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The U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts arrested 13 individuals involved in a transnational elder fraud scheme that targeted over 400 victims and resulted in more than $5 million in losses. Emergency scams—also called grandparent scams—use fake urgent situations (arrests, accidents, medical emergencies) to pressure victims into sending money via payment apps, often impersonating family members and using personal details found on social media or even voice cloning technology to appear credible. To avoid these scams, victims should resist acting immediately, verify stories by calling family members directly, avoid sending money through payment apps or gift cards without confirmation, and contact police if someone arrives to collect cash.

Social Security scams surged 46% in 2024, resulting in $4.885 billion in losses and disproportionately affecting retirees who were pressured through fake government alerts to transfer funds or deposit cash into ATMs or cryptocurrency accounts. The FBI and FTC reported that fraud losses for those aged 60+ skyrocketed from $122 million in 2020 to $700 million in 2024, with significant regional impacts such as $99.8 million in losses in Massachusetts alone. To protect themselves, retirees are advised to adopt strategic diversification, use Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, implement fraud detection technology, maintain social networks, and work with

The Social Security Administration's acting inspector general opened a review of the agency's call center wait times and service delivery following concerns raised by Senator Elizabeth Warren about performance changes under new Commissioner Frank Bisignano. The review was prompted after the agency removed dozens of performance metrics from its website and amid staffing changes from a Department of Government Efficiency reorganization, including the departure of over 5,500 employees, which sparked fears among the agency's 74 million beneficiaries about service disruptions. The inspector general aims to complete the audit before the end of the calendar year to assess whether wait times have worsened and whether the public is receiving accurate information about Social Security services.

A former U.S. Postal Inspector in Massachusetts was indicted on 45 federal charges for stealing over $330,000 from mail sent by elderly scam victims between 2019 and 2023, with victims averaging 75 years old and losing amounts between $1,400 and $19,100. Scott Kelley, who headed the Mail Fraud Team investigating scams targeting seniors, allegedly intercepted approximately 1,950 suspicious parcels and pocketed cash from them, then laundered the funds through money orders and personal accounts while spending on luxury items including a pool deck, Caribbean cruises, and other goods and services. He also allegedly stole $7,000

An 89-year-old Hingham, Massachusetts woman lost $19,000 in a phishing and impersonation scam after receiving a fraudulent email posing as her bank. The scammer instructed her to withdraw cash from multiple branches while staying on the phone, claiming her account was compromised, and later sent someone to her home to collect the money under the pretense of depositing it into a secure account. The Hingham Police Department is investigating and urging anyone with information to contact Detective Heather Hermida.

A 36-year-old Canadian man, Jia Hua Liu, was arrested in July at a Louisville airport after defrauding seniors across multiple U.S. states of approximately $309,000 through in-person and attempted scams. Liu targeted vulnerable seniors by convincing them to withdraw cash, with one Charlestown, Massachusetts resident losing $27,000; family members prevented an additional $70,000 in losses by intervening in other attempts. The article notes that seniors are particularly vulnerable to fraud due to factors including significant savings, lower familiarity with digital scams, cognitive decline, and social isolation, with 2024 Canadian fraud losses alone exceeding $638

The FBI Boston is warning of an increase in "gold bar courier scams" targeting older adults, in which victims are pressured to purchase large sums of gold bars or cash that are then picked up by couriers working with scammers. From 2023 to May 2025, the FBI documented 103 cases in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island resulting in $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts victims alone losing $18.6 million. The scams typically involve three methods: grandparent scams, government impersonation, and tech support scams, all designed to pressure victims into quickly liquidating assets before they can contact family members.

Massachusetts resident Donald Peltier operated fraudulent political websites impersonating the Democratic and Republican National Committees to solicit donations from the public. A Michigan court ordered Peltier to shut down the fake sites and cease obtaining money through false pretenses, with daily fines of $300 for non-compliance. Attorney General Nessel advises voters to verify political websites through official sources and the Federal Election Commission before donating, particularly warning that seniors are frequent targets of such scams.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts victims accounting for $18.6 million of that total. Nearly all victims were over 60 years old and were deceived through "grandparent," "government impersonation," or "tech support" scams that manipulated them into withdrawing cash or gold bars for a third-party courier to collect. The FBI reports this is part of a national trend affecting 1,737 victims with approximately $186.2 million in losses and urges the public to educate elderly relatives

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly victims, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts residents losing $18.6 million collectively. Nearly all victims (98%) were over 60 years old and were deceived through grandparent, government impersonation, or tech support scams that convinced them to hand over cash or gold bars to couriers posing as legitimate third parties. Nationally, the FBI documented at least 1,737 similar instances during this period with approximately $186.2 million in losses, and officials urge the public to educate elderly relatives about

The FBI's Boston Division reported a significant surge in elder fraud scams between 2023 and May 2025, documenting 103 instances where fraudsters used couriers to collect cash or gold bars from victims. Nearly all victims (98%) were over 60 years old, with Massachusetts residents accounting for 59 victims who lost a combined $18.6 million out of the $26 million total loss across the region. The scams typically involved fraudsters convincing elderly victims they were helping a family member or paying a surprise government debt.

**Summary:** Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a 35-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded at least six victims of over $2 million between 2016 and 2019. The scheme involved creating fake online dating profiles to build trust with victims, then directing them to send money or transfer funds through cryptocurrency accounts that Nwadavid controlled. Nwadavid was ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution and faces deportation upon completion of his sentence.

Thirteen individuals were arrested in a transnational elder fraud scheme that affected over 400 victims and caused more than $5 million in losses. These "emergency" or "grandparent" scams manipulate elderly victims by impersonating family members claiming to be in distress and requesting urgent financial assistance via payment apps or wire transfers, with perpetrators using social media research and increasingly sophisticated voice cloning technology to make their deceptions credible. To protect against these scams, victims should resist immediate action, verify stories directly with the actual family member, avoid sending money to unfamiliar payment methods, and contact police if they suspect fraudulent activity.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly victims, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts residents losing $18.6 million. Nearly all victims (98%) were over 60 years old, and the scams typically involved perpetrators posing as distressed family members, government officials, or tech support to pressure victims into purchasing gold bars or withdrawing cash for pickup by couriers. The FBI advises that the government never requests precious metals purchases and recommends victims report incidents to ic3.gov or contact the DOJ Elder Justice hotline at 1-833-

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with Massachusetts victims (59 people, mostly over age 60) accounting for $18.6 million of that total. The scams typically impersonated family members, government officials, or tech support, convincing victims to withdraw cash or purchase gold bars for courier pickup. The FBI advises that legitimate government agencies never request gold purchases or large cash withdrawals, and encourages victims to report incidents immediately to ic3.gov or the DOJ Elder Justice hotline.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with Massachusetts victims accounting for $18.6 million of that total. The scams typically involved fraudsters impersonating family members, government officials, or tech support representatives who convinced victims (98% over age 60) to either transfer funds to fake accounts or hand cash and gold to couriers sent to their homes. Nationally, the same period saw at least 1,737 similar courier fraud cases with approximately $186.2 million in documented losses, though the actual total is believed to be significantly higher.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier fraud scams targeting elderly residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses nationally and $18.6 million in Massachusetts alone. Nearly all victims (98%) were over 60 years old and were deceived into believing they were helping a family member or paying a government debt, after which fraudsters sent couriers to collect cash or gold bars from their homes.

Gloucester, Massachusetts voted to ban Bitcoin ATMs due to a surge in cryptocurrency scams predominantly targeting senior citizens, with approximately $11 million stolen from victims in Essex County during 2025 alone. Scammers use the ATMs to facilitate fraud schemes, such as emergency bail-out scams, by convincing victims to transfer money to untraceable cryptocurrency accounts. The city council unanimously approved the ordinance, giving the two existing Bitcoin ATMs in the city 30 days to cease operations, and cited a 99 percent increase in FBI complaints related to virtual currency kiosks in 2024.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts victims (98% over age 60) losing $18.6 million collectively. The scams primarily used "grandparent," "government impersonation," or "tech support" tactics to trick victims into giving cash or gold bars to couriers, with the FBI reporting at least 1,737 similar incidents nationwide totaling approximately $186.2 million in losses during the same period.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier fraud cases targeting elderly victims in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, resulting in over $26 million in losses. In these scams, fraudsters convinced victims aged 60 and older to hand over cash or gold bars to couriers by impersonating family members or government officials, with Massachusetts victims alone losing $18.6 million across 59 cases. The FBI advises inexperienced individuals, particularly seniors, to avoid engaging with unsolicited requests for money or valuables and to verify requests through official channels.

**Summary:** A bank employee at Community Resource Federal Credit Union in Colonie, New York prevented a $30,000 elder fraud scam on September 24, 2025, by recognizing that an elderly customer appeared confused while attempting to withdraw cash for a suspicious "construction project" and alerting police. Officers arranged a sting operation posing as the victim, leading to the arrest of two men from Queens—Huifeng Jin and Qinghua Wang—on charges including grand larceny and felony assault. Police credited the bank staff's vigilance with protecting their customer and urged families to discuss scam awareness with elderly relatives, emphasizing the importance of not sharing financial information over the phone.

A 76-year-old Newton therapist agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and unlawful money transactions after falling victim to an online investment romance scam and misappropriating $600,000 of a patient's settlement funds that he held as trustee. Brown was manipulated by a scammer posing as a romantic partner and secretly invested the patient's money overseas without their knowledge, while also deceiving a relative into lending him $310,000 under false pretenses. He faces up to 50 years in prison and fines up to $1 million.

Massachusetts psychologist Eric Brown, 76, allegedly defrauded a patient out of $600,000 by draining a trust fund established from a drunk driving accident settlement after falling victim to an online romance investment scam himself. Brown, who served as trustee for the patient's trust, was convinced by a con artist posing as a romantic interest to invest the funds overseas, and separately defrauded a family member of $310,000 through false claims about office building improvements. Brown has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an unlawful money transaction, and faces potentially decades in prison.

The Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program issued a warning during Medicare's 2025 Open Enrollment period (October 15-December 7) about a surge in scams targeting beneficiaries, including unsolicited calls, fraudulent mailings, and misleading offers of free benefits or refunds. The program advises seniors to protect their Medicare numbers, avoid clicking suspicious links, hang up on unknown callers, and verify plan information only through official Medicare.gov channels or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Residents can receive free, unbiased assistance from SHINE counselors by contacting MassOptions at 1-800-243-4636 or report suspicious

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly Massachusetts residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 victims (98% over age 60) losing $18.6 million collectively. The scams typically impersonated family members, government officials, or tech support to convince victims to withdraw cash or gold bars for couriers to collect, with similar schemes causing approximately $186.2 million in losses nationwide during the same period. The FBI recommends victims report fraud immediately to ic3.gov or the DOJ Elder Justice hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 and advises

The Acronis Cyber Foundation and Digital Literacy Project are hosting a free cyber safety workshop for seniors on October 11, 2025, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, to address the vulnerability of older adults to online fraud. According to the FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Report, seniors aged 60+ experienced the highest monetary losses from cyberattacks at $4.8 billion, with personal data breaches and investment scams being leading threats. The workshop will educate participants on recognizing AI-enabled deepfake scams, creating strong passwords, identifying phishing attempts, and protecting personal information.

Cryptocurrency ATM fraud cases have surged in Massachusetts, with scammers impersonating business owners and employees to trick victims into depositing funds that cannot be recovered. Reported losses in the state include $11,000, $48,000, and $4,900, with authorities noting the irreversible and untraceable nature of these crimes; nationally, the FBI received over 11,000 complaints in 2024 with victims losing $247 million total, representing a 99% increase from the previous year.

Between 2023 and May 2025, the FBI's Boston Division documented 103 courier-based fraud schemes targeting elderly residents, resulting in over $26 million in losses, with 59 Massachusetts victims losing $18.6 million combined—98% of losses reported by people over 60. The scams typically involved impersonation (grandparent, government, or tech support) to convince victims to either transfer funds to fake government accounts or hand cash and gold bars to couriers; nationally, the FBI documented 1,737 similar instances totaling approximately $186.2 million in losses. The FBI advises the public to discuss these schemes with elderly relatives and warns that the government

Charles Uchenna Nwadivid, a 35-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded at least six victims of over $2 million between 2016 and 2019. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud, money laundering, and aiding and abetting money laundering after being arrested at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in April 2025, and was ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution. Nwadivid created fake online dating profiles to build trust with victims, then convinced them to send money or transfer funds to cryptocurrency accounts under his