Explore the Archive

Grey's Anatomy actor Chris Carmack and his wife, musician Aaron Slaver, publicly shared their experience as scam victims to reduce stigma around fraud. Aaron lost $2,000 after purchasing cushions on an online platform (Betsy) that were never delivered and the seller disappeared before the platform could assist them. The couple is part of a McAfee cybersecurity campaign using #mycamstory to encourage others to openly discuss their scam experiences.

A U.S. Senate hearing examined cryptocurrency industry practices and potential scams, with lawmakers expressing concern that weaker crypto regulations compared to traditional financial rules may enable fraud. The testimony highlighted that retail investors have lost money on certain cryptocurrency projects while industry leaders and associates profited significantly, underscoring the need for stronger consumer protections and securities oversight in the crypto sector.

The FBI and Washington Township Police hosted a fraud awareness seminar at a senior center in Gloucester County, New Jersey, prompted by an incident where a 78-year-old resident nearly lost over $244,000 to scammers. The event aimed to educate seniors about common scam tactics and help prevent fraud in the community.

Washington Township Police Department in New Jersey partnered with the FBI to host an educational seminar teaching seniors and families how to recognize and avoid scams, prompted by recent major fraud cases in their community. Scammers commonly use fear, urgency, and confusion to target seniors through IRS scams, grandparent scams, tax support scams, online banking scams, and EasyPass billing scams, with recent local cases involving losses of $100,000 or more. Police emphasize that recognizing red flags through education is the most effective way to prevent seniors from losing their savings to fraud.

The United States Postal Inspection Service warned of a rise in mail scams heading into the holiday shipping season, including counterfeit postage stamps being sold on social media at 20-50% discounts and phishing/smishing scams via text messages falsely claiming failed package deliveries. Consumers are advised to purchase stamps only from approved postal providers and authorized retailers, and to be cautious of unsolicited delivery notifications via text that may contain malicious links.

"Pig butchering" is a cryptocurrency confidence scam where fraudsters build trust with victims over months through social media or dating apps before introducing fake cryptocurrency investment opportunities. Scammers send victims links to fraudulent trading websites and convince them to send hundreds or thousands of dollars, which actually goes directly into the scammers' pockets; the fake friend, website, and investment returns are all fabricated.

Scammers impersonating law enforcement are targeting seniors in Montgomery County and the DC area, convincing them to convert large sums of money into gold bars and surrender them for "safekeeping." Authorities have charged four men in connection with these scams, which have affected approximately 20 victims ranging from 61 to 94 years old, with losses totaling millions of dollars and a single largest loss of $2.3 million.

This article is not relevant to the Elderus database. It describes a criminal threat case involving a 41-year-old woman arrested for threatening former President Trump—a matter of general law enforcement, not elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. Please submit articles related to financial exploitation, scams targeting seniors, or elder abuse.

Scammers are using AI-generated fake websites to trick travelers into booking reservations on fraudulent travel booking sites that appear in search results. To protect yourself, verify website URLs carefully before booking flights or accommodations, avoid vague searches that may lead to sketchy sites, and watch for spelling errors and suspicious domain names (for example, a fake JetBlue site using ".org" instead of the legitimate domain).

An 82-year-old Montgomery County retiree lost nearly $1 million after clicking on a malicious popup ad that falsely claimed Russian spyware had compromised her computer. The scammers, posing as federal agents, coerced her into purchasing $900,000 in gold bars and handing them to a courier; she was prevented from losing an additional $2 million when she realized she was dealing with criminals rather than government officials. A 19-year-old suspect from Brooklyn was arrested after arriving in Silver Spring to collect the gold, and authorities indicate this scam remains active in the county.

This is not an article about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It reports on vandalism at a U.S. congressman's office where hostage awareness posters were destroyed. This does not fall within the scope of the Elderus database, which focuses on financial crimes, scams, and abuse targeting older adults.

This article is not relevant to elder fraud research. It is an educational piece about the FBI Police force—a few hundred sworn law enforcement officers established in the late 1980s who protect FBI personnel, facilities, and information across the Eastern seaboard, particularly in Washington D.C., New York, and West Virginia. The article, published in honor of National Police Week 2024, profiles FBI Police Chief David Sutton and Officer Briana Chapman, describing their training, authority, duties, and community engagement role.

A Montgomery County man posing as a federal agent scammed a senior citizen into converting nearly $250,000 in retirement savings into gold bars under the pretense of protecting him from identity theft. Police arrested the suspect (identified as Raingo Maton, a German citizen) as he picked up a box containing $23,000 in gold bars that was actually filled with tools; a vigilant friend's intervention prevented the victim from handing over the full amount.