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in Romance Scams
foxbangor.com
· 2026-09-15
Research from Malwarebytes analyzing threat data from April-July 2026 found that scammers strategically time fraudulent messages to maximize engagement, with scam text volume peaking around 12 p.m. ET (874% higher than at 1 a.m.) and increasing throughout the week, reaching peak levels on Fridays. Different scam types favor different platforms—job scams via email, romance scams via social media, and tech support scams via phone calls—while phishing websites remain the leading delivery method with Malwarebytes blocking approximately 500,000 fake pages daily. The data suggests scammers deliberately target busy times when victims are distracted and more likely
cnn.com
· 2026-09-15
Brian and Wendy VanDoeselaar, a Michigan couple preparing to close on a $460,000 condo purchase, lost $66,026.92 in a suspected AI voice-cloning scam days before closing. The scammers sent a fake email with a nearly identical phone number to their loan officer's and used voice cloning technology to impersonate him, creating artificial urgency to wire funds for down payment and closing costs. The couple discovered the fraud the next day when their actual loan officer sent them a legitimate closing statement, but the money had already been transferred and the deal was canceled.
abc7.com
· 2026-09-15
National Geographic's documentary "Super Scam Me" exposes romance scams, which stole over $1 billion from American victims in 2025 alone, with journalist Mariana van Zeller going undercover to investigate scammers and meet victims whose lives were devastated by these frauds. One featured victim believed she was in a romantic relationship with Jon Bon Jovi and faced foreclosure on her home as a result of the deception. The special highlights that one in seven adults have lost money to romance scams, making them among the most damaging frauds targeting vulnerable people.
foreignaffairs.house.gov
· 2026-09-15
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar sent a letter to federal officials requesting investigations and potential sanctions against foreign persons linked to online scam centers in Southeast Asia that have defrauded Americans of tens of billions of dollars annually. The scams, primarily operated by Chinese transnational criminal organizations, include "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment schemes and romance cons that exploit victims through psychological manipulation. The lawmakers are supporting the Trump Administration's enforcement efforts and promoting legislation like the Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act to strengthen the U.S. government's response to these criminal operations.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-15
Romance scammers stole over $1 billion from American victims in 2025, with the scam industry increasingly using AI-generated identities and deepfakes to manipulate targets. Emmy Award-winning journalist Mariana Van Zeller investigates these tactics in the new National Geographic special "Super Scam Me," premiering on Disney+ and Hulu on October 17, where she creates a fake dating profile to infiltrate scam operations and confront perpetrators. Victims featured in the investigation include a woman who lost her home through foreclosure after being deceived by a scammer impersonating Jon Bon Jovi.
panewslab.com
· 2026-09-14
MetaMask has introduced new security features in its mobile app and browser extension to combat cryptocurrency fraud, including warnings for lookalike addresses, investment scams, pig butchering schemes, and unfamiliar transfer recipients. The update also includes clearer transaction confirmations and an "Added Protection" feature that automatically reverses transactions that don't match the user's preview before confirmation.
ua.news
· 2026-09-14
An investor lost $1.1 million to a cryptocurrency investment scam after being contacted by a woman claiming to be an investment company executive who promised guaranteed returns and directed all trading through WhatsApp. The scheme, known as "pig butchering," showed the account balance growing to $2 million with promises it would reach $20 million by August, though a banker and MarketWatch columnist suspect the displayed profits are fictitious. The investor has reported the fraud to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center but faced difficulties pursuing legal action due to the foreign nature of the platform.
bitcoinke.io
· 2026-09-14
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese-language cryptocurrency marketplace that processed over $24 billion since 2022 and served as a financial hub for cyber scams, fraud, and money laundering involving networks linked to North Korean hackers and other sanctioned criminal groups. The Justice Department seized Xinbi's Telegram infrastructure and restrained over $52 million in cryptocurrency across multiple wallets. The marketplace operated as an escrow platform connecting scam operators with vendors offering money laundering services, including "Black U" launderers who converted stolen funds into stablecoins to obscure their criminal origins, particularly from pig butchering and romance scams.
ntd.com
· 2026-09-14
Chinese-based scammers deployed thousands of fake profiles across multiple dating apps using AI language models like Claude to generate millions of messages and catfish American users, with real gig workers providing occasional live video calls and social media interactions to appear authentic. Users paid in-app credits to message the fake profiles while scammers evaded app store detection through multiple app variants and hidden payment processors, operating a "pig butchering" romance scam designed to build trust before directing victims toward fraudulent investment schemes. The operation generated approximately 2.36 million messages over two weeks to maintain thousands of fake personas simultaneously.
techlicious.com
· 2026-09-14
Anthropic discovered that over 20 fake dating apps used its Claude AI chatbot to scam at least 25,000 people through AI-generated romantic personas, with 75% of profiles being bot-created and undisclosed to users. A China-based app studio operated the scheme using three AI personas per human worker, who exchanged 2.36 million messages over two weeks while users paid in-app coins for the deceptive interactions. The fraudulent apps employed tactics like fake profile visitors, phony likes, and pre-recorded videos, and deliberately showed clean versions to Apple and Google during app store approval before activating deceptive features.
the-sun.com
· 2026-09-14
Scammers commonly use urgent time pressure, promises of high returns, and emotional manipulation to defraud victims, particularly through investment and romance schemes involving cryptocurrency transfers. Red flags include requests to act quickly, professional-looking but fraudulent websites, fake testimonials, and discouragement of independent verification. Experts recommend documenting all communications, verifying details independently, and preserving evidence including emails, screenshots, wallet addresses, and transaction records if scammed.
lavocedinewyork.com
· 2026-09-14
Six Nigerian nationals alleged to be members of the Black Axe criminal syndicate were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of approximately $6 million. The suspects used social media, dating sites, and VoIP services to build emotional connections with victims before manipulating them into sending money for fabricated emergencies, legal fees, and inheritance claims. The investigation involved South African law enforcement's Hawks unit, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, with prosecutors alleging the network also used money laundering tactics including shipping electronics and opening U.S. bank accounts to transfer stolen
aarp.org
· 2026-09-14
I cannot provide a summary of this article because the content provided is only a navigation menu and website structure from AARP.org, not an actual article about Medicare mistakes or fraud. Please provide the full text of the article you'd like summarized.
tech.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-14
MetaMask is launching new security features including AI-powered scam detection, warnings for lookalike wallet addresses, and protections against investment and romance fraud to help users avoid sending cryptocurrency to scammers. The wallet provider is implementing contextual alerts and an "Added Protection" feature that automatically reverts transactions that don't match their previews, with priority support access for uncertain users. This comes as U.S. authorities recently seized over $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to investment and romance schemes that defrauded thousands across the U.S. and Canada.
pymnts.com
· 2026-09-14
According to Financial Action Task Force officials, fraudsters are increasingly using artificial intelligence to operate smaller, highly profitable scams instead of large-scale operations, with AI-enabled fraud being 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods. Criminals leverage AI tools like chatbots, deepfakes, and autonomous systems to impersonate victims, build trust relationships, and execute romance scams, investment fraud, and money laundering schemes with minimal staffing requirements. The FBI reported $893 million in AI-assisted fraud losses in 2025, with fraud-related reports climbing 54% since 2024, as AI-generated schemes become increasingly difficult to detect using traditional fraud detection methods.
eyeradio.org
· 2026-09-14
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to the United States in September 2026 to face wire fraud and money laundering charges related to an international romance scam that targeted over 100 American women, including retirees and businesspeople. The suspects, allegedly members of the Black Axe criminal network, defrauded victims of approximately $6.2 million through fake online romantic relationships and false pretenses. The men were arrested in Cape Town in 2021 and extradited after a five-year investigation involving multiple countries and law enforcement agencies.
bignewsnetwork.com
· 2026-09-14
Six Nigerian nationals affiliated with the Black Axe criminal network were extradited from South Africa to the United States in September 2021 to face wire fraud and money laundering charges for operating romance scams that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The men, arrested in Cape Town in 2021, allegedly targeted pensioners and businesspeople by establishing fake online relationships and convincing victims to send money. The extradition was coordinated through Interpol as part of broader international efforts to disrupt organized cybercrime networks responsible for romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake investment schemes.
ewn.co.za
· 2026-09-14
This article is not about elder fraud or scams. It covers South African parliament hosting the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town and tension over Nigeria's boycott threat due to concerns about xenophobic attacks on its citizens in South Africa. While one headline mentions romance scams involving Nigerians, the article itself focuses on parliamentary conference attendance and international relations, not fraud details.
ballymoneytimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-14
The Police Service of Northern Ireland and ScamwiseNI are distributing "The Little Book of Big Scams" to senior citizens in Ballymena and Carrickfergus to help them recognize and avoid fraud. The resource covers common scams affecting older adults, including courier fraud, romance scams, investment fraud, and rogue traders, providing practical guidance on warning signs and protective measures. The initiative aims to prevent vulnerable residents from becoming victims and potentially losing hundreds of pounds.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-14
Malwarebytes research reveals that scammers strategically time their attacks, with scam text volume peaking around noon EST (874% higher than 1 a.m.) and increasing throughout the week, reaching peak volume on Fridays. Criminals also tailor their scam delivery channels—job scams via email, romance scams through social media, and tech support scams by phone—to maximize effectiveness, while phishing websites remain the leading method for reaching victims, with Malwarebytes blocking approximately 500,000 phishing sites daily.
startupfortune.com
· 2026-09-13
The U.S. Department of Justice froze over $52 million in cryptocurrency held by Xinbi Guarantee, a major Telegram-based marketplace facilitating scams, money laundering, and human trafficking through custom fraud tools and services, with critical assistance from stablecoin issuer Tether which used its central control to blacklist wallets. Since 2022, Xinbi processed at least $24 billion in illicit transactions and represented the second-largest identified online marketplace for criminal activity, with vendors offering everything from fake investment websites to stolen personal data to pig butchering recruitment services. The case highlights the centralized power of stablecoins like USDT to freeze assets at the protocol level
iharare.com
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering for operating a sophisticated romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The suspects, arrested in Cape Town in 2021, allegedly used fake online romantic relationships to gain victims' trust before stealing money, targeting pensioners and businesspeople. The men are believed to be members of Black Axe, a transnational criminal network linked to cyber-enabled financial fraud schemes worldwide.
moneywise.com
· 2026-09-13
Scammers are targeting veterans with fraudulent postcards claiming enrollment in a nonexistent "Veterans Savings Program" that promises additional monthly payments of up to $185, then attempting to extract personal information like Social Security numbers and bank account details when victims call. Veterans should discard any postcards mentioning this program and instead contact the VA directly at 1-800-827-1000 to verify benefit information. The FTC and VA recommend using the vsafe.gov website and VSAFE Fraud Hotline (833-38V-SAFE) to report suspected fraud and protect against scams.
telegraph.co.uk
· 2026-09-13
A Belgian man has lost £8,500 in supermarket vouchers to a romance scam impersonating Céline Dion, having sent codes to the fraudster over a three-year period while believing he was in a relationship with the singer. Despite warnings from his family, he continues to send money and has shared personal information about his relatives with the scammers, causing safety concerns. This case reflects a broader trend of celebrity romance scams targeting middle-aged and elderly victims, with British authorities reporting £102 million lost to such fraud in 2025, a 15% increase from the previous year.
capetownetc.com
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals linked to the Black Axe criminal network were extradited from South Africa to the United States on fraud and money laundering charges related to online romance scams. The men are accused of targeting over 100 American women, including pensioners and businesspeople, defrauding them of more than R100 million through sophisticated fake online relationships. The extradition followed their 2021 arrest in South Africa and a February 2024 Cape Town court ruling that approved their transfer to face US charges.
impartialreporter.com
· 2026-09-13
Rural communities and agricultural workers are being targeted by fraudsters through fake farm machinery and vehicle sales on online platforms, as well as romance scams and sextortion schemes that exploit isolated individuals. Police warn that victims often lose significant sums after transferring money for non-existent items or being manipulated into sending money and personal information to criminals posing as romantic interests. Authorities are urging residents to verify seller identities, research purchases thoroughly, and report suspected fraud immediately to police and their banks.
iol.co.za
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised crime network were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges related to romance scams that defrauded over 100 women of approximately R100 million. The suspects, arrested in South Africa in 2021, targeted victims through sophisticated online relationships to manipulate and steal money from them, causing emotional harm to pensioners and businesspeople. The extradition was facilitated by South African law enforcement agencies including the Hawks and Interpol in collaboration with the FBI and US Secret Service.
ground.news
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals linked to the Black Axe organized criminal network have been extradited from South Africa to the United States for allegedly defrauding over 100 American women out of more than $6 million through sophisticated online romance scams. The men face charges of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with the scheme. Law enforcement agencies including INTERPOL South Africa and the Hawks facilitated the extradition in September.
newsmeter.in
· 2026-09-13
A Telangana man lost ₹3.35 crore to a romance scam after being approached on Tinder by someone claiming to be a foreign national who gradually built an emotional connection before introducing a fake investment scheme. Over 55 days, the victim deposited increasing amounts into a fraudulent application that displayed fake profits, only discovering the scam when withdrawal requests were denied and additional fees demanded. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has registered a case and warned citizens against investment proposals from online dating and social media contacts.
arrivealive.co.za
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals affiliated with the Black Axe organized crime network were extradited from South Africa to the United States on September 11, 2026, to face wire fraud and money laundering charges. The men are alleged to have perpetrated romance scams targeting over 100 women in the US, defrauding them of more than R100 million ($5.5 million USD equivalent) by posing as romantic interests online. The victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through sophisticated fraudulent relationships designed to steal their money.
transcripts.cnn.com
· 2026-09-13
This transcript is not about elder fraud or scams. It covers President Trump's visit to Ireland for meetings with Irish leaders and attendance at a golf event. While the transcript mentions "Nigerians Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges in Romance Scams" in the headline, the actual content provided does not include details about that story. I cannot summarize elder fraud content that is not present in the provided text.
hayspost.com
· 2026-09-13
Six Nigerian nationals arrested in Cape Town in 2021 are being extradited to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The men are alleged members of the Black Axe criminal network, which targeted pensioners and businesspeople through sophisticated online relationships. They will be handed over to FBI and U.S. Secret Service officials for prosecution in the United States.
katv.com
· 2026-09-12
The IRS is warning of rising scams targeting seniors ahead of National Grandparents Day, noting that fraud schemes have evolved from local, in-person scams to sophisticated online operations involving perpetrators worldwide who exploit trust to gain access to personal information and bank accounts. Common schemes include romance scams targeting widowers on dating sites and "grandparent scams" where callers pose as grandchildren claiming emergencies and requesting urgent money transfers. Authorities recommend warning signs include unsolicited contact, requests for personal or financial information, and pressure to act quickly, and advise victims to immediately cut contact, notify police and banks, and report to resources like the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
yellow.com
· 2026-09-12
Cryptocurrency scams stole an estimated $17 billion globally in 2025, with U.S. losses reaching $9.3 billion according to the FBI—a 66% year-over-year increase—as criminal operations professionalized with industrialized phishing kits, AI-deepfakes, and money laundering networks. The average scam payment surged 253% to $2,764, with seniors aged 60+ losing $2.8 billion at an average of $83,000 per victim, four times higher than other internet crime categories. The article identifies seven specific scam types including rug pulls, phishing, and investment fraud, noting that scammers have low
citizen.digital
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian men affiliated with Black Axe, a transnational cybercrime network, were extradited to the US from South Africa to face wire fraud and money laundering charges totaling approximately Ksh.700 million (~$5.4 million). The men allegedly targeted pensioners and businesspeople through sophisticated romance scams and advance-fee fraud schemes operated from Cape Town between 2011 and 2021, using false identities on social media and dating websites to deceive victims into sending money. The suspects face maximum sentences of 20 years on each charge and used bank accounts and business entities to launder the fraudulent proceeds.
koat.com
· 2026-09-12
Albuquerque approved an ordinance banning cryptocurrency ATMs after 109 crypto ATM scams were reported statewide in 2025, resulting in approximately $2.2 million in losses to New Mexicans. One victim, Judy Hartmann-Ortiz, lost her entire $32,000 life savings after scammers impersonating Apple and Wells Fargo representatives convinced her to withdraw cash and deposit it into Bitcoin ATMs. The FBI warns that scammers create artificial urgency to pressure victims into quick cryptocurrency transactions, which are difficult to reverse or trace.
insidepolitic.co.za
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly defrauding over 100 women of more than R100 million through online romance scams. The men, linked to Black Axe, a Nigerian organized crime network, allegedly operated from Cape Town between 2011 and 2021, using false identities on social media and dating websites to establish relationships with victims—including pensioners and businesspeople—before persuading them to send money or valuables under false pretenses such as travel emergencies.
americanpress.com
· 2026-09-12
Senior citizens are frequent targets of illegal robocalls and text message scams involving government imposters, fake utility threats, package delivery issues, romance scams, virus warnings, and bank fraud schemes. The author describes personal experiences with scams that cost him $500 and nearly cost him another $500, and recommends verification strategies such as independently calling verified numbers and utilizing resources like AARP's Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360) to combat these schemes.
ewn.co.za
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals alleged to be members of the black axe organised criminal network are being extradited to the United States for their involvement in romance scams that defrauded victims of approximately R100 million. The Hawks facilitated the extradition process, which was expected to be completed on Friday afternoon. Additionally, National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams appeared in court on charges related to fraud and is awaiting a pre-trial conference scheduled for the following month.
facebook.com
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals were arrested and will be extradited to the United States for operating romance scams that targeted over 100 women. The men defrauded their victims of more than $6 million, according to South African police.
africa.businessinsider.com
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face charges in connection with a romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6.2 million between 2011 and 2021. The defendants operated from Cape Town using fake identities on social media and dating websites, claiming to need emergency money for construction accidents, taxes, and legal issues, while victims sent money, phones, computers, and valuables. The men, allegedly members of the Black Axe criminal organization, face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft.
okayafrica.com
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals linked to the Black Axe criminal network were extradited to the U.S. to face wire fraud and money laundering charges for an online romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through elaborate fake online relationships. In response to violence against Nigerian migrants in South Africa, Nigeria's parliament indefinitely suspended official visits to the country.
telegraphherald.com
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited to the United States on Friday to face wire fraud and money laundering charges after being arrested in Cape Town in 2021 for their involvement in an organized romance scam network. The men allegedly swindled American women out of over $6 million through online dating fraud schemes. They were handed over to FBI officials for prosecution in the U.S.
punchng.com
· 2026-09-12
Six Nigerians linked to the Black Axe criminal network were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money-laundering charges for operating romance scams that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The suspects, arrested in Cape Town in 2021, allegedly targeted victims including pensioners and businesspeople through sophisticated fake online relationships and cryptocurrency fraud. They are now in FBI custody to face prosecution in the US.
crowdfundinsider.com
· 2026-09-12
The US Department of Justice credited Tether for helping disrupt Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese-language cryptocurrency marketplace that allegedly facilitated fraud and money laundering, resulting in $52 million in frozen digital assets. Xinbi operated primarily on Telegram and connected scam operators with vendors providing money-laundering services, fake investment websites, and recruitment for overseas scam compounds, often involving "pig-butchering" romance and investment fraud schemes targeting US victims. Tether's ability to freeze tokens at the contract level enabled rapid action once investigators identified the wallets involved in the operation.
townpress.co.za
· 2026-09-11
Six Nigerian nationals arrested in Cape Town in 2021 are being extradited to the United States to face charges for an online romance scam that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $6 million. The men allegedly used elaborate fake online relationships to persuade victims, including pensioners and businesspeople, to transfer money as part of an organized criminal network linked to Black Axe. They face wire fraud and money laundering charges in US federal court.
cnbctv18.com
· 2026-09-11
A China-based studio operated more than 20 fraudulent dating apps using 4,700 AI personas powered by Anthropic's Claude, engaging at least 25,000 users in 2.36 million messages over a two-week period in April 2026. The scam combined Claude chatbots for sustained conversations, gig workers paid per message to pass authenticity checks, and image-generation tools, with 75% of user matches being AI-driven personas. The operation was designed to evade app store reviews and move victims through fixed conversational stages to extract ongoing payments.
loganbanner.com
· 2026-09-11
Americans lost a record $9.3 billion to crypto-related scams in 2024, with investment fraud schemes like pig butchering accounting for $5.8 billion of that total, and victims over 60 losing $2.8 billion. Pig butchering scams typically begin with friendly communication and fake trading platforms before victims realize their accounts are fraudulent and their savings are gone. Legal action through lawsuits can help victims recover lost assets by tracing financial transfers and identifying responsible parties through available digital records.
thenews.com.pk
· 2026-09-11
Six Nigerian nationals are being extradited from South Africa to the United States to face charges for operating romance scams that defrauded over 100 American women of more than $100 million. The victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through sophisticated online relationships. The suspects are linked to the Black Axe criminal organization, which has been the subject of ongoing international law enforcement operations coordinated by Interpol, the FBI, and U.S. Secret Service.
saharareporters.com
· 2026-09-11
Six Nigerian nationals alleged to be members of the Black Axe criminal network were extradited from South Africa to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges. The suspects targeted over 100 women in the US through online romance scams, defrauding them of more than R100 million, with victims including pensioners and businesspeople. The men were arrested in South Africa in 2021 and handed over to FBI and US Secret Service officials following coordination with INTERPOL South Africa.