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in Romance Scam
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Katherine Goodson, a 67-year-old California woman, lost tens of thousands of dollars in life savings to a romance scammer posing as actor Keanu Reeves over two years, eventually leaving her homeless with minimal resources. Romance scams cost Americans over $650 million in 2023, with adults over 60 accounting for $3.4 billion in losses, making them the primary targets of scammers who impersonate celebrities, professionals, and companies. Red flags include requests for money through untraceable methods like Bitcoin and wire transfers, and victims are urged to verify identities independently before sending funds.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans lost over $1.1 billion to romance scams, with more than 64,000 reported cases, affecting people across all demographics. Romance scammers build elaborate fake identities over months or years to establish trust with victims who seek companionship online, eventually manipulating them into financial or emotional harm. Effective intervention requires patience, detailed planning, emotional restraint, and often involves trusted third parties rather than confrontational approaches that risk alienating victims further.
webwire.com
· 2025-12-08
Barclays' 2024 research found that one in five British consumers fell victim to a scam in the past year, with 93 percent occurring online, while investment scams generated the highest financial losses (averaging £15,564 per claim and representing one-third of total claim value) despite being only 4 percent of reported incidents. Purchase scams were most common by volume (74 percent of claims), with fake delivery, HMRC, and "Hello Mum" WhatsApp scams ranking as the top three most encountered scams. The research indicates that 52 percent of Britons feel overwhelmed by evolving scam tactics, with 75 percent
classaction.org
· 2025-12-08
Three California residents filed a class action lawsuit against Apple in December 2024, alleging the company failed to adequately vet cryptocurrency trading apps on its App Store that were actually "pig butchering" scams designed to defraud investors. One plaintiff lost over $1.2 million after downloading the fraudulent app Digicoins, which froze his assets in February 2024, and the suit claims Apple misrepresented that its App Store vets apps for security, legitimacy, and legal compliance. The lawsuit seeks to represent all users who downloaded the scam apps Digicoins, SolLuna, or Forex5 from the Apple App Store
catcountry1073.com
· 2025-12-08
Law enforcement agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are alerting residents to five prevalent scams: Medicaid/Medicare impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as government workers to extract personal information; "brushing" scams involving unsolicited packages with malicious QR codes that compromise phone data; fake law enforcement calls claiming arrest warrants or missed jury duty to extort bond payments; and romance scams where criminals build trust through fake online identities to manipulate victims into sending money. Residents are advised to never provide financial or personal information over the phone, avoid scanning unknown QR codes, and verify contact legitimately through official channels.
westerniowatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams targeting seniors in rural areas can result in significant financial losses and emotional devastation, according to Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture. Michelle Reinen, the division's administrator, emphasizes that these scams affect people across all demographics and recommends discussing warning signs with elderly relatives or friends who may be at risk. Consumers seeking protection tips can visit datcap.wi.gov.
independent.ie
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams exploit vulnerable individuals during isolating periods like January, when people are emotionally susceptible to manipulation and seeking connection or hope. The article emphasizes that romance scams are particularly effective because they target emotional needs rather than logic, making them difficult to defend against regardless of a person's intelligence or awareness. Ireland is noted as the most phished country in the world, highlighting the widespread nature of online fraud targeting emotionally vulnerable populations.
gbcode.rthk.hk
· 2025-12-08
Police dismantled a deepfake-enabled investment scam syndicate operating from Kowloon Bay, arresting 31 suspects aged 20-34 who used AI face-swapping technology to pose as attractive individuals, build romantic relationships with victims, and persuade them to invest in fake platforms. The scam targeted people internationally—primarily in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States—resulting in losses exceeding HK$34 million over more than a year of operation, with police recovering HK$10 million in suspected criminal proceeds and charging five core members with conspiracy to defraud.
dlnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong authorities dismantled a criminal syndicate that used deepfake technology and dating apps to defraud victims across Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia of over HK$34 million. The operation involved 31 arrested individuals who created fake online personas using AI-generated images to establish romantic relationships with victims, then manipulated them into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms where withdrawal attempts were blocked by fake fees. This "pig butchering" scam operation is part of a global trend that siphoned $4.4 billion in 2023, with authorities seizing HK$100 million in suspected criminal assets.
news.rthk.hk
· 2025-12-08
Police dismantled a sophisticated investment scam syndicate operating from Kowloon Bay that used deepfake and AI face-swapping technology to impersonate attractive individuals and build romantic relationships with victims online. The 31 arrested members (aged 20-34) defrauded victims primarily from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States of over HK$34 million over more than a year before being persuaded to invest in a fake platform. Police recovered HK$10 million in suspected criminal proceeds and charged five core members with conspiracy to defraud, while investigating possible connections to a similar case from October.
pbs.org
· 2025-12-08
"Pig butchering" investment scams have cost victims worldwide an estimated $75 billion over the last four years, with Americans alone losing $4.6 billion in 2023. The scheme typically begins with a fake wrong-number text leading to conversations with fake profiles (often posing as attractive women) who build romantic relationships and convince victims to invest in cryptocurrency, showing false dashboards of returns until victims exhaust their savings. The scammers perpetrating these schemes are often human trafficking victims forced by crime syndicates in Asia to run the operations, making this a dual victimization crisis.
etvbharat.com
· 2025-12-08
The "pig butchering scam" is a long-term romance and investment fraud where cybercriminals build trust with victims over weeks or months through dating apps and social media before convincing them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes and stealing their money. Notable victims include an Indian software professional in the US who lost $450,000, a Malaysian nurse who accumulated $270,000 in debt, and a San Francisco man who lost over $1 million; the scam predominantly targets students, unemployed youth, homemakers, and financially vulnerable individuals. India's Ministry of Home Affairs recently issued a warning about the rising prevalence of these scams in the country.
commbank.com.au
· 2025-12-08
This educational article encourages readers to make cybersecurity a New Year's resolution by conducting a security audit on their accounts. The piece provides practical advice on preventing scams, including using strong passwords with multifactor authentication, verifying suspicious contacts before responding, improving banking security settings, staying connected with friends and family, and reporting incidents to the National Anti-Scam Centre—noting that Australian scam losses decreased 52.8% in the first half of 2024 due to increased public education about fraud.
newsbreak.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams can target seniors in rural areas and result in significant financial losses despite victims' age or location. Michelle Reinen, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture's Administrator of the Division for Trade and Consumer Protection, advises that these scams can be devastating and recommends having conversations with elderly relatives or friends who may be vulnerable to such schemes. Resources for consumer protection information are available at datcap.wi.gov.
vietnamnet.vn
· 2025-12-08
The Department of Information Security warned of scammers in ASEAN "fraud camps" shifting from Telegram to Signal to conduct various frauds, including counterfeit currency schemes during Tet, fake investment and romance scams, and impersonation of bank employees requesting personal or financial information. Victims are advised to verify identities through official channels, avoid transacting with unknown individuals on social media, and report fraudulent activity to authorities rather than risk involvement in illegal transactions.
finextra.com
· 2025-12-08
A Barclays Bank survey of 2,000 consumers found that one in five fell victim to a scam in 2024, with 93% of losses occurring online; investment scams caused the highest financial damage despite being only 4% of reported cases, averaging £15,564 per claim and accounting for one-third of all claimed losses. The research revealed that one in five respondents had parents who were scammed and 8% had grandparents targeted, while 75% of scams originated on social media and tech platforms, leaving half of Brits feeling overwhelmed by evolving fraudster tactics.
news.abplive.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article from Kaspersky outlines nine major types of online scams targeting internet users: fake job offers with counterfeit checks, lottery scams, inheritance scams, romance scams, charity fraud, tech support scams, social media scams, robocall fraud, messaging scams, and online shopping scams. For each scam type, the article provides warning signs and protective measures, such as verifying charity status through trusted databases, avoiding remote access to unknown individuals, and checking website security features before making purchases. The overarching advice emphasizes vigilance, scrutinizing suspicious offers, and remembering that offers that sound too good to be true typically are.
biometricupdate.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong police arrested 31 members of a deepfake romance scam syndicate that defrauded victims across Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia of HK$34 million (US$4.37 million). The criminals used AI-generated composite images of women to create fake dating profiles, then manipulated victims into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes through carefully scripted conversations designed to build emotional connections and establish trust over five stages. The arrests represent the second major deepfake romance fraud bust in Hong Kong within three months and highlight how scammers exploit loneliness and social insecurity alongside technological capabilities.
benningtonbanner.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, romance scams cost Americans over $1.1 billion across more than 64,000 reported cases, with victims like Ellen experiencing severe financial and emotional losses after multi-year fake relationships. Scammers create elaborate fake identities on social media and dating sites to build trust over extended periods, using collected photos and relatable personas to manipulate victims who seek companionship, with the scam remaining undetected because no in-person or video meetings ever occur. Effective intervention requires patience, detailed planning, and avoiding shame or confrontation, instead using trusted third parties, reverse image searches to verify photos, and maintaining supportive communication to help victims recognize the fraud.
sfntoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams target seniors, including those in rural areas, often exploiting their desire for companionship and emotional connection, resulting in losses sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wisconsin's Division for Trade and Consumer Protection emphasizes that approaching victims requires empathy and avoiding blame, as scammers are skilled professionals who deliberately target vulnerable people. Families should communicate openly and collaboratively with affected seniors to help them recognize the scam and seek help from consumer protection authorities.
siliconvalley.com
· 2025-12-08
The article outlines three major scams that persist year-round, particularly during the holiday season. "Pig butchering" scams involve fraudsters slowly building trust with victims before stealing money through fake investment schemes, often cryptocurrency-based; Santa Clara County prosecutors charged two suspects in a case where a 66-year-old man lost $170,000 after being targeted by a fake investment banker on Facebook. Travel scams have increased 500-900% with AI-generated fake booking websites, phishing emails, and fraudulent reviews, while utility scams cost PG&E customers over $334,000 in 2024 through threats of service disconnection and demands for immediate payment via prep
vpnranks.com
· 2025-12-08
Elder fraud losses reached $3.4 billion in 2023 with over 101,000 victims aged 60 and older reporting fraud, representing an 11% increase in losses and 14% increase in complaints compared to 2022. Tech support scams are the most commonly reported fraud type affecting seniors, while investment scams cause the highest financial damages at over $1.2 billion. Projections estimate elder fraud losses could rise to $4.47 billion by 2025 with approximately 121,229 victims, underscoring the need for stronger awareness and protective measures.
wsvn.com
· 2025-12-08
Cristine Petitfrere, a 30-year-old from Miramar, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for laundering over $2.7 million in proceeds from romance scams that defrauded American victims. She pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was ordered to forfeit $203,815.59 in personal profits after funneling victim funds to overseas co-conspirators through schemes involving fake online personas used to solicit money for false emergencies and investment opportunities.
nasdaq.com
· 2025-12-08
Cristine Petitfrere, a Florida resident, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for laundering over $2.7 million from romance scams, earning hundreds of thousands in fees while working with a co-conspirator. Romance scams caused Americans $1.14 billion in losses in 2023, with elderly and vulnerable individuals disproportionately affected by both the financial losses and emotional harm.
azfamily.com
· 2025-12-08
Robert Giuliano, an alleged multi-state romance scammer with a New York felony warrant for forgery, grand larceny, and identity theft, was arrested in Scottsdale but released from jail on parole in January after extradition to New York. Victims of his romance scams expressed frustration over his release, while a judge determined that his non-violent charges and limited criminal history warranted bail; Giuliano is scheduled for a parole revocation hearing in April and has reportedly contacted some victims promising repayment.
nbcmiami.com
· 2025-12-08
Cristine Petitfrere, a 30-year-old Miramar woman, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for laundering over $2.7 million stolen through romance scams, keeping hundreds of thousands in fees while funneling the remainder to overseas conspirators. Romance scams, which involve fraudsters creating fake personas to exploit victims' trust and finances, cost Americans $1.14 billion in 2023, with elderly individuals representing a significant portion of victims. Petitfrere was ordered to forfeit $203,815.59 in personal proceeds from the scheme.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Cristine Petitfrere, a 30-year-old South Florida woman, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for laundering over $2.7 million from romance scam victims, keeping a portion for herself while transferring the remainder to overseas conspirators. Romance scams involve fraudsters establishing fake online relationships to manipulate victims into sending money under false pretenses such as emergencies or investment opportunities. Petitfrere was ordered to forfeit $203,815.59 in personal proceeds.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore passed the Protection from Scams Bill, which grants police powers to issue restriction orders (ROs) that freeze or limit bank account transactions of scam victims who continue sending money to scammers despite warnings from authorities and family. The law applies to both remote scams and in-person cheating cases, with ROs lasting up to 30 days (extendable up to six months) while allowing victims access to funds for essential expenses; safeguards include police consultation with victims and families, and appeals to the Commissioner of Police. Singapore took this action after data showed that from January to September 2024, 86% of scams involved victims willingly transferring money, with cases like a
beincrypto.com
· 2025-12-08
A 24-year-old Dutch law student was arrested for operating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded approximately 300 victims of €4.5 million ($4.6 million), with investigators finding he continued recruiting new investors even as the scheme collapsed. The student required minimum investments of €5,000 and took 50% profit fees while using new investor funds to pay earlier participants. The arrest reflects a broader trend of escalating crypto fraud, with 2024 losses reaching $2.3 billion—a 40% increase year-over-year—driven by bull market conditions and increasingly sophisticated scams including fake tokens, phishing schemes, and AI-enabled deepf
regtechtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Cristine Petitfrere, a 30-year-old from Miramar, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to launder over $2.7 million stolen from romance scam victims. She helped funnel money from these schemes to international criminals and kept $203,815.59 for herself, which she was ordered to forfeit as part of her sentence. Romance scams—where fraudsters create fake online personas to deceive victims into sending money—disproportionately affect vulnerable populations including the elderly who lose savings and retirement funds.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
AARP is hosting two virtual webinars on February 12, 2025 (at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. EST) led by an AARP NJ Speakers Bureau volunteer focused on identity protection and online romance scam prevention. Participants will learn an ID protection checklist, actionable security tips, and how to recognize red flags and warning signs of fraud to help secure their personal information online.
cdispatch.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman in New Hope became the victim of a romance scam after sending her entire life savings ($20,000) via FedEx to an online boyfriend who did not actually exist. Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins highlighted this case while warning the public about multiple prevalent scams, including phone spoofing schemes impersonating the sheriff's office, utility companies, and government agencies, as well as employment, cryptocurrency, lottery, and tech support scams. Hawkins emphasized that scammers are sophisticated professionals and advised victims to hang up and call official numbers directly rather than staying on suspicious calls.
greybullstandard.com
· 2025-12-08
Scams are becoming increasingly frequent, sophisticated, and successful, with law enforcement reporting a notable uptick in impostor scams where criminals pose as government officials or law enforcement to threaten arrest and extort money—one Big Horn County resident lost over $20,000 in such a scheme. Scammers employ phishing techniques to harvest personal information from victims and social media, using these details to make fraudulent requests appear legitimate and to impersonate targets for additional scams. The FBI reported that online fraud complaints doubled from 2019 to 2023 (467,361 to 880,418 complaints) with financial losses exceeding $12.5 billion, and authorities advise
wkbw.com
· 2025-12-08
New York State has introduced legislation that takes effect in February requiring dating apps to notify users if potential matches have been previously banned from the platform, addressing safety concerns in online dating. The measure responds to documented risks, as the Federal Trade Commission reported 70,000 Americans fell victim to romance scams in 2022, with users commonly worried about fake profiles and scammers on dating platforms.
independent.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, nearly one in five UK consumers fell victim to scams, with purchase scams averaging £650 in losses and investment scams significantly higher at £15,564 per claim. The top reported scams included fake deliveries, HMRC impersonation, purchase fraud, and romance schemes, with the majority originating on social media platforms where AI-enabled tactics are making scams increasingly difficult to identify. Experts stress that consumers feel overwhelmed by evolving scam methods and call for cross-industry collaboration to combat fraud, while recommending people avoid disclosing personal details, verify company contacts, and resist pressure to make quick decisions.
newscentral.africa
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja and Abel Adeyi Daramola, were sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded an Albuquerque victim of approximately $560,000 between January 2016 and April 2017. The scheme involved creating a fake dating profile under the name "Glenn Brown" on eHarmony.com to establish a romantic relationship with the victim and convince them to send money for a fictitious Malaysian construction project. Ogunlaja and Daramola facilitated the fraud by providing bank accounts to receive and launder the stolen funds.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
This article discusses romance scams on online dating platforms, where fraudsters create fake profiles to emotionally manipulate victims before requesting money. In 2023, the average romance scam in the UK was worth approximately £30,000, with fraudsters spending weeks or months "grooming" victims before making financial requests, resulting in nearly £6 million in attempted romance scams that year. The article provides warning signs of romance fraud (inconsistent stories, quick professions of love, requests for money) and prevention tips for online daters.
americanbanker.com
· 2025-12-08
**Scam Type:** Account takeover and wire fraud following inheritance receipt
**What Happened:** An 86-year-old widow received a life insurance check after her husband's death in July. Within days, a fraudster opened two bank accounts using her name and stole the funds by transferring them between the accounts. The theft was discovered on August 11, and the money was eventually recovered with help from the U.S. Secret Service and Palm Beach County Police—a rare outcome, as most victims do not recover stolen funds.
**Key Issue:** The article highlights systemic banking vulnerabilities including inconsistent anti-fraud regulations, lack of document authentication tools to detect forgeries, an
yorknewstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
"Pig butchering" is a romance scam scheme developed by Asian organized crime groups that targets individuals through social media and dating apps by building fake romantic relationships to gain trust before requesting investments in cryptocurrency. The scam involves four phases—the Hook, Relationship building, Investment pitches, and Delivery—where perpetrators use AI-generated profiles, false identities, and fraudulent investment websites to convince victims to send money, sometimes requesting initial investments as small as $10. According to Claire McHenry, deputy director of Nebraska's Department of Banking and Finance, victims can be anyone, and scammers employ sophisticated tactics including AI-generated voices and appearances to make fake personas seem credible before eventually asking
psychologytoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Rural Americans face unique vulnerabilities to fraud due to geographic isolation, limited access to resources, and higher concentrations of older adults who report larger financial losses to scams. Rural residents are more reliant on online services for shopping, may turn to online dating platforms due to limited in-person social opportunities, and often encounter barriers to reporting scams including decreased government trust, lack of support services, and social stigma. Scammers exploit these vulnerabilities through various schemes including online shopping fraud, romance scams, and disaster relief impersonation, yet rural fraud trends remain largely undocumented because most consumer protection agencies do not differentiate data by population density.
independent.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, nearly one in five UK consumers fell victim to scams, with purchase scams averaging £650 in losses while investment scams were significantly costlier at an average of £15,564 per claim. The top reported scam types included fake deliveries, HMRC impersonation, purchase scams, online marketplace fraud, and WhatsApp "Hello Mum" messages, with the majority originating on social media platforms. Experts emphasize that consumers should protect themselves by avoiding disclosure of personal details, verifying company identities, and resisting pressure to make quick decisions or payments.
therakyatpost.com
· 2025-12-08
Between 2020 and 2024, Malaysians lost RM11.23 billion to scams, with cases increasing 53.2% from 27,323 to 41,701 annually, according to Malaysia's Commercial Crime Investigation Department. Phone scams were the most prevalent fraud type with 14,684 cases in the last year, followed by e-commerce scams (7,662 cases) and fake investment schemes (6,337 cases). In response, authorities prosecuted 40.3% of cases and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission blocked 3.1 billion suspected scam calls as of December 2024.
ottawa.citynews.ca
· 2025-12-08
Ontario Provincial Police reported that scammers in the east region are using multiple fraud schemes, including a recent case where a business employee was manipulated into withdrawing cash and depositing it into a Bitcoin machine in Peterborough. The top scams targeting the region include cryptocurrency investment fraud ("get rich quick" schemes), bank investigator fraud, romance scams, and identity theft/phishing attacks, with Canadians losing an estimated $638 million to fraud in 2024, though actual losses are likely much higher due to significant underreporting.
kdhlradio.com
· 2025-12-08
Scam attempts in Minnesota and globally are escalating, with over $1.03 trillion lost to scammers in 2024, increasingly aided by artificial intelligence that generates convincing phishing emails, fake images, and cloned voices. High-risk scams include imposter schemes (grandparent and romance scams with median losses of $800), government imposter scams ($14,000+ median loss), cryptocurrency scams, employment scams, and task scams (which increased from 5,000 reports in 2023 to 20,000 in the first half of 2024). Scammers exploit recent disasters and events while using AI to intensify existing frau
newsregister.com
· 2025-12-08
This opinion column discusses the widespread problem of consumer fraud in America and globally, noting that the FTC estimated over $10 billion in U.S. consumer fraud in 2024 while worldwide losses exceeded $1.03 trillion. The piece highlights that elderly people are particularly vulnerable due to their trust, but cautions that even cautious individuals can fall victim to increasingly sophisticated scams involving AI deepfakes, impostor schemes, romance fraud, and investment fraud. The author emphasizes that people should be vigilant about sharing personal information, clicking suspicious links, and falling for phishing emails, as scams can cause life-altering financial damage within hours.
vice.com
· 2025-12-08
New York is implementing a law effective February that requires dating apps to alert users if someone has been previously banned from the platform, targeting the rise of "romance scammers" who create fake profiles to build trust with victims before requesting money for emergencies or travel. Romance scammers cost Americans billions annually by exploiting the anonymity of online dating to solicit funds under false pretenses. The new notification system aims to help users make more informed decisions about whom to engage with on dating apps.
theglobeandmail.com
· 2025-12-08
In June 2021, a Toronto woman lost approximately $355,000 in a romance fraud scheme after being befriended on Facebook by a man posing as "Moshe Theodor McNigh" who convinced her to invest in bitcoin through a fraudulent website; the scammer was later identified as Nigerian national Omonkhoa Precious Afure and arrested by Nigerian authorities, resulting in the recovery of $225,000 in December 2021. Romance fraud represents the second-highest-grossing scam type in Canada with $37.2 million in reported losses as of September 2024, characterized by perpetrators grooming vulnerable victims over weeks or months, building trust, an
wbur.org
· 2025-12-08
Judith Boivin, an 80-year-old Maryland retiree, lost $600,000 of her life savings in an elaborate government impersonation scam in September 2023. Scammers posing as FBI and local police officers convinced her that her Social Security number was being used for drug trafficking and money laundering, then persuaded her to withdraw her retirement funds in cash under the guise of assisting a federal investigation. This case exemplifies a broader trend of sophisticated scams targeting well-meaning Americans, particularly those with caregiving backgrounds and strong civic values.
malaymail.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, Malaysia's Commercial Crime Investigation Department reported 770 love scam cases resulting in RM45.9 million in losses, with elderly women aged 61 and above representing the highest demographic affected at 173 victims. Approximately 75.6% of all love scam victims were women, with syndicates primarily using Facebook and WhatsApp to identify and manipulate emotionally vulnerable targets through increasingly sophisticated tactics.
witf.org
· 2025-12-08
The Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers and credit union representatives are advocating for new legislation to protect seniors from elder financial abuse, citing tech support scams, romance scams, and investment frauds as prevalent threats. They are urging updates to Pennsylvania's Older Adults Protective Services Act to mandate reporting of suspected elder financial abuse and allow banks to place temporary holds on suspicious transactions while notifying law enforcement and aging agencies. The groups emphasize that trained bank employees can serve as critical safeguards against financial exploitation of older adults.