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Scammers are sending text messages to people across multiple states, including California, demanding payment for toll road fees and threatening legal action, with links that can compromise personal information if clicked. The Identity Theft Resource Center reports these toll road scams are rapidly increasing, and California's Attorney General recommends victims delete suspicious messages, file complaints, verify accounts directly through official channels, and secure their financial information.

A 67-year-old California woman lost tens of thousands of dollars to a romance scammer impersonating actor Keanu Reeves, sending money via bitcoin, gift cards, and wire transfers over two years and eventually becoming homeless. Romance scams are among the most common online frauds, with Americans losing over $650 million to such scams in 2023, and adults over 60 experiencing the largest financial losses at $3.4 billion collectively. Red flags for romance scams include refusal to meet in person, requests for money, and pressure to use unconventional payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers.

Katherine Goodson, a 67-year-old California woman, lost tens of thousands of dollars over two years to a romance scammer impersonating actor Keanu Reeves, sending money via bitcoin, gift cards, and wire transfers, and is now living in her car. Romance scams are prevalent online, with Americans losing over $650 million to such scams in 2023, with adults over 60 suffering the largest losses at $3.4 billion collectively. Red flags include refusal to meet in person, requests for money, and pressure to use unconventional payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers.

A 69-year-old woman in Salmon Arm, B.C. lost $9,000 after clicking a fraudulent Facebook link that displayed a fake security warning claiming she had been hacked and would be reported for accessing illegal content. She was manipulated into purchasing Apple iTunes gift cards and providing the codes to scammers, who could not be traced due to the California-based phone number used in the scheme.

An 80-year-old American woman, Diana Nelson, was victimized by a romance scam orchestrated by Nigerian fraudster Emmanuel Adeboye, who impersonated Hollywood actor Mark Hammon on Facebook and convinced her to travel to Ghana in November, where she was held captive and robbed of her phones, cash, and valuables. Adeboye also manipulated Nelson into obtaining a $15,000 reverse mortgage on her California home and attempted to have her house sold while she was detained; he later contacted her son demanding he sell the property and claiming Nelson had been arrested with undeclared gold and diamonds. The FBI and Ghana Police coordinated a sting operation using her credit

Canter Strategic Wealth Management, a $300 million RIA in California, sued former advisor Michael N. Bernier and LPL Financial, alleging they conspired to steal clients after Bernier resigned in October to join LPL. The suit claims Bernier improperly accessed and downloaded confidential client information before departing and violated a non-solicitation clause, resulting in over $20 million in client assets transferring to LPL within weeks; Bernier denies wrongdoing and claims he downloaded only personal files with permission. Canter is seeking injunctions, damages, and compensation for legal fees, adding to a pattern of recruitment-related litigation involving LP

A 67-year-old California woman lost her home after falling victim to a Keanu Reeves romance scam, despite having previously warned others about the same fraud. Over two years, Goodson sent thousands of dollars in Bitcoin, gift cards, and wire transfers to scammers posing as the actor, who claimed to need financial help and wanted to marry her. She is now homeless and living in her car, but has gone public with her story to raise awareness about romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals.

Matthew Ramos-Soto, a 27-year-old from Connecticut, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-state grandparent scam targeting elderly victims. Operating as a courier posing as a bail bondsman, Ramos-Soto collected over $250,000 from victims across the United States between October 2022 and June 2023, as part of a larger fraud network that contacted elderly people claiming their relatives had been arrested and needed bail money. The scheme, which operated across multiple states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, and California, resulted in restitution being ordered and prompted federal authorities to emphasize the importance of

A retired submarine commander lost $3.6 million to scammers despite his banks' concerns, prompting Virginia to propose "Larry's Law"—legislation requiring banks to report suspected fraud to police. However, industry lobbyists successfully removed the mandatory reporting clause before the bill passed, and similar elder fraud protection measures in California and Pennsylvania have also been blocked or weakened by banking industry opposition, even as elderly Americans lose an estimated $28 billion annually to fraud. Banks argue that consumer education and voluntary reporting to adult protective services are sufficient, but enforcement of existing reporting requirements remains lax across states.

California's Department of Justice is investigating Contra Costa County's Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program after the federal Office of Inspector General filed a complaint based on NBC Bay Area's reporting about the program allegedly ignoring vulnerable Medi-Cal patients' medical needs, resulting in patient deaths. A county nurse manager reported that since 2022, the program falsified medical visit records, billed the state for visits that never occurred or were conducted by untrained staff, and failed to address patients' medical needs—including one case where a patient died from untreated bed sores and another who received no health interventions for a year. Contra Costa County settled with the whistleblower nurse for $499,000

**Summary:** California Attorney General Rob Bonta secured sentencing in a Riverside elder abuse case involving three defendants who operated an unlicensed board and care facility where six severely disabled residents aged 32-66 were found malnourished, dehydrated, and living in squalor without adequate care or staffing. Ronnel Tiburcio, assistant at the facility, was convicted of six felony counts of elder abuse and sentenced to seven years in prison; facility owner Joel Ombao received five years, and registered nurse Nimfa Molina received 122 days in jail.

A 73-year-old California woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by someone posing as MSNBC host Ari Melber on a fake Facebook profile over a four-month period. The scammer manipulated the victim by initially requesting money for his "sick dog," then claiming to be in love with her and promising marriage, and eventually sending an AI-generated voice message impersonating Melber before the victim attempted to fly to New York to meet him—an intervention by family members prevented the trip. The incident highlights the vulnerability of elderly individuals to romance and impersonation scams, with the FBI reporting over 101,000 people aged 60+ reporting fraud in the prior year.

Three operators of an unlicensed Riverside care facility were sentenced for neglecting and abusing six severely disabled residents aged 32-66, who were found malnourished, dehydrated, and living in squalor without proper medical care or staffing. Ronnel Tiburcio received seven years in prison after being convicted of six felony counts of elder abuse likely to produce great bodily harm and death, while facility owner Joel Ombao received five years and registered nurse Nimfa Molina received 122 days in county jail. The case was prosecuted by California's Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.

Three individuals were convicted of abusing six disabled and elderly residents (ages 32-66) at an unlicensed care facility called Secure Hands Board and Care Facility in Riverside, California, where victims were found malnourished and living in unsanitary conditions without proper care. Joel Ombao received five years in prison, Ronnel Tiburcio received seven years, and Nimfa Molina received 122 days in jail for their roles operating the facility without proper licensing, staff, or equipment. The case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Department of Justice's Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse and the Riverside Police Department

A 73-year-old California woman was defrauded of thousands of dollars over four months by a scammer who impersonated MSNBC host Ari Melber on a fake Facebook profile, initially requesting money for a supposed sick dog and later claiming romantic interest and plans to marry her. The scammer used an AI-generated voice message to strengthen the deception and nearly convinced the victim to travel to New York City to meet in person, though a family member intercepted her during a layover and brought her home. The FBI reports that such scams targeting older adults are increasingly common, with over 101,000 people age 60 and older reporting fraud in the previous year.

Adam Herrera listed his 2007 Toyota Tacoma for $13,000 on OfferUp and met potential buyers at an In-N-Out parking lot in Hesperia, California, where they sabotaged his vehicle by pouring water into the engine oil while distracting him during a test drive. When the truck began smoking, the scammers offered him only $5,000, but Herrera recognized the scheme after reviewing his dash camera footage and refused to sell. The incident cost him $1,500 in repairs at a Toyota dealership, and the Hesperia Police Department's investigation was ongoing at the time of reporting.

Alec Tahir Baker, 60, of Corona, California, was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft for his role in a scheme that defrauded businesses, individuals, and the Town of Bristol, Rhode Island, of approximately $8.9 million. The conspiracy employed business email compromise tactics, including phishing emails to gain network access and vendor impersonation emails to redirect payments to accounts Baker controlled across over 40 bank accounts he created. Baker subsequently concealed the fraudulent proceeds through cash withdrawals, cryptocurrency transfers, and transfers to other accounts and individuals, including a $310,500 theft from Bristol municipal funds

A 66-year-old San José man lost $170,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam, where scammers posed as investment advisors over Facebook and attempted to extract an additional $348,000 for fraudulent overseas taxes. Two Southern California residents, Liu Hong and Yalin Li, were arrested after law enforcement set up a sting operation at a bank parking lot; the case is notable because the victim realized the fraud while still in contact with the scammers, allowing authorities to intervene. Pig butchering scams cost Americans approximately $1 billion annually and typically involve multiple perpetrators, often including human trafficking victims forced to participate from Southeast Asia.

The Brooklyn District Attorney's office launched an investigation into fraudulent NFT platforms after an 85-year-old artist lost his life savings to a fake OpenSea website, uncovering 40 similar phishing sites targeting artists across the country. Scammers accessed victims' digital assets and laundered stolen funds through Nigeria, affecting at least three artists from New York, Georgia, and California. The DA's office shut down the fraudulent websites and advised NFT artists to verify site legitimacy and protect their crypto wallet seed phrases to prevent asset theft.

An 85-year-old Brooklyn artist was defrauded of $135,000 after being contacted on LinkedIn by a scammer posing as an art dealer who directed him to a fake NFT marketplace resembling OpenSea, promising $300,000 in profits but then demanding a "fee" to access funds. The Brooklyn District Attorney's office shut down 40 fraudulent NFT websites connected to the scheme, which targeted artists and was traced to Nigeria, with investigators identifying at least two other victims in Georgia and California.

A former California broker pleaded guilty to 90 counts including grand theft, insurance fraud, elder abuse, and forgery after collecting $183,047 in premium payments from 32 victims over 8 years without actually placing their insurance coverage. She was sentenced to three years of formal probation with an order to pay $335,349 in restitution, facing up to 33 years in prison if she violates probation terms.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is warning small businesses of scam letters impersonating the Secretary of State's Office that demand excessive payments (over $200) for business filings while threatening fines or business dissolution; similar telephone scams targeting Latino businesses have also been reported, with at least 40 complaints received since early November. The fraudulent letters, which include the state seal and publicly available business information to appear legitimate, contain telltale signs of fraud such as Sacramento, California addresses and .org website links instead of official .gov sites. Business owners are advised to verify filing status directly with the Secretary of State and to report suspected scams to the Attorney General's Office.

This piece describes legislative efforts focused on criminal justice reform in California rather than elder fraud prevention. The summary of passed legislation (Propositions 36, 47, 57 and Assembly Bill 109) outlines changes that shifted incarceration approaches, reduced penalties for certain crimes, and altered juvenile prosecution procedures, though it does not specify connections to elder fraud or abuse prevention.

A 19-year-old California teenager, Remington Ogletree, was arrested and charged with wire fraud in October 2024 for alleged crimes committed between October 2023 and May 2024, and is suspected of being a member of the notorious cybercrime group Scattered Spider, which specializes in phishing and social engineering attacks on major corporations. Ogletree, an expert in phishing techniques, was released on $50,000 bail with strict conditions including surrendering his devices and being barred from registering domain names or using messaging apps. This arrest is part of broader law enforcement efforts against Scattered Spider, a loosely organized group of young men from the US

Christos Mavrokelos installed skimming devices on ATM machines throughout California over two years, stealing approximately $149,000 from at least 40 accounts before his arrest and sentencing to 18 months in prison in July 2024. Skimming—where criminals attach devices to card readers to capture magnetic stripe data and sometimes use cameras or fake keypads to steal PINs—costs financial institutions and consumers over $1 billion annually, with recent incidents reported at grocery stores and gas stations across multiple states in September 2024. Although skimmers appear sophisticated, experts note they are relatively simple to deploy and use once attached to machines, making them a persistent and widespread threat.

Dale Lake of Hanford, California, agreed to a consent decree with the U.S. government after being accused of serving as a "money mule" in a lottery prize fraud scheme targeting senior citizens; he received money and gift cards from victims and transferred them to accomplices in Jamaica. Under the consent decree, Lake is permanently banned from participating in prize promotion fraud or any money transmission business, with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service monitoring his mail for compliance. The case represents a collaborative effort between federal authorities to dismantle fraud networks that exploit vulnerable elderly populations.

A 35-year-old Oakland man, Zhongqiang Chen, was arrested after scamming an elderly California woman out of $30,000 in a tech support fraud scheme. On November 12, 2024, Chen posed as McAfee Customer Service via email, gained remote access to the victim's computer, transferred $60,000 between her accounts, and falsely convinced her she owed him money, resulting in her initial payment of $30,000 before law enforcement intervened. Chen was arrested on November 14 when he arrived to collect a second $30,000 payment and faces charges including elder abuse, grand theft, and identity fraud.

**Summary:** Dale Lake of Hanford, California, agreed to a consent decree resolving federal allegations that he operated as a "money mule" in a mail and wire fraud scheme targeting senior citizens. Victims were deceived into believing they had won lotteries or sweepstakes and sent money to Lake, who then transmitted the funds to accomplices in Jamaica; the decree permanently prohibits Lake from participating in prize promotion fraud or money transmitting businesses and authorizes postal inspection monitoring of his mail.

A California woman lost $520 on two Usher concert tickets when they were fraudulently transferred to a stranger's account, but Ticketmaster resolved the issue and restored her tickets. The incident highlights rising ticket scam risks associated with major events, with cybersecurity experts advising concertgoers to use strong passwords and protect personal information when purchasing tickets online.

This educational piece advises consumers to remain vigilant against evolving fraud tactics, particularly during International Fraud Awareness Week. Southern California Edison received 1,562 fraud complaints in 2023 totaling $251,000 in losses, with scammers increasingly targeting churches through fake past-due bill alerts and fraudulent barcodes; the article provides protective measures including verifying secure websites, safeguarding personal information, and using only authorized payment methods. The positive trend shows a 54% drop in fraudulent complaints between 2022-2023, attributed to improved customer awareness.

Two Aiea, Hawaii women were federally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy for stealing a credit card number and check from a man in his 90s between February and March, using them to make over $20,000 in unauthorized purchases at spas, car dealerships, jewelry stores, and other businesses. Kalehuaiwilliamekamaile "Maile" Montez and Totie Tauala also allegedly used stolen identities of a California woman and an Arizona woman to facilitate the fraudulent transactions. The scheme was discovered when the victim's caregiver and daughter were contacted by a credit card company

A California man lost $20,000 to a tech support scam after receiving a pop-up warning that his account was compromised and being instructed to withdraw cash and mail it to a New York City address. NYPD Detective Justin Guzman intervened quickly upon the victim's report, intercepting the package at a Bayside, Queens apartment before the scammers retrieved it and successfully returning the funds. The case illustrates how scammers evolve tactics—when gift card fraud failed, they pivoted to requesting actual cash—and highlights the importance of police responsiveness in combating these schemes.

A New Jersey resident lost $16,000 after responding to a fake Instagram advertisement from a fraudulent company called "D&J Auto Transportation," which deleted its ad and website after receiving payment via wire transfer. The scam affected at least three victims across New Jersey, California, and New York for a total of over $38,000 before New York resident Ariel Cruz was identified and charged with theft by deception and computer theft. Red flags for online car purchase scams include pressure to finalize quickly, inability to meet the seller or inspect the vehicle, and payment requests via wire transfer or gift cards.

California's Department of Corporations and Department of Real Estate issued a joint consumer alert warning homeowners about mortgage loan modification scams, particularly those charging illegal advance fees (prohibited since 2009) and schemes involving signing over property or defaulting on loans to avoid foreclosure. The alert advised homeowners to contact the Department of Real Estate or Attorney General's office before hiring loan modification consultants and warned that such fraudulent tactics could result in faster property loss rather than foreclosure prevention.

A California financial advisor, Paul Horton Smith, was convicted in January of operating a $24 million Ponzi scheme called "Northstar" from 2000 to 2020, defrauding hundreds of elderly victims who believed they were investing in annuities or real estate. Elder fraud reports nationally increased 14% in 2023 with losses exceeding $3 billion annually, taking forms ranging from investment scams and romance scams to government impersonation, with emerging threats including AI-generated voice impersonation. To protect themselves, seniors should verify advisor credentials through BrokerCheck and IAPD databases, work with transparent advisors who maintain client fund access,

Kevin Barker, a Sacramento County foster parent and serial child molester, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after pleading no contest to four counts of lewd acts upon a child and possession of child pornography involving multiple victims between 2008 and 2018. Barker groomed children he met at parks and shelters with gifts, money, and drugs before sexually abusing them, and was discovered in 2018 when a neighbor reported seeing him place a hidden camera in his home to photograph children in his care. Under California's Elder Parole law, Barker (age 43) will become eligible for release at age 50, potentially serving only approximately

This is a general informational page rather than a specific scam or fraud case. **Summary:** The California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation provides consumer assistance and financial education resources to help California residents. The page serves as a general consumer protection and awareness portal.

Debbie Deem, a retired FBI victim specialist, volunteers as a fraud intervention coach in Camarillo, California, providing free counseling and education to community members who have fallen victim to scams and fraud. She emphasizes that fraud disproportionately affects older adults (particularly those aged 70-79) and isolated individuals, with victims in her caseload losing anywhere from $500 to $5 million, and some losing their homes entirely. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency are making sophisticated scams—including romance investment fraud, charity fraud, and romance scams—increasingly difficult to combat and devastating to victims often living on fixed incomes.

Lawyers nationwide received phishing emails impersonating federal court notices of electronic filings, with scammers requesting replies that lead to malicious websites designed to compromise personal and firm data. Federal district courts and bankruptcy courts issued warnings urging attorneys to verify filings through official channels and avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unofficial sources. The scheme targeted legal professionals across multiple jurisdictions from California to New York to Texas, posing risks of ransomware attacks and data theft.

A 93-year-old Napa man lost $20,000 to a phishing scam that began with a fraudulent PayPal email; he was instructed to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier. Police arrested courier Zhi Deng, 28, a New York resident who traveled to California to collect money from elderly victims on behalf of scam operations across the Bay Area. The victim's funds were not recovered, and Deng was booked on charges of obtaining money by false pretenses, elder abuse, and grand theft.

Southern California residents are being targeted by a sophisticated email extortion scam that uses personal information—including names, addresses, phone numbers, and photos of homes—obtained from data breaches to threaten victims with exposure of alleged pornography browsing history, typically demanding approximately $2,000 in Bitcoin. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office warns this is a nationwide boilerplate scam perpetrated by scammers often based outside the country, who rely on creating fear and urgency rather than actual device hacking. Authorities recommend ignoring such emails, enabling two-factor authentication, monitoring accounts for suspicious activity, and reporting incidents to local law enforcement or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Utility scams targeting seniors use threatening calls about immediate service shutoffs to extort money through fear and intimidation. The article advises recipients to hang up immediately, call their utility using the legitimate number on their bill, and report the scam to both the utility company and the FTC, emphasizing that real utilities do not operate this way and that money sent to scammers is nearly impossible to recover. According to ABC News and FBI data, people over 65 lost nearly $1 billion to scams in 2020, with seniors representing most of the 23,000 victims, particularly in California, Florida, and Texas.

This educational piece warns seniors about utility scams, where fraudsters impersonate utility companies and demand immediate payment under threat of service cutoff. The article advises recipients to hang up immediately, call their utility using the legitimate number on their bill, and report the scam to both the utility and the Federal Trade Commission. It notes that people over 65 lost nearly $1 billion to scams in 2020, with utility scams particularly prevalent in California, Florida, and Texas, making West Virginia seniors especially vulnerable given the state's high elderly population.

A 28-year-old California man was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution after nearly defrauding an 85-year-old man and 83-year-old woman in Colorado through a fake Microsoft Support Services pop-up scam. The suspect collected $30,000 from the couple in March 2024 and subsequently attempted to obtain an additional $70,000 by directing them to purchase gold, but was arrested in April 2024 and the gold was recovered. The case highlights how scammers use psychological manipulation and fear tactics to exploit elderly victims, with authorities noting the suspect may have victimized others in different areas

A married senior couple lost $30 million in a coordinated fraud scheme involving impersonation, cryptocurrency transfers, and alleged negligence by Charles Schwab, Bank of America, and Unchained Trading. Scammers used confidential information from Schwab's 2023 data breach to convince the victims their investment accounts were compromised, then directed them to liquidate assets and convert funds to cryptocurrency. The lawsuit alleges that all three institutions failed to implement proper Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols despite clear red flags of elder financial abuse and identity theft, and instead attempted to upsell additional services rather than halt the fraudulent transactions

An 85-year-old man and 83-year-old woman in California fell victim to a tech support scam after clicking a popup that directed them to call "Microsoft Support Services"; the suspect collected $30,000 from them in person and later attempted to extort an additional $70,000 in gold bars. Arashdeep Dhaliwal was arrested in April 2024 when he returned to collect the gold and subsequently pleaded guilty to felony theft, receiving 30 days jail time at work release, 3 years supervised probation, and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the victims.

An elderly California man lost $25,000 to a sophisticated grandparent scam that used AI voice generators to impersonate his son claiming he was in an accident. The scammer, posing as the son and then as multiple lawyers, convinced Anthony he needed to pay bail money through escalating demands, ultimately requesting between $15,800 and $25,000 after claiming the accident victim died. Law enforcement notes that AI-powered voice synthesis makes these fraud schemes increasingly convincing and dangerous, particularly when victims cannot verify the caller's identity through other means.

Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding allegedly led a major cocaine trafficking network that smuggled large quantities of drugs from California to Canada using cryptocurrency payments, including Tether (USDT), with one tracked payment involving 17,300 USDT linked to a drug deal. Wedding, who previously served prison time for cocaine trafficking in 2010, is now facing US prosecution for leveraging encrypted messaging and crypto to facilitate the operation. The case highlights ongoing concerns about cryptocurrency misuse in crime, though Tether reports it has frozen over $1.8 billion in illicit funds and is collaborating with law enforcement to combat criminal activity on its platform.

QR codes pose significant fraud risks as scammers use fake codes—often placed as stickers over legitimate ones—to steal personal information and money through fake payment links and malicious app downloads. A recent survey found 83% of people used QR codes for financial transactions in three months, with a notable incident involving 150 tampered parking meters in a California beach town. Security experts recommend verifying QR code sources, using physical payment methods when available, avoiding codes that request personal information, and using free verification apps like "Genie" to identify potential scams.

A California elderly man was defrauded of $25,000 by scammers using AI voice technology to impersonate his son, claiming he had caused a car accident and needed bail money; after an initial call from the AI-generated voice, follow-up calls from supposed lawyers named "Michael Roberts" and "Mark Cohen" pressured him to make two separate bank withdrawals totaling $25,000, which he handed to Uber drivers before discovering the fraud. The scam exploited the victim's emotional distress and the speed of the scheme to prevent him from verifying his son's actual situation, highlighting how advanced AI technology and social engineering are making fraud increasingly difficult for seniors to detect.