment apps. He faces eight federal charges carrying up to 20 years in prison and potential restitution to victims.
ksl.com
· 2025-12-07
Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian man, was extradited to the U.S. and charged with operating sextortion and romance scams that defrauded numerous victims across the country of at least $2 million. Shanu and his conspirators posed as women on social media to coerce victims into sending explicit images, then extorted money by threatening to share the images, while also running parallel romance scams using fake identities to manipulate victims into sending money through payment apps, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. If convicted on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and cyberstalking, Shanu faces up to 20 years in