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in Money Mule / Laundering
lavalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
A multi-jurisdictional investigation across Quebec, Ontario, and the U.S. resulted in the arrest of 14 suspects (ages 24-34) involved in "grandparent" scams that defrauded elderly victims of $2.2 million over two years. In 2024 alone, the scheme targeted 126 people across Canada, stealing approximately $739,000 by impersonating law enforcement and falsely claiming grandchildren were in police custody and needed bail money. The investigation involved the Sûreté du Québec and Ontario Provincial Police, with accomplices acting as "money mules" to collect payments from victims aged 46-95.
americanbanker.com
· 2025-12-08
FinCen's analysis of elder financial exploitation found that approximately 80% of reported cases involve scams (fraudulent transfers to strangers) while 20% involve theft by trusted individuals, with account takeover being the most common exploitation method. Warning signs include sudden changes in banking practices, unexplained large withdrawals, and abrupt changes to wills or financial documents, with approximately 10% of people aged 65 and older experiencing some form of elder abuse annually. Financial institutions play a critical role in identifying and preventing elder financial exploitation through compliance reporting and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, while research indicates that susceptibility to scams correlates with lower income, reduced cognitive function, and limited financial literacy.
armytimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Former Army Specialist Sanda Frimpong was sentenced to 40 months in prison in April 2022 for money laundering connected to romance scams that defrauded victims of over $350,000 between December 2019 and February 2022. Operating with three co-conspirators from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Frimpong impersonated romantic interests, military personnel, and customs officials via WhatsApp and Snapchat to convince victims—including seniors and military veterans—to send money under false pretenses such as inheritance releases and asset transfers. He must also pay restitution to victims and serve three years of supervised release.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Laura Kowal, a 57-year-old retired hospital executive from Illinois, was victimized by a romance scam perpetrated by someone posing as "Frank Borg," a Swedish investment adviser, beginning in October 2018; she eventually went missing in 2020 after losing significant money and being manipulated through sophisticated psychological tactics. Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, discovered her mother's disappearance and subsequently learned that over 64,000 Americans were defrauded of more than $1.14 billion through romance scams in a single year, with victims often too ashamed to report the crime. Gowe has since dedicated herself to raising awareness
fayobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
Sanda G. Frimpong, a 33-year-old former U.S. Army specialist from Fort Bragg, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for operating a romance scam and unemployment fraud scheme from 2019 to 2022 that defrauded thousands of vulnerable people, including elderly victims and military veterans. Frimpong and his conspirators impersonated romantic interests, diplomats, and military personnel to extract money from victims—including one person who lost $150,000—and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars through bank accounts and contacts in Ghana, while also fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 in pandemic unemployment
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old Florida man, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for laundering over $2.3 million in proceeds from romance scams and business email compromise fraud schemes orchestrated by Nigerian co-conspirators; he used bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal and transfer the funds. Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was ordered to forfeit $464,923.91. Four additional defendants remain at large in this transnational fraud operation.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Laura Kowal fell victim to a romance scam where she was emotionally manipulated over two years, then coerced into becoming a "money mule" by setting up fake companies and bank accounts to launder stolen money for overseas scammers. This increasingly common tactic exploits victims' emotional vulnerability and creates legal complications for prosecutors, who must decide whether to charge these individuals as victims or criminals, as they have technically committed fraud and money laundering while being manipulated by their scammers. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI are developing psychological profiles and issuing warnings about this scheme, as scammers use the threat of criminal charges as additional leverage to control their victims.
sandhillsexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
Laura Kowal became a victim of a sophisticated romance scam in which a man posing as "Frank Borg" initially romanced her, then manipulated her into becoming a "money mule" by setting up fake companies and bank accounts to launder stolen money for overseas-based scammers. This emerging tactic leverages victims' emotional attachment and trust to coerce them into committing fraud themselves, creating a legal dilemma for prosecutors who must decide whether to charge victims as accomplices or treat them primarily as victims of manipulation. The FBI has identified this pattern as increasingly widespread, with scammers using victims' criminal complicity as additional leverage to maintain control and coerce continued cooperation.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Between 2013 and 2018, as many as 25-30 percent of new Match.com members were reportedly using the platform to perpetrate romance scams, according to an FTC lawsuit against parent company Match Group. American victims lost over $1 billion to romance scammers in 2023 alone, with dating apps serving as primary "hunting grounds" for scammers targeting vulnerable individuals, including a case where an Illinois widow lost her life savings of $1.5 million to a fake profile. Despite Match Group's reported $125 million annual investment in trust and safety measures, critics argue the company has not done enough to prevent scammers from accessing the platform
rcmp-grc.gc.ca
· 2025-12-08
This is a general informational page from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police website describing their services and departments rather than a specific article about a scam or fraud incident. The page mentions that Canadians lose millions yearly to fraud and references the Anti-Fraud Centre as a resource, but provides no specific case details, victim information, or fraud scheme descriptions to summarize.
news.clearancejobs.com
· 2025-12-08
Former Army specialist Sanda G. Frimpong was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for laundering over $350,000 obtained through romance scams targeting vulnerable victims including seniors and military veterans. Frimpong and at least three conspirators executed multiple scams by impersonating romantic interests, diplomats, and military personnel via encrypted messaging apps, and also fraudulently obtained CARES Act funds and unemployment benefits using stolen identities across multiple states. The money was laundered through various banking systems, across state lines, and through contacts in Ghana while Frimpong remained on active duty at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
usatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old Florida man, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy related to a romance scam that defrauded at least three women of $2.3 million. Garcia's role involved providing bank accounts to receive fraud proceeds and using cryptocurrency to conceal the money's origin before transferring funds to his Nigerian co-conspirators, who remain at large; he was ordered to forfeit approximately $465,000.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old Florida man, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for his role in laundering romance scam proceeds, having scammed $2.3 million in funds that he sent to criminal associates in Nigeria using cryptocurrency exchanges. Garcia worked with four other suspects to defraud multiple victims and was ordered to return $464,923.91 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Romance scams have grown significantly, with American victims losing over $1 billion to overseas criminals in 2023, though actual figures are likely much higher due to underreporting and the difficulty law enforcement faces in prosecuting transn
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A sophisticated multi-person scam operation targeted an X user in India through impersonation of TRAI and Mumbai Police officials, using an automated call claiming the victim's number would be blocked to initiate an hour-long elaborate scheme involving four different scammers who posed as telecom officials, police officers, and a head constable. The scammers falsely claimed the victim was involved in illegal advertising and a Rs 65-crore money laundering case, attempting to extract personal information including an Aadhaar number, though the victim eventually became suspicious and ended the call. The incident went viral on social media, with multiple users reporting similar scams and sharing fake police identity cards circulated by the
wcnc.com
· 2025-12-08
Angela Sloan, a York County resident battling cancer, lost nearly $2 million in a cryptocurrency scam after being recruited through Facebook conversations to invest in a fake digital trading platform that returned counterfeit coins. The case highlights the growing sophistication of cryptocurrency scams, which experts and law enforcement struggle to combat due to limited partnerships and coordination, though recovery firms are working to track stolen funds and collaborate with federal agencies.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old Florida man, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in a romance scam network that defrauded at least three women of $2.3 million. Garcia provided bank accounts to co-conspirators who posed as romantic interests to victims aged 40 to 80, requesting money for fake overseas oil sales and other expenses, then used cryptocurrency to launder the proceeds before sending funds to accomplices in Nigeria. He was ordered to forfeit approximately $465,000, while his four Nigerian co-conspirators remain at large.
fox35orlando.com
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old from Winter Haven, Florida, was sentenced to two years in prison for laundering over $2.3 million in proceeds from Nigerian romance scams and business email compromise schemes by receiving funds into bank accounts and converting them to Bitcoin for co-conspirators. He was ordered to forfeit nearly $465,000 in personal proceeds, with four additional defendants remaining at large in the scheme.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Match Group CEO Bernard Kim stated that while the company invests over $125 million annually to protect customers and removes 96% of fraudulent accounts within a day, he acknowledged romance scams with a dismissive "things happen in life" when asked about victims who lost their life savings. A CBS News investigation found that overseas-based romance scammers stole over $1 billion in 2023, affecting tens of thousands of victims—including younger, wealthier, and better-educated individuals, with an estimated 40% being men—with the FBI attributing the sharp increase since 2017 to the proliferation of dating sites.
jamaica-gleaner.com
· 2025-12-08
Jamaican lottery scammers are adopting new tactics by gaining control of elderly US victims' bank accounts to make fraudulent purchases and transfers, replacing traditional money-laundering methods like remittance companies and money mules. Recent cases include using stolen debit cards to purchase vehicles in Japan and attempting to secure loans in victims' names, with authorities confiscating over 100 debit cards linked to major American banks since the start of the year. According to FBI data, Americans over 60 lost US$3.1 billion to various scams in 2022, a 121 percent increase from the previous year.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian citizen, Efe Egbowawa, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in an international romance scam ring that defrauded victims across the United States, including Tennessee, from 2017 to 2021. The conspiracy involved members using fake identities on dating sites and social media to build romantic relationships with victims before requesting emergency financial assistance in escalating amounts, with money then laundered through shell companies and bank accounts. Two co-conspirators, Igocha Mac-Okor and Kay Ozegbe, also face charges in connection with the scheme, with one awaiting sentencing and the other scheduled for trial.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Sixteen individuals—eleven from the Dominican Republic and five from New York—were charged in connection with a "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars. The defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming they had been arrested and needed immediate cash for bail or legal fees, with victims sometimes losing tens of thousands of dollars before authorities intervened. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including HSI, the FBI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-08
Job scams in Australia experienced a dramatic 150% increase in financial losses in 2023, making them among the top ten scam categories despite an overall 13.1% decline in reported scam losses nationally. Scammers use fake job advertisements across social media, emails, and employment websites to extract upfront fees, personal information, or banking credentials from vulnerable victims—particularly targeting unemployed individuals, students, recent graduates, and immigrants unfamiliar with legitimate employment practices. To protect themselves, job seekers should use only legitimate job boards, verify employer information independently, and be wary of positions offering unrealistic pay, upfront fees, or requests for sensitive personal details.
news.wjct.org
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Chinese man named Xu Bochun was trafficked to a compound in Myanmar operated by a Chinese conglomerate, where he was forced to conduct "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams targeting Chinese and European victims via fake social media accounts. Xu and approximately 90 other captives were coerced to solicit victims to send increasing amounts of cryptocurrency (USDT/Tether) under false promises of investment returns, with threats of sale to violent cartels for failure to meet quotas. This scam operation emerged from Chinese-run illegal casinos and gambling zones in Southeast Asia that, facing labor shortages during COVID-19, shifted to
northjersey.com
· 2025-12-08
Sixteen individuals were charged in a "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of elderly people in the Northeast out of millions of dollars by impersonating their relatives and claiming they needed bail money for legal emergencies. The sophisticated scheme involved "openers" making initial contact, "closers" impersonating lawyers or police officers, couriers collecting cash from victims' homes, and dispatchers operating a call center in the Dominican Republic that used technology to spoof U.S. phone numbers. Of the 16 charged, 11 were from the Dominican Republic and 5 from New York areas, facing charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
usatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Sixteen people were charged in connection with a "grandparent scam" that defrauded hundreds of older Americans across the Northeast out of millions of dollars between January 2019 and December 2023. Scammers operating call centers in the Dominican Republic used spoofed phone numbers to call elderly victims, impersonating distressed grandchildren or relatives needing bail money, then posed as attorneys and officials to extract payments via couriers or mail. The charges carry penalties up to 20 years in prison, with elder fraud complaints rising 14% nationally and victims losing an average of $33,915 each in 2023.
nbcphiladelphia.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers stole $1.1 billion from consumers in 2023, targeting people across all backgrounds through classic manipulation tactics. NBC10 reporter Tracy Davidson documented her interaction with a scammer posing as "James Williams," a military surgeon supposedly working for the United Nations in Syria, who built trust over two weeks before requesting $14,000 in bitcoin to fund a fake vacation certificate—a scheme involving fake UN emails, money mules, and grammatical red flags that Secret Service investigators confirmed followed standard romance scam protocols. The article illustrates how scammers operate as organized operations using multiple identities and aliases, targeting lonely individuals through relationship-building techniques before requesting money.
ualrpublicradio.org
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Chinese man was trafficked to a compound in Myanmar under the guise of a theater job, where he was forced to conduct "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams targeting Chinese and European victims by posing as romantic interests and soliciting increasingly large amounts of crypto currency in exchange for promised investment returns. The forced scam operations emerged from Chinese-run illegal economic zones that originated as money laundering and gambling operations in Southeast Asia, and according to a University of Texas study, such scams have stolen approximately $75 billion worldwide. The scammer himself became a victim of human trafficking after COVID-19 disrupted traditional gambling operations and led criminal syndicates to resort to
wyso.org
· 2025-12-08
Richard Opoku Agyemang, a Cincinnati man, was indicted on 11 counts including money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy for scamming dozens of victims out of more than $2 million through fake online romance profiles, requesting money for medical expenses and gold transportation before laundering funds to China. He faces up to 30 years in prison. The U.S. Secret Service recommends verifying online profiles, being skeptical of requests for money or photos, and avoiding sending funds to people you have not met in person.
ca.movies.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Okechukwu Nwofor, a 32-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to approximately six years in prison for leading a romance and business email compromise scam network that defrauded victims of nearly $1 million between July 2018 and November 2019. The scheme, which involved money mules transferring stolen funds through multiple accounts, devastated victims—causing one woman's inability to care for her disabled son, another's home foreclosure, and one victim's suicide—resulting in a restitution order of nearly $400,000. Four of Nwofor's co-conspirators pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, with three
ca.movies.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A U.K.-based influencer with 4 million followers was extradited to the U.S. and accused of running romance scams targeting older Americans between 2013 and 2019, earning approximately $2 million. Prosecutors allege she deceived victims into believing they were in romantic relationships with her, then convinced them to send money under false pretenses—including one victim who transferred $89,000 across 82 wire transfers after the influencer claimed she needed funds to save her father's farm in Ghana. Montrage has been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts, each carrying up to 20 years in prison; she pleaded not guilty and bail
thetimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Olamide Shanu, a 33-year-old Nigerian, was arrested and faces extradition to the United States on charges related to a sextortion scam that allegedly generated up to £2 million. Shanu is accused of posing as a teenage girl online to coerce boys into sending sexually explicit images, then blackmailing them with threats to share the photos with their families and friends unless they paid money; his cryptocurrency account received over 6,000 payments from hundreds of victims over three years. The case coincides with a surge in sextortion scams targeting minors in the UK and US, with at least three British children having taken their own lives after being vict
dailycourier.com
· 2025-12-08
CBS News's "Anything for Love" series documented romance scams on dating sites and apps that facilitate human trafficking. A 57-year-old widow in Illinois named Laura Kowal was targeted by a trafficker who coerced her into money laundering before she went missing and was found dead. The FBI reports an estimated 27.6 million people are trafficked globally, generating approximately $140 billion annually, with sex traffickers exploiting dating apps to recruit victims—efforts aided by lax security measures on these platforms.
consumerwide.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigeria is a global center for romance scams, particularly targeting foreign victims, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reporting 1,129 victims and approximately $14 million in losses in 2021. The EFCC identified rapid growth in cyber-crime among young Nigerians, noting that societal acceptance of these crimes—including parental support of scammers—enables the criminal activity to flourish despite existing laws. Romance scams extend internationally, with documented cases involving Nigerian perpetrators defrauding victims across the US, UK, and Europe, ranging from financial extortion to cases resulting in victim suicides and prison sentences.
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
The Lynchburg Police Department is warning about romance scammers who manipulate victims—often lonely individuals met on dating apps and social media—into becoming "money mules" that launder proceeds from human trafficking and drug trafficking, sometimes over months or years. Victims who are exploited this way have been prosecuted as criminals in Lynchburg despite being manipulated, with charges potentially reaching felony level depending on amounts involved; last year Virginians lost $205 million to fraud overall. Police advise victims to immediately cut contact with scammers and report to local law enforcement.
event-newsenterprise.com
· 2025-12-08
A Los Alamitos senior citizen was targeted by an internet and phone-based scam where a fraudster posing as PayPal convinced her to withdraw $20,000 in cash and leave it on her porch. Alert Cypress police detected the scheme at a local bank and coordinated with Los Alamitos detectives, who replaced the cash with newspapers and arrested a suspected money mule when he attempted to pick up the bag. The same scam had previously defrauded a Cypress senior citizen of $30,000.
thecyberwire.com
· 2025-12-08
This podcast episode discusses job board scams and social engineering tactics targeting job seekers. The hosts highlight techniques scammers use to impersonate legitimate companies and government agencies, including spoofed phone numbers and vague claims about background investigations, and emphasize the importance of verifying caller information independently rather than calling back suspicious numbers directly.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian man expressed frustration after a Polish bank refused to open an account for his child, citing a blanket policy against Nigerian customers. He attributed the discriminatory policy to reputational damage caused by Nigerian nationals involved in scams and fraud schemes abroad, including documented cases of Nigerians convicted of money laundering, bank fraud, and romance scams in countries like the United States.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Federal law enforcement agencies completed the Money Mule Initiative, taking action against over 3,000 money mules who facilitate fraud schemes by transmitting stolen funds to international fraudsters. The operation resulted in approximately 2,970 warning letters to individuals (many unknowingly recruited through romance or lottery scams) and criminal charges against more than 20 individuals knowingly facilitating fraud. The initiative specifically targets schemes that harm vulnerable populations, including older Americans victimized by lottery fraud, romance scams, and grandparent scams.
cryptotimes.io
· 2025-12-08
Forensic Risk Alliance (FRA) was selected by the DOJ to oversee cryptocurrency exchange Binance Holdings Ltd. following its guilty plea to money-laundering and trade sanctions violations, with access to Binance's records and employees to ensure compliance with the plea agreement. The DOJ rejected law firm Sullivan & Cromwell for the role, reportedly due to the firm's prior work with collapsed exchange FTX, though Sullivan & Cromwell remains a candidate for a separate five-year Treasury Department monitorship focused on Binance's suspicious transaction reporting.
shorenewsnetwork.com
· 2025-12-08
Federal law enforcement agencies completed the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign that resulted in criminal charges against over 20 individuals and warning letters to approximately 2,970 money mules involved in facilitating fraud schemes. The initiative targeted networks that transmit stolen funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters, with cases including two men accused of laundering $4.5 million from romance scams and business email compromises targeting elderly victims, and five defendants who acted as couriers collecting cash from grandparent scam victims. The agencies emphasized the importance of public education to prevent unknowing individuals from becoming money mules, as many are initially victimized by romance or lottery scams before being manipulated into ass
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice announced completion of the Money Mule Initiative, a campaign that disrupted transnational fraud networks by taking action against over 3,000 money mules who facilitate scams targeting Americans, particularly elderly victims of lottery fraud, romance scams, and grandparent scams. More than 20 individuals were criminally charged, including cases involving $4.5 million laundered from romance scams targeting elderly victims, a grandparent scam operation using couriers to collect cash from seniors, and a tech support fraud scheme that collected approximately $7 million from elderly victims. The initiative combined criminal prosecutions, warning letters to unknowing participants,
kiowacountypress.net
· 2025-12-08
A California man was recently sentenced to four years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded two elderly Arizona women of hundreds of thousands of dollars. AARP Arizona warns that romance scammers exploit victims' desire for companionship by professing love early, requesting money for emergencies, and using increasingly sophisticated AI-generated photos and videos, with scams often escalating to fraudulent bank account access. AARP recommends never sending money to online contacts and offers free resources through their Fraud Watch Network (1-877-908-3360 or AARP.org/fraudwatchnetwork) to help people identify and report suspected scams.
publicnewsservice.org
· 2025-12-08
A California man was sentenced to four years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded two elderly Arizona women of hundreds of thousands of dollars. AARP Arizona warns that romance scammers exploit desires for companionship through dating apps and other platforms, with warning signs including premature declarations of love, requests for money, and broken promises to meet in person. Victims should avoid sending money to online contacts, be aware that advancing AI technology makes scams more convincing, and contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network (1-877-908-3360 or AARP.org/fraudwatchnetwork) for free assistance.
krcgtv.com
· 2025-12-08
Three California residents—Bowen Chen (21), Jiacheng Chen (19), and Vianne Chen (41)—were charged in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud senior citizens, including a Missouri couple. The scheme involved creating fake student checking accounts using fraudulent immigration documents to launder money stolen through scams, with the three defendants depositing a combined $2.355 million in illicit funds. The investigation was triggered when a 78-year-old Missouri man nearly fell victim to an extortion scam demanding $88,000 under false pretenses; his suspicions prevented the loss, leading to arrests as part of the Department of Justice's Money Mule Initiative.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Seven California residents were federally indicted for operating a sophisticated fraud scheme targeting elderly victims nationwide through tech support scams, romance fraud, and imposter schemes, using fraudulent Taiwanese passports and fake immigration documents to open bank accounts that funneled over $7 million in victim cash through money mules. Three additional conspirators—Bowen Chen, Jiacheng Chen, and Vianne Chen—were added to the indictment on May 8, joining four others previously charged, with the largest deposits ($1.3 million, $615,000, and $440,000 respectively) traced to specific defendants. The case was part of a federal Money Mule Initiative that prosecut
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven members of a nationwide elder fraud ring—including three California residents charged in May—were indicted on conspiracy charges for defrauding elderly people through tech support scams, fake immigration documents, and fraudulent bank accounts. The scheme collected over $7 million from victims, including an elderly Missouri couple who were threatened with prosecution unless they paid $88,000 after seeing a fake virus pop-up warning. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri as part of the Department of Homeland Security's Money Mule Initiative targeting elder fraud networks.
kttn.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven California residents were federally indicted for operating a conspiracy that defrauded elderly Americans nationwide using fraudulent Taiwanese passports, fake bank accounts, and money mules to collect victim funds through tech support scams, romance fraud, and imposter schemes. The scheme generated over $7 million in fraudulent deposits, with individual defendants depositing between $440,000 and $1.3 million into criminal accounts. The case was part of the Money Mule Initiative, which resulted in action against over 3,000 money mule networks in the year of prosecution.
miaminewtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, romance scams resulted in over 64,000 reports and $1.1 billion in losses, predominantly affecting elderly victims who were deceived by scammers posing as romantic partners on dating apps and social media. Cristine Petitfrere, a 30-year-old from Florida, was arrested and sentenced to 30 months in prison for laundering nearly $3 million from romance scams by funneling money to Ghana; she personally facilitated transfers from three elderly victims in their 60s-70s who lost over $158,000 combined. Federal law enforcement has intensified prosecution efforts against romance scam networks, with romance fraud losses increasing
money.com
· 2025-12-08
Young job seekers, particularly students seeking remote work, are being targeted in "money mule" scams where fraudsters trick them into transferring stolen money through their bank accounts, digital wallets, or cryptocurrency accounts. These scams often originate from lottery fraud, romance scams, and grandparent scams, and unwitting participants can face identity theft and potential criminal charges for money laundering. The Justice Department took action against over 3,000 money mules in the past year, with criminal charges brought against more than 20 serious offenders, including a case involving three people charged for recruiting college students to launder approximately $7 million from elderly tech fraud victims over three years.
unodc.org
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
In May 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) established an Emergency Response Network (ERN) across Southeast Asia to combat human trafficking for forced criminal activities, particularly romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and illegal gambling operations. The network facilitates real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement responses among police, cybercrime specialists, and INTERPOL officials from seven countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) to dismantle scam compounds and rescue victims. The initiative, funded by Japan, addresses the region's escalating transnational organized crime through direct police-to-police communication and planne