Search
Explore the Archive
Search across 22,013 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
2,895 results
in Identity Theft
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A 44-year-old former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, Washington, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for stealing over $1.2 million from eight elderly and vulnerable customers through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and cashier's checks between 2014 and 2019. Davie deliberately targeted seniors with dementia or limited English skills who were less likely to monitor their accounts, with one victim losing more than $566,000 from her retirement accounts. Wells Fargo partially reimbursed victims for their losses, and the court will determine final restitution amounts in March 2024.
the-sun.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a New York financial columnist, lost $50,000 in an elaborate phone scam in October where scammers impersonated Amazon, the FTC, and a CIA agent, using fear tactics and personal information about her and her family to convince her that her identity had been compromised and a warrant was out for her arrest. The scammers kept her on the phone for five hours and instructed her to withdraw cash and hand it to a car that pulled up to her apartment building. According to the FTC, such government impersonation scams are increasingly common, with Americans losing $2.7 billion to these schemes in 2023.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a financial columnist for New York Magazine's The Cut, lost $50,000 in a sophisticated phone scam that began with a fraudulent Amazon customer service call on October 31, 2023. The scammers used personal details about her family and threats of surveillance to manipulate her over five hours, employing the tactic of "blocking the exits" to prevent her from reaching out to trusted contacts. Cowles publicly defended her story by emphasizing that scam victims come from all walks of life—including financial professionals, doctors, and lawyers—and advised others to identify trusted people to contact and create exit strategies when feeling pressured.
6abc.com
· 2025-12-08
A Brooklyn-based financial advice columnist for New York Magazine lost $50,000 to an elaborate phone scam in October in which fraudsters impersonated Amazon, the FTC, and a CIA agent over a five-hour call, ultimately convincing her to withdraw cash and hand it to a stranger. The scammers used personal details about her and her family to build credibility and pressure her into believing she faced arrest and identity fraud. According to the FTC, such government impersonation scams are widespread, with Americans losing $2.7 billion annually to these schemes.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
A Joliet family lost access to a $10,000 federal tax refund after scammers gained access to their H&R Block online account and filed a fraudulent tax return in their names, using the family's personal information and their children's Social Security numbers. The scammers filed early online after obtaining credentials from a previous year's tax filing, and despite the family reporting suspicious access attempts to H&R Block, the company failed to prevent the fraudulent filing. The IRS instructed the family to file a paper return to resolve the issue, but the process is lengthy, forcing the family to take out personal loans to cover expenses they expected the refund to cover.
atlantanewsfirst.com
· 2025-12-08
A 62-year-old man in Haralson County, Georgia was charged with exploitation of an elder person, identity theft, and financial transaction card fraud after investigators discovered he had made unauthorized credit card purchases and transactions in the victim's name without consent. The investigation was initiated in September 2023 following a report from the victim's family, who provided financial records documenting a pattern of fraudulent activity.
marketrealist.com
· 2025-12-08
In October 2023, Charlotte Cowles, a New York Times financial columnist, was scammed out of $50,000 by perpetrators posing as Amazon customer service, FTC, and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and used to purchase vehicles and properties, with warrants allegedly issued for her arrest. The scammers used social engineering tactics including spoofed government phone numbers, fake badge numbers, and threats of home raids to build credibility and pressure her into withdrawing cash. Cowles ultimately handed over $50,000 in a shoe box to a stranger, despite her professional expertise in personal finance and skepticism about the claims.
freep.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, consumers reported losing a record $10 billion to fraud and scams—a 14% increase from 2022—according to FTC data, with 2.6 million fraud reports filed nationwide and approximately 700,000 people reporting financial losses. Common scams included romance fraud, fake bank and tech support calls, and impersonation schemes, with criminals exploiting digital payment methods including bank transfers ($1.86 billion) and cryptocurrency ($1.41 billion). Michigan consumers alone lost $151.7 million to fraud in 2023, with a median loss of $410 per victim.
wtop.com
· 2025-12-08
A financial planner in Prince George's County, Maryland, warned about tax season fraud scams, noting that scammers impersonate the IRS by phone to steal money, and that the IRS flagged over one million tax returns for identity fraud last year with 12,617 confirmed identity theft cases. Key advice includes protecting Social Security numbers and sensitive information, filing taxes early to prevent identity theft, organizing tax forms in advance, and verifying dependent eligibility before filing to avoid losing credits.
krcgtv.com
· 2025-12-08
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a warning to residents about tax season scams, where fraudsters impersonate the IRS via phone calls, emails, and phishing schemes to steal personal information and social security numbers. The advisory provides protective measures including filing taxes early, using reputable preparers, being suspicious of unsolicited IRS contact, and securing personal documents. Consumers who suspect they are victims of scams are encouraged to contact the Missouri Attorney General's consumer hotline at 800-392-8222 or ago.mo.gov.
kttn.com
· 2025-12-08
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a warning to residents about tax season scams, advising vigilance against fraudsters attempting to steal personal information, particularly Social Security numbers. The advisory highlights that scammers impersonate the IRS through fake phone calls and phishing emails, and recommends consumers file taxes early, use reputable preparers, protect sensitive documents, and verify credentials to prevent identity theft. Those who suspect fraud can contact the Missouri Attorney General's consumer hotline at 800-392-8222 or visit the office's website for assistance.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Experian's 2024 fraud report, AI-generated deepfakes, identity theft, and fake charity schemes are among the year's biggest scams targeting consumers and businesses, with nearly 70% of businesses reporting increased fraud losses and over half of consumers feeling more vulnerable to fraud than the previous year. The report identifies five major fraud threats: AI scams and deepfakes, weaker in-person bank identity verification, retail return fraud, synthetic identity fraud, and fake charitable campaigns—with deepfakes particularly empowering fraudsters to conduct more accessible and convincing attacks.
ago.mo.gov
· 2025-12-08
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a tax season fraud warning, advising residents to protect their personal information from scammers posing as the IRS through unsolicited calls, emails, and phishing schemes. The advisory emphasizes that the IRS never initiates contact via phone or email requesting personal data, and recommends filing taxes early, using credentialed preparers, and securely handling sensitive information to prevent identity theft. Consumers who believe they are victims of scams can contact the Missouri Attorney General's consumer hotline at 800-392-8222 or ago.mo.gov.
seattletimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a finance advice columnist at New York Magazine, fell victim to a $50,000 scam involving fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and the CIA who convinced her to withdraw money for "safekeeping" due to alleged identity theft and fraudulent accounts. The article debunks the scammers' tactics by confirming that Amazon never transfers customers to the FTC, the FTC never provides badge numbers or asks for financial information, and the CIA does not conduct domestic fraud investigations. The piece serves as an educational guide highlighting red flags and advising consumers to hang up on suspicious calls and contact companies directly through official channels.
securityboulevard.com
· 2025-12-08
Online dating platforms are increasingly vulnerable to AI-driven romance scams, with cybercriminals using generative AI to create ultra-realistic fake personas with convincing messages, images, and audio to deceive users and steal money and personal information. Research from Darktrace shows a 135% increase in novel social engineering attacks, particularly around Valentine's Day when online dating activity peaks. Both individual users and dating platforms should implement protective measures, including limiting personal information sharing, recognizing signs of AI-generated content, refusing money requests from online contacts, and utilizing identity verification and fraud detection tools.
ca.style.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A New York Magazine personal finance writer fell victim to a phone scam in which she was deceived into believing she was speaking with the FBI and was a victim of identity fraud, ultimately withdrawing $50,000 in cash, placing it in a shoebox, and handing it to a stranger. The scam demonstrates how sophisticated fraud schemes can deceive even knowledgeable individuals about financial matters, and the incident generated significant social media discussion about the vulnerability of smart people to well-crafted scams.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
Imposter scams are rising sharply, with people losing $2.7 billion to this fraud type in 2022 (up 14% overall from the previous year), as exemplified by financial columnist Charlotte Cowles who was scammed out of $50,000 by imposters posing as Amazon and CIA officials. The FTC has proposed new protections against impersonation fraud and warned that AI-generated deepfakes are making these scams increasingly sophisticated and convincing. Consumers are advised to monitor accounts regularly, never confirm personal information over unsolicited calls, and report suspected scams to the FTC.
gulfcoastmedia.com
· 2025-12-08
The North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau are hosting a free "Protect Yourself Against Scammers Summit" on March 7 for senior citizens in Bay Minette, Alabama. The educational event will cover major fraud schemes including government impostor scams, romance scams, identity theft, investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and Medicare fraud to help seniors recognize and avoid becoming victims.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
A freelance finance writer fell victim to an elaborate impersonation scam in which scammers posing as an Amazon employee, FTC official, and CIA agent convinced her to withdraw and hand over $50,000 in cash to a stranger, using threats of arrest warrants and asset freezes to manipulate her into isolation and compliance. Security experts note that professional scammers use sophisticated social engineering tactics—including fear for family safety, appeals to emotion, and knowledge of personal details like Social Security numbers—to override victims' skepticism, and that anyone, regardless of sophistication, can be targeted by such schemes.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A New York Magazine financial advice columnist lost $50,000 to a vishing scam in which a fraudster impersonated an FTC investigator, falsely claiming she was wanted for arrest and needed to pay cash to restore her identity. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan used the incident to warn the public that Americans lost $2.7 billion last year to voice phishing scams, emphasizing that legitimate government officials never request personal information, badge numbers, or cash transfers via phone.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Novato police arrested 40-year-old Volodymyr Pipskyy after he allegedly defrauded an elderly resident in a phone scam involving a fake "data breach" that convinced the victim to withdraw large sums of cash. When the victim's family alerted police and detectives learned a pickup was planned, they conducted surveillance and arrested Pipskyy at the victim's home on February 9. Seized electronics linked Pipskyy to scams throughout Northern California, and he is being held without bail on suspicion of conspiracy and theft by pretenses.
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
A 40-year-old man from Roseville was arrested in Novato after scamming an elderly resident by impersonating a data breach investigator and convincing the victim to withdraw large sums of cash. Police staked out the victim's home and arrested Volodymyr Pipskyy on February 9 when he arrived to collect additional money, and evidence suggests he conducted similar scams across Northern California. Pipskyy was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy and theft by false pretenses and is being held without bail.
thecut.com
· 2025-12-08
In October, the author—a financially literate journalist and New York Times columnist—fell victim to an elaborate impersonation scam that cost her $50,000 in savings. After an initial fraudulent Amazon customer service call, she was transferred to a scammer posing as a federal agent who claimed her identity had been compromised and her home was being monitored, pressuring her to withdraw cash and leave it on the street in a shoebox without telling anyone. The article challenges common stereotypes about scam victims, noting that younger adults are actually 34% more likely to report fraud losses than seniors, and that intelligence, education, and financial literacy provide no protection against sophisticated psychological manipulation tactics.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial columnist Charlotte Cowles lost $50,000 to an elaborate scam that began with a fake Amazon customer service call in October 2023, escalating through impersonation of FTC and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and she faced arrest warrants. The scammers persuaded her to withdraw cash from her savings account and hand it to an undercover "agent" by creating an increasingly elaborate false narrative with fabricated evidence. Cowles' experience serves as a cautionary tale that fraud targets people across all demographics and education levels, countering the stereotype that only vulnerable populations fall victim to such schemes.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A financial advice columnist for New York Magazine was scammed out of $50,000 in October by a con artist posing as a CIA agent who claimed her identity had been stolen and she faced arrest warrants for money laundering and drug trafficking. The scammer, who obtained personal information including her Social Security number and family details, instructed her not to contact authorities and directed her to place $50,000 cash in a shoe box and hand it to a courier in a white Mercedes SUV. After the handoff, Cowles realized the scam when attempts to follow up on promised government checks and Social Security assistance went nowhere.
yakimaherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams have increasingly targeted younger age groups (people in their 20s and 30s) across dating apps and social media platforms, with reported losses reaching $469.9 million in 2023—a 104% increase from 2019. Scammers use fake profiles and AI-generated photos to build romantic connections before requesting money or personal information, exploiting victims' emotional vulnerability. To avoid romance scams, people should be wary of requests for money or banking details, watch for requests to switch communication platforms, and verify suspicious requests before responding.
thecut.com
· 2025-12-08
A journalist who lost $50,000 to an imposter scam in October shares lessons learned about sophisticated fraud tactics, interviewing victims and experts to understand how scams work. The article explains that anyone can be vulnerable to scams regardless of prior caution, and details how scammers use tactics like spoofed calls from government agencies, appeals to authority, and publicly available personal information to establish credibility and manipulate victims. Key prevention strategies include not answering calls from unknown numbers, recognizing fear-based and opportunity-based scam categories, and understanding that scammers exploit hardwired instincts to trust authority figures.
lafocusnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FTC reported nationwide fraud losses reached an all-time high of $10 billion—14% more than 2022—driven primarily by larger per-victim losses rather than increased report volume, with a median loss of $500 per consumer. The top scam categories were imposter schemes (particularly business and government imposters), online shopping fraud, prizes/lotteries, investment fraud, and job opportunities, with investment scams generating the highest total losses at $4.6 billion despite being ranked fourth in frequency. The FTC warned that scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence for voice cloning and deepfakes to impersonate trusted contacts, and advised consumers to be
malwarebytes.com
· 2025-12-08
# Scammer Alert Summary
Scammers are harvesting public Facebook photos to stage fake kidnappings, contacting victims' families with demands for ransom while using the stolen images as "proof-of-life" to make the hoax convincing. The FBI warns that this scam preys on panic and emotion, with criminals using tight deadlines and threats to pressure families into quick payments without verification. To protect yourself, limit who can see your photos on social media by adjusting privacy settings to friends-only, and if you receive a ransom demand, stay calm and contact authorities rather than paying—real proof-of-life should be verified through direct contact with the alleged victim.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Identity theft in the U.S. has dramatically worsened, with victimization rates nearly doubling from 43% to 78% in a single year, while concerns about AI-powered fraud schemes have surged to 90%, according to Debt.com's latest survey. Children have become prime targets, with 61% of respondents reporting that a child or family member had their identity compromised, up sharply from 23% the previous year, leaving families worried about long-term financial damage including credit score drops and fraudulent debt. To protect yourself and your family, experts recommend monitoring credit reports regularly, considering credit freezes for children, staying cautious with online relationships and investment opportunities, and reporting suspected identity theft immediately to authorities and creditors.
bocaratontribune.com
· 2025-12-08
# Medicare Fraud Summary
Scammers are bombarding seniors with 50-60 fraudulent phone calls daily during Medicare's open enrollment period, using spoofed numbers and impersonation to steal personal information, commit identity theft, and bill the government for fake medical equipment. Complaints about these scams have surged 40 percent this year, leaving victims like an 80-year-old Pennsylvania man receiving calls every 14 minutes and experiencing severe harassment. To protect yourself, never verify Medicare information over the phone, hang up on unsolicited callers claiming to be from healthcare providers, and report suspicious calls to the Federal Communications Commission or Better Business Bureau.
patch.com
· 2025-12-07
The City of Temecula and Assemblymember Kate Sanchez are hosting a free "Senior Scam Symposium" on November 20 to educate older adults on identifying and preventing scams, including internet fraud, phishing, identity theft, and fraudulent phone calls. The event will feature keynote speakers from law enforcement, the FBI, and county officials who will discuss scam prevention strategies, legislative updates, and available resources to protect seniors and their families.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-07
**Scam Type:** Fake settlement claim websites and phishing emails
Scammers are creating fraudulent websites and sending deceptive emails impersonating legitimate data breach settlement payouts (such as Facebook's $725 million and AT&T's $177 million settlements) to steal victims' Social Security numbers, banking information, and other personal data. To protect yourself, verify settlements through the FTC's official ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds site, watch for red flags like requests for complete SSNs, processing fees, urgent language, misspelled URLs, and grammar errors, and consider mailing claims directly rather than using links in emails.
detroitnews.com
· 2025-12-07
This educational article provides guidance on recovering emotionally and practically from financial scams. It advises victims to document what happened, immediately contact their financial institution to dispute charges and change passwords, file police reports with local and federal agencies (FBI, FTC, state attorney general), and consider credit monitoring or freezes to prevent further fraud. Experts emphasize that scam victims should not feel shame, as anyone can be targeted, and that sharing experiences with others can help prevent future scams in their community.
malwarebytes.com
· 2025-12-07
Scammers are impersonating the New York State Tax Department via calls, texts, and emails to trick residents into providing personal information under the false premise that they need to submit payment details to receive legitimate inflation refund checks. The phishing campaigns use urgency tactics and fake websites to steal sensitive data like Social Security numbers and banking information for identity theft, though eligible residents are automatically sent refunds without needing to provide any information or take action.
betanews.com
· 2025-12-07
In 2024, cybercrime complaints to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reached 859,532 with reported losses of $16.6 billion—a 51-fold increase in complaints and 2,400-fold increase in losses since 2000. Seniors were disproportionately affected, filing 147,127 complaints and losing $4.8 billion, while investment scams caused the highest financial losses at $6.6 billion despite phishing generating more complaints overall. Corporations have faced even larger aggregate losses exceeding $128 billion from major incidents over the past 37 years, with ransomware attacks causing the greatest corporate damage at over $6
click2houston.com
· 2025-12-07
Multiple viewers reported receiving Medicare mail addressed to other people, raising identity theft concerns during the annual Medicare open enrollment period (October 15-December 7), when scams typically increase. The Better Business Bureau's Texas Senior Medicare Patrol recommends not opening misaddressed mail, contacting Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE to verify personal information, and monitoring accounts for unauthorized charges, as mail mix-ups may indicate identity theft or other fraudulent activity such as unauthorized medical equipment charges or impersonation calls.
cnhi.com
· 2025-12-07
Older adults aged 60-plus lost $3.4 billion globally to financial scammers in 2023, with fraudsters targeting this population because they believe older adults have substantial savings and are less likely to report crimes. The article describes five common scams targeting seniors: grandparent scams (emotional manipulation using impersonation), financial services scams (impersonating banks or debt collectors), tech support scams (the most frequently reported type), government impersonation scams (IRS/Social Security threats), and romance scams, all of which exploit trust, fear, or emotion to extract money or personal information.
m.economictimes.com
· 2025-12-07
Scammers are sending fake letters with forged U.S. Supreme Court letterhead to Social Security recipients, impersonating government officials and falsely claiming recipients are involved in criminal proceedings to coerce them into providing personal information and money. The letters, often followed by text messages and phone calls, threaten to freeze bank accounts and warn against holding more than $10,000 in savings. Seniors should disregard such communications, report them to authorities, and verify any Social Security-related claims through official channels or trusted contacts.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-07
On October 16, 2025, AARP Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Elder Justice Coalition hosted a Scam Jam educational event at UW-Green Bay to inform attendees about current fraud schemes and connect them with anti-fraud professionals. The event featured a resource fair with multiple Wisconsin organizations dedicated to combating elder fraud, including AARP's Fraud Watch Network, the Better Business Bureau, state consumer protection agencies, and victim support services, all providing free educational materials, complaint filing assistance, and community presentations.
themirror.com
· 2025-12-07
Social Security Administration officials warned of a scam targeting seniors that uses forged letters with fake U.S. Supreme Court letterhead claiming recipients are subjects of legal proceedings and have had their Social Security numbers compromised. The scam solicits personal information and money by falsely claiming the Supreme Court has frozen the recipient's assets and imposed limits on bank balances and investments. The OIG advised seniors to disregard such communications, verify information with others before responding, and report suspicious letters, texts, and calls to ssa.gov/scam.
aol.com
· 2025-12-07
Internet scams have evolved from crude 1990s email cons like Nigerian prince schemes to sophisticated AI-powered deepfakes that can convincingly impersonate voices and faces, with phishing attacks emerging in the early 2000s as online banking adoption grew. Despite technological advances making fraud more convincing and difficult to detect, successful scams continue to rely on exploiting fundamental human emotions—greed, fear, compassion, and loneliness—through predictable psychological manipulation patterns that create urgency and isolate victims from support systems. Understanding how scam tactics have evolved reveals that technological complexity often masks simple psychological manipulation, and recognizing consistent underlying patterns can help potential victims identify manipulation attempts regardless of delivery method.
aol.com
· 2025-12-07
This 2025 awareness article outlines emerging identity theft tactics enhanced by generative AI, including AI-powered phishing emails, voice cloning scams (which affect 1 in 4 people according to McAfee), deepfake videos, and synthetic identity creation. The article describes how criminals use these technologies to make fraudulent communications and fake identities increasingly difficult to detect, and advises readers to watch for warning signs such as unfamiliar account charges, unexpected credit accounts, credit score drops, and suspicious mail patterns.
bioengineer.org
· 2025-12-07
Fraudsters are increasingly employing artificial intelligence to create more convincing scams targeting vulnerable populations, particularly the Latino community and those with limited technology knowledge. Assistant Professor Gabriel Aguilar, who himself fell victim to a fake job offer scam involving a fraudulent check as a college student, advocates for enhanced AI literacy education to help students and communities recognize and combat AI-enabled deceptions such as deepfakes and voice-cloning technology. Aguilar proposes that educators integrate critical thinking about AI scams into technical writing and communication curricula to equip learners with tools to identify fraud and protect themselves and their communities.
news.trendmicro.com
· 2025-12-07
This educational piece outlines how to identify and respond to social media scams targeting users. Common scams include fake celebrity accounts, phishing links, romance scams, fraudulent job offers, giveaway schemes, and investment fraud—all designed to steal personal information, credentials, or money through deceptive friend requests and messages. The article recommends verifying profiles for authenticity, reporting suspicious accounts, blocking scammers, and maintaining strong privacy settings to protect against these threats.
newsweek.com
· 2025-12-07
The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued an alert about a government imposter scam using forged Supreme Court letterhead and signatures of justices John Roberts and Sonia Sotomayor to target seniors receiving retirement benefits. The fraudulent letters falsely claim recipients are suspects in criminal proceedings, allege identity theft of their Social Security numbers, and pressure victims to send money and share personal information under threat of frozen assets and account balance restrictions. Victims are advised to ignore the communications, report them to the FTC or SSA OIG, and take immediate steps to freeze accounts and monitor credit if they have already provided information or funds.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-07
**Summary:**
Consumer watchdogs warn that scammers are exploiting federal government shutdown uncertainty by impersonating government agencies via text, phone, and email to target federal employees and benefit recipients, requesting personal information or payment fees under false pretenses. The shutdown simultaneously weakens consumer protections by halting FTC fraud complaint intake, FDA food inspections, and other regulatory functions, leaving vulnerable populations more exposed to exploitation during an economically uncertain period.
local.aarp.org
· 2025-12-07
**Scam Jam Educational Event - October 16, 2025**
AARP Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Elder Justice Coalition hosted a Scam Jam awareness event at UW-Green Bay to educate attendees about current scams and connect them with fraud-fighting professionals. The event featured a resource fair with multiple Wisconsin organizations including AARP's Fraud Watch Network, the Better Business Bureau, state consumer protection agencies, and local support services, all offering free fraud prevention information, complaint filing assistance, and community presentations.
troopers.ny.gov
· 2025-12-07
New York State Police warn of a phone scam targeting senior citizens in which callers falsely claim identity theft has occurred and pressure victims to withdraw large sums of money or purchase gold bars for "safekeeping," with scammers then sending couriers to collect the funds. In one documented case in Tompkins County, victim(s) lost $500,000 in gold bars across two incidents in 2024, leading to the indictment of Akash B. Thakkar, age 41, on Grand Larceny charges after investigators identified him as a courier who picked up the gold bars. Authorities advise victims to hang up and contact trusted family members rather than comply with such demands
abcnews.go.com
· 2025-12-07
In 2024, Americans lost nearly $250 million to scams involving Bitcoin ATMs, more than double the previous year, with victims including 85-year-old Fran Bates who lost over $40,000 after being manipulated by scammers impersonating her bank. Bitcoin ATMs have become scammers' preferred method because transactions are irreversible and funds can be transferred worldwide within minutes, making recovery nearly impossible. The FBI and AARP have warned of the growing threat, and authorities have begun taking action, including a lawsuit against major Bitcoin ATM operator Athena Bitcoin, though the company denies responsibility and argues it maintains fraud safeguards.