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A 70-year-old Port Richey, Florida man lost approximately $22,000 to a romance scam involving an AI-generated woman named "Bonnie" who claimed to be working in Australia; the scammers were traced to Nigeria and used Facebook messages and videos to build trust before convincing him to take out loans, wire money, and send Bitcoin. Cruz now faces potential bankruptcy and the risk of losing his home as his bank demands repayment, though he is sharing his story to warn other seniors. The case highlights Florida's ranking as the second-highest state for elder fraud in 2023, with only one in five victims reporting such crimes and a 40% increase in reports over the past

The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint against $868,247 in Tether cryptocurrency that was allegedly stolen through investment scams operated by the LME Crypto Group, which impersonated the London Metal Exchange and defrauded at least four victims across DC, Texas, Illinois, and Florida between September 2022 and February 2025. The scheme involved criminals establishing trust through misdirected text messages, then directing victims to fake investment platforms that displayed false profits before locking victims out of their accounts and stealing their funds, with one victim losing $1.3 million and another losing $30,000. The FBI recovered and is forfeiting the laundered cryptocurrency funds that were transferred through

A 59-year-old caregiver, Mónica Orta, was arrested in Doral, Florida on charges of economic exploitation, credit card fraud, identity theft, and organized fraud against an 86-year-old elderly client; the victim discovered fraudulent charges at Macy's and Nordstrom totaling hundreds of dollars, plus a missing $2,500 ring, with surveillance video confirming Orta used the victim's cards at multiple stores. Orta, who had an extensive criminal history of theft dating to 2004, had been employed as the victim's caregiver since July 2025 at a private community in Doral. The case

A Cape Coral resident fell victim to a text message scam impersonating the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, claiming he owed $6.69 for a toll violation and threatening license revocation. Over 12,000 similar government impersonation scams were reported in Florida this year, resulting in losses exceeding $26 million. Authorities advise verifying such messages by contacting toll agencies directly, avoiding clicking links or sharing financial information, and reporting suspicious messages to the Federal Trade Commission.

Florida ranks second nationally in romance scam losses, with victims losing over $70 million annually to catfishing schemes where scammers build emotional trust before requesting money for emergencies or investments. The state's large retiree population, social isolation, and prevalence of online dating platforms create ideal conditions for predators who often pose as military personnel or overseas businesspeople and are frequently based internationally, particularly in Nigeria. While Florida lacks a specific anti-catfishing statute, perpetrators can be prosecuted under existing fraud, identity theft, and cyberstalking laws, and victims are advised to report incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and verify online identities before sending money.

Logan Morrison, a certified nursing assistant at Dayspring Senior Living LLC in Hilliard, Florida, was arrested on August 28, 2025, for one count of abuse of a disabled adult after allegedly grabbing and shoving a disabled resident to the ground. The arrest was made by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.

Sarah's widowed father lost $80,000-$90,000 in retirement savings to a romance scam and additional cryptocurrency scams over five years, forcing him to take out a home equity line of credit to cover the losses. The case highlighted the importance of setting financial boundaries within families and approaching victims with empathy rather than judgment to encourage them to seek help. According to the FBI, Americans aged 60 and older reported $4.88 billion in fraud losses in 2024—a 43% increase from 2023—with the FTC warning that impersonation scams are increasingly targeting older adults' life savings.

A Florida retiree lost approximately $90,000 in retirement savings to a romance scam and cryptocurrency scam over five years, forcing him to take out a home equity line of credit and accumulate debt. His daughter Sarah sought advice on how to help her father while protecting her own family's finances, with experts emphasizing the need for boundaries and compassionate communication. The case underscores a broader crisis: Americans aged 60 and older reported $4.88 billion in fraud losses in 2024, a 43% increase from 2023, with impersonation scams increasingly targeting older adults' life savings.

A Deltona couple, Lindsey Russo and Michael Rios, lost approximately $3,654 to a rental scam after finding a house listing online and communicating with a fraudster posing as the property owner "Jack," who collected multiple deposits and rental payments before disappearing. The scam devastated the engaged couple who were expecting a baby and hoping to establish roots in Florida. According to the Better Business Bureau, the incident highlights the importance of meeting landlords in person and verifying legitimacy before sending money to unknown parties.

A Chattanooga man lost $254,000 in a romance scam after meeting a scammer on a dating app who promised marriage and a life in Florida; he quit his job, sold his home, and showed up at the airport only to discover the ticket didn't exist and his accounts were emptied. Hamilton County investigators recovered $159,987.69 from the scammer's accounts. In a separate case, detectives recovered the full $54,000 stolen from another victim who was targeted by someone impersonating a U.S. Department of the Treasury representative demanding payment via cashier's check and gift cards.

An 85-year-old South Florida woman and her neighbor were defrauded by a father-and-son team posing as driveway repair contractors who used unsolicited door-to-door solicitation to collect $4,000 and $950 respectively, then failed to complete the work, disconnected their phone, and provided false business information. After media investigation and legal pressure, both victims received full restitution, though the perpetrators denied wrongdoing and such recoveries are rare in contractor fraud cases.

Christine Joan Echohawk, 54, of Pawnee, pleaded guilty to five felony charges for laundering approximately $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting four elderly women (ages 64-79) in Florida, Utah, and Texas between September and December 2024. One victim sold her house to send $600,000 to the scammer; Echohawk received the funds through various accounts, converted them to cryptocurrency, and sent payments to an unidentified accomplice using the alias "Maurice Dinero." She was sentenced to 62 years in prison (8 years to serve, 54 suspended) and ordered to pay $621,750 in

Florida residents lost tens of millions of dollars to romance scams in the past year, according to FTC data. Carol West, a local woman, lost $60,000 in just six weeks after falling victim to one of these schemes, sharing her experience with News 6.

Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz testified before a U.S. Senate committee that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated schemes—including AI-generated scams, cryptocurrency theft, and robocalls—to target seniors, with those over 60 losing $4.8 billion in 2023 alone and individuals aged 50-59 losing an additional $2.5 billion. The sheriff noted that most victims do not report crimes due to shame and fear, and highlighted emerging threats including condo and homeowner association fraud that particularly affects elderly homeowners in South Florida. Sen. Rick Scott introduced legislation to provide law enforcement with advanced tools to combat financial exploitation

An 84-year-old Florida man was hospitalized in August after his daughter, Pamela Reynolds, left him immobilized in a recliner for two months, resulting in severe neglect including open sores, infection, and maggots. Reynolds was charged with elder neglect and held on $10,000 bond, while her father recovered in the hospital from his injuries. The case highlights Florida's broader elder care crisis, where inadequate state funding, in-home care costs averaging $3,000 monthly, and a statewide waitlist of over 100,000 seniors create conditions where neglect and abuse can occur unchecked.

Scammers posing as grandchildren are targeting elderly individuals by claiming emergencies (car accidents, arrests, etc.) and requesting urgent money transfers; thirteen Dominican Republic nationals were recently charged with defrauding approximately 400 U.S. grandparents of nearly $5 million across Massachusetts, California, New York, Florida, and Maryland. To protect themselves, grandparents should verify callers' identities through personal questions or video calls, avoid sharing financial information over the phone, and refrain from sending money immediately even if the caller claims to be a distressed family member.

In 2024, fraud against Americans over 60 resulted in $4.8 billion in reported losses nationally, with Florida alone accounting for nearly $400 million stolen from seniors aged 60 and older, prompting a U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging field hearing in Miami-Dade County. AARP Florida testified that criminals increasingly use sophisticated transnational networks, stolen data, AI, and cryptocurrency to exploit seniors, citing cases like a man in his sixties who lost over $400,000 to cybercriminals and faced homelessness. The hearing highlighted proposed legislation including the STOP Scammers Act and GUARD Act aimed at freezing scam networks

Thirteen Dominican Republic citizens have been charged with operating a sophisticated grandparent scam that defrauded approximately 400 U.S. seniors out of $5 million by posing as their grandchildren in distress and repeatedly extracting money from victims. The victims, averaging 84 years old and located across Massachusetts, California, New York, Florida, and Maryland, were targeted with calls claiming emergencies such as car accidents or arrests, with fraudsters sometimes contacting the same victims multiple times. Nine suspects are in custody while four remain at-large, each facing conspiracy charges for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering with potential sentences up to 20 years in prison.

A transnational elder fraud ring based in the Dominican Republic was disrupted after a two-year investigation resulting in nine arrests and four additional charges, with 13 suspects identified in total. The scheme defrauded over 400 victims (average age 84) of more than $5 million across Massachusetts, Florida, California, Maryland, and New York by using bilingual callers posing as distressed grandchildren in accidents or legal trouble, followed by a "closer" impersonating an attorney, then a "runner" collecting cash via rideshare services. Alleged ringleader Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia and associates face charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering,

U.S. Senator Rick Scott, who chairs the Committee on Aging, held a roundtable in Florida to address a "growing threat" of elder fraud targeting seniors through increasingly sophisticated schemes including grandparent scams, fraudulent investments, and government imposter emails, often originating from foreign call centers. Stakeholders reported that seniors lose significant sums—including one case where a victim lost over $400,000—and often fail to report crimes due to embarrassment, while Medicare fraud alone costs tens of billions through false billing. The roundtable emphasized that awareness, prevention, stronger penalties, and coordinated efforts among banks, government, and law enforcement are essential to combat what is described as a "national crisis" an

In 2023, older adults lost nearly $62 billion to scams and fraud out of an estimated $158 billion stolen overall, according to the FTC, with victims suffering devastating consequences including loss of homes and significant health/emotional impacts. The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline received over 100,000 calls in 2024 from scam targets, with notable cases including a Florida man defrauded of $400,000 from a home sale and another victim losing $650,000 to a romance scam. Scams have become increasingly sophisticated through artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and social media, prompting AARP to urge lawmakers to strengthen frau

Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated schemes—including AI-generated scams, cryptocurrency theft, and robocalls—to target senior citizens, with losses exceeding $4.8 billion for Americans over 60 in the past year alone. The sheriff emphasized that victims often don't report scams due to shame and fear, and highlighted emerging threats including HOA fraud targeting elderly homeowners in South Florida. Law enforcement officials stressed the importance of rapid reporting to increase chances of recovering stolen funds and prosecuting criminals before they disappear and reinvent their schemes.

U.S. Senator Rick Scott held a roundtable in Florida to address the escalating threat of scams and fraud targeting seniors, highlighting common schemes including grandparent scams, fraudulent investments, and government imposter emails. Speakers emphasized that seniors lose significant sums—including one case where a victim lost over $400,000—and that many large-scale operations originate from foreign call centers, constituting a national security concern; they also noted that Medicare fraud alone costs tens of billions of dollars annually through false billing and manipulation of member numbers. The roundtable stressed that awareness, prevention, and stronger legal penalties are essential to combat this crisis, while acknowledging that embarrassment often prevents victims from reporting

The Ocala/Marion County Mobile Integrated Senior Crisis Response Team, a collaborative effort of over 20 local agencies, was presented to Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson as an effective model for addressing non-law enforcement crises affecting seniors. The team addresses issues including elder exploitation, dementia-related wandering, hoarding, and financial fraud, while reducing excessive 911 calls and avoiding service duplication. Since its organization began in 2020 by Marion Senior Services, the team has provided unified care coordination and rapid response for seniors experiencing mental health crises, exploitation, and other supportive care needs.

BreadXPay is a fraudulent fintech platform orchestrated by Joshua Sneider that targets retirees worldwide with promises of cross-border payment solutions and high investment returns (up to 10% monthly). The scam operates through shell companies registered in jurisdictions like Canada and the UK with puppet directors, funneling victim deposits through offshore accounts where they disappear; one documented case involved a 72-year-old Florida teacher who lost her $25,000 life savings after receiving fabricated account statements and being blocked from withdrawals. Elder financial abuse through schemes like this costs seniors over $28.3 billion annually globally.

A 24-year-old Tampa woman was arrested for operating a "tap-in" ATM fraud scheme via social media, in which she recruited people to allow access to their bank accounts, deposited counterfeit checks, and withdrew cash before the checks bounced. During a July 2025 search warrant, authorities recovered 117 fraudulent credit cards, card-making equipment, $6,292 in cash, and stolen financial documents from her home. The case highlights a growing social media scam trend where fraudsters lure victims with promises of quick money by offering a percentage cut, putting participants at risk of bank fraud charges and identity theft.

Senator Rick Scott led a bipartisan effort to introduce the GUARD Act, legislation designed to equip local and state law enforcement with advanced tools—including blockchain tracing technology—to investigate and combat financial scams targeting older Americans. The bill addresses a growing crisis: Americans over 60 lost $4.8 billion to scams in 2024, while those aged 50-59 lost an additional $2.5 billion, with estimates suggesting total fraud losses affecting seniors range from $28.3 billion to $137 billion annually. The legislation aims to expand federal grant programs for specialized training and improve coordination between federal and local agencies to prosecute scammers and recover stolen funds.

Two women in Florida lost a combined $210,000 in a romance scam involving AI-generated voice and video impersonating actor Keanu Reeves; the scammers made initial contact through word games like Scrabble, built romantic connections with the victims, then requested money for fabricated reasons such as divorce or cancer research, with funds ultimately sent to Bitcoin accounts in Nigeria. Authorities indicated the victims have virtually no chance of recovering their money.

U.S. Senator Ashley Moody testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about her efforts as Florida's former Attorney General to combat elder fraud, citing her establishment of the Senior Protection Team in 2019 to address civil, criminal, and health care fraud targeting seniors. Moody highlighted that while an estimated 1 in 10 seniors experience abuse, only 7% of cases reach law enforcement, and emphasized that financial scams targeting older Americans cost victims over $3.4 billion annually. She and other senators have called for coordinated federal efforts to dismantle international scam networks targeting the elderly, proposing her Florida model as a potential national approach to elder fraud prevention.

Senator Ashley Moody testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about Florida's elder abuse prevention efforts, highlighting her Senior Protection Team's success in recovering millions for fraud victims and advocating for federal support to expand these programs. She emphasized the need to identify and raise awareness about scams targeting seniors and proposed additional strategies to protect elderly Floridians from exploitation nationwide.

Technical support scams disproportionately affect elderly victims, representing approximately 60% of cases in Pima County, Arizona. A 62-year-old Green Valley man lost $53,000 after responding to a fake Bank of America text directing him to withdraw funds and mail them to Florida; authorities recovered the full amount by intercepting the packages in New Mexico. The Pima County Sheriff's Department reports 260 tech support scams out of 550 total fraud cases this year and advises residents to avoid clicking unsolicited links, never provide banking information to callers, and hang up immediately on suspected scammers before verifying any request directly with their bank.

Leon County, Florida is developing an educational program in partnership with community leaders to help seniors detect and avoid online scams while learning to use artificial intelligence safely. The initiative will offer 1.5-hour seminars at public libraries and online, addressing the growing threat of sophisticated scams that exploit seniors—who lose an average of $34,000 per incident according to FBI data. The program aims to launch in fall with a focus on digital literacy and building confidence in navigating technology in a trusted environment.

**Summary:** This PolitiFact article fact-checks California Governor Gavin Newsom's claim that Florida ranks worst nationally in mental health care, home insurance costs, elder fraud, and rent increases. The analysis finds Newsom's accuracy is mixed: Florida consistently ranks among the lowest in mental health spending (lowest per capita at $36.05), but other mental health metrics place it 21st or 46th depending on the measure; the article excerpt does not provide conclusions on the remaining claims about insurance, elder fraud, and rent.

**Summary:** California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed Florida ranks #51 in mental health care, #1 in elder fraud, #1 in home insurance costs, and #1 in rent increases. PolitiFact's fact-check found mixed accuracy: while Florida consistently ranks poorly in mental health care spending (lowest per capita at $36.05), other mental health rankings place it 21st nationally; elder fraud claims were not evaluated in this excerpt; and analyses confirm Florida leads in home insurance costs and rent increases, though specific rankings vary by source.

An $8.8 million fraud ring targeting 235 elderly victims across multiple states was dismantled following a suspicious $250,000 transfer detected by Synchrony Bank in April 2023. The scheme involved eight suspects and three bank employees, including insider Antonio Penn, who stole customer banking data and sold it via Telegram to accomplices who opened fraudulent accounts and laundered the stolen funds. The 15-month investigation, led by the Polk County Sheriff's Office with support from the Florida Attorney General and multi-state agencies, recovered the full $8.8 million and highlighted the importance of transaction alerts, financial monitoring services, and bank fraud protections to prevent insider fraud targeting seniors.

A Jacksonville, Florida woman named Sarah called a financial advice show seeking guidance on helping her widowed father, who has lost a substantial portion of his remaining savings to multiple scams over five years, including a romance scam costing $80,000-$90,000 and a cryptocurrency scam. The father, now retired at 65 after caring for his late wife's medical expenses, shows signs of financial desperation including taking out a home equity line of credit and buying lottery tickets. Financial advisors cautioned Sarah against providing financial assistance, noting that helping family members requires their willingness to accept help and that mixing finances with someone resistant to intervention can be problematic.

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in sending a letter to federal officials demanding coordinated efforts to combat international financial scams targeting seniors, which cost victims over $3.4 billion annually. The letter, signed by senators including Rick Scott, Mark Kelly, and Kirsten Gillibrand, requested enhanced investigations, increased foreign law enforcement partnerships, public awareness campaigns, and improved interagency coordination. Moody, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, has prioritized senior fraud issues, previously recovering millions of dollars for victims as Florida's Attorney General and supporting the designation of National Slam the Scam Day.

Congressman Byron Donalds announced a free, in-person scam awareness workshop in Bonita Springs, Florida, co-hosted with regional FBI partners for constituents of Florida's 19th Congressional District. The workshop aims to educate attendees about common scams and elder fraud prevention strategies.

Eight people have been charged in a sophisticated $8.8 million bank fraud operation that victimized over 230 people, many of them seniors, after three Maryland bank employees allegedly used their access to steal customer information including Social Security numbers and account details, which co-conspirators then used to open fraudulent accounts and transfer funds. The defendants, arrested across multiple states, face charges including racketeering, conspiracy, identity fraud, and unauthorized computer access, with bonds ranging from $10,000 to $1,020,000. Authorities recovered some stolen funds that were spent on personal purchases including vehicles, and the case involved coordination between Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and Missouri law enforcement agencies.

A multi-state fraud operation that stole $8.8 million from 235 predominantly elderly victims was dismantled, resulting in eight arrests in Polk County, Florida. The scheme involved three M&T Bank employees in Maryland who sold stolen customer data via Telegram to fraudsters, who then used the credentials to drain bank accounts and purchase luxury items. The perpetrators, including bank insiders Antonio Penn, Roshado Durrant, and others, face racketeering and related felony charges with bonds exceeding $1 million.

A New Jersey man, Pranav Patel, was sentenced to over six years in federal prison for acting as a "money mule" in a nationwide elder fraud scheme that defrauded 11 seniors across seven states of nearly $1.8 million between October and December 2023. Overseas scammers impersonated U.S. Treasury agents, convincing elderly victims they were under investigation and needed to surrender cash and gold for "safekeeping," with two Florida victims losing $170,000 and $732,000 respectively. Patel collected and transported the stolen funds and was arrested during a sting operation in December 2023; he was ordered to forfeit $1,

**Title:** Fact-check of Governor Newsom's claims about Florida's rankings This article fact-checks California Governor Gavin Newsom's claim that Florida ranks worst nationally in mental health care, home insurance costs, elder fraud, and rent increases. Regarding elder fraud specifically, FBI reports show Florida ranked second to California in raw numbers of fraud complaints from people over 60 as of 2024, though another report ranked Florida first per capita in complaints from all age groups in 2024. Overall, Newsom's claims are partially accurate—Florida does lag in these areas but doesn't consistently rank dead last in each category.

I cannot provide a summary as the article content is no longer available. The page shows only an expiration notice from the Florida Realtors website without any information about a scam, fraud, or elder abuse incident.

Bipartisan senators, led by Sen. Rick Scott, urged federal agencies to increase efforts combating international scams targeting older Americans, citing $3.4 billion in losses during 2023 and transnational criminal networks operating scam labor camps in Southeast Asia. Elder fraud complaints rose 14% in 2023, with many scams originating overseas and linked to trafficked labor, prompting lawmakers to call for coordinated investigations, stronger international law enforcement partnerships, and expanded public awareness campaigns.

A Florida mother, Sharon Brightwell, lost $23,000 in July after scammers used AI voice cloning technology to impersonate her daughter, claiming she had been in a car accident and needed bail money. The scammers obtained audio from the daughter's social media to replicate her voice convincingly, and later attempted to extort an additional $46,000 by claiming an unborn child had died in the accident. The fraud was discovered when the daughter's grandson arranged a phone call that revealed the daughter had been safe the entire time, and the family reported the case to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

In 2023, elder fraud complaints increased 14% with losses totaling $3.4 billion, prompting Sen. Rick Scott and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to urge federal agencies to coordinate efforts against international scams targeting older Americans, particularly those originating from foreign criminal networks operating "scam labor camps" in Southeast Asia. The senators called for increased interagency coordination, stronger international law enforcement partnerships, and expanded public awareness campaigns, noting that over 120,000 people have been trafficked to conduct cyber fraud operations.

Sharon Brightwell of Florida lost $15,000 to scammers who used AI-cloned audio of her daughter's voice in a fake emergency scheme. On July 9, Brightwell received a call mimicking her daughter's number where she heard AI-generated crying claiming a car crash occurred; a fake attorney then demanded $15,000 bail, which she paid, and scammers attempted to extort an additional $30,000 by claiming the daughter had caused a miscarriage. The daughter's son intervened and confirmed via a three-way call that she was safe at work, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case.

Jared Borgesto Murray, 41, of St. Petersburg, Florida, defrauded Lowe's Hardware Store of $1,260,495.89 between January 2019 and September 2020 while serving a state prison sentence for robbery, using contraband phones to impersonate customers and fraudulently purchase products on credit that he and co-conspirators then resold online. Murray used some of the proceeds to purchase materials for a home in Lake Placid, which authorities later seized along with $43,550 from his bank accounts. He was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

A Florida woman was defrauded of $15,000 by scammers who used artificial intelligence to clone her adult daughter's voice during a phone call, convincing her the daughter had been in a car accident and needed bail money. After an initial $15,000 withdrawal, the scammers attempted to obtain an additional $30,000 by claiming the accident victim's child had died, but the scheme unraveled when the woman's grandson called to confirm her daughter was safe. The family believes the scammers obtained voice samples from the daughter's social media accounts (Facebook and Snapchat) to create the AI replica.

Venice, Florida residents were targeted by phone scammers impersonating police captains who claimed victims had missed jury duty or faced legal trouble, demanding payment via cryptocurrency or gift cards to resolve fabricated charges. One resident's wife was contacted with false allegations of fentanyl trafficking linked to Homeland Security, but the family recognized it as a scam when payment was demanded. Venice Police warn residents to hang up immediately on such calls and contact the non-emergency police line to verify any legal claims.