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states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Former San Diego Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood shared insights on elder fraud at the 8th Annual Fairfax Scam Jam, highlighting why victims often remain silent—including impairment, isolation, shame, loyalty to abusers, fear of losing independence, dependence on caregivers, and retaliation fears. Greenwood advocates for a proactive community approach to fraud prevention, including training notaries to recognize fraud signs, public awareness campaigns, and educating the public about misconceptions such as ageism affecting investigations and the false belief that giving someone money cannot constitute a crime.
hometownstations.com
· 2025-12-08
In the first four months of 2024, elder fraud resulted in an estimated $1.6 billion in losses nationwide, with Ohio reporting a 22% increase in scam complaints year-over-year. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods including deepfakes, voice cloning, and cryptocurrency to target older adults, who are exploited due to perceived vulnerability and are often reluctant to report crimes due to shame or fear. Authorities recommend verifying unfamiliar contacts, establishing family code words, monitoring financial accounts regularly, and resisting high-pressure tactics to prevent fraud.
wilx.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned of an uptick in celebrity-impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as famous figures like Snoop Dogg and Garth Brooks to steal money through romance scams, cryptocurrency/investment schemes, or merchandise fraud. The AG advised residents to never send money or personal information to online contacts claiming to be celebrities, and to verify requests through official channels before responding.
clickondetroit.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a warning about increasing celebrity impersonation scams targeting state residents, involving fraudsters posing as celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, and military leaders to perpetrate romance scams, cryptocurrency "pig butchering" schemes, and merchandise fraud. Common tactics include creating deepfake audio and videos, using high-pressure tactics and fear appeals, and requesting money, sensitive information, or unusual payment methods. The attorney general advises victims to avoid sending money to online contacts, never share personal or financial information with strangers online, and report suspected scams to Michigan's Consumer Protection Team.
wnem.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert warning of an uptick in celebrity impersonation scams, where fraudsters pose as celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock, and Garth Brooks to steal money through romance scams, cryptocurrency schemes, and merchandise fraud. The scams often exploit victims on dating apps and social media by building fake relationships or promoting fake investment opportunities, with scammers using AI to create convincing voice and video impersonations. The AG recommends victims avoid sending money to online contacts, verify caller information independently, and report scams to the Department of Attorney General.
mlive.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a public advisory warning residents about increasingly common celebrity impersonation scams, in which fraudsters pose as famous figures like Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, and Kid Rock to deceive victims into sending money. Common schemes include romance scams (where victims believe they're in relationships with celebrities and send substantial sums), cryptocurrency/investment scams, and merchandise fraud; one notable case involved a French woman who sent over $800,000 to someone impersonating Brad Pitt. Nessel advises never sending money to online contacts, avoiding pressure to rush into relationships, and consulting trusted contacts before engaging with strangers on social media.
fox47news.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned of a surge in online scams where perpetrators impersonate celebrities (Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, Kid Rock) and military/government officials to defraud victims. Common schemes include romance scams, cryptocurrency/pig butchering fraud, merchandise scams, and AI-generated deepfake calls, with scammers using high-pressure tactics and requests for money via untraceable methods like gift cards and cryptocurrency. The advisory recommends never sending money to online contacts, verifying identities through official channels, and avoiding sharing personal or financial information with unverified online sources.
michigan.gov
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned consumers about a rising trend of scams impersonating celebrities (including Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, and Kid Rock) and military leaders to defraud victims. The scams include romance schemes, cryptocurrency/pig butchering investment frauds, and merchandise scams, often using AI-generated deepfakes to appear authentic. Nessel advised consumers never to send money to online contacts claiming to be celebrities, to verify requests through trusted contacts, and to avoid sharing personal or financial information with unverified online sources.
wzzm13.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned of a surge in scams where fraudsters impersonate celebrities like Garth Brooks, Snoop Dogg, and Kid Rock, as well as military officials, to steal money from victims. The scams typically involve romance schemes, cryptocurrency/"pig butchering" investment frauds, and merchandise purchases, with scammers increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes to create convincing audio and video impersonations. The attorney general advised consumers never to send money to online contacts, avoid sharing personal or financial information with strangers, and to be wary of high-pressure tactics, unusual payment requests, and demands for gift cards or cryptocurrency.
morganlewis.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Department of Justice announced revised criminal enforcement priorities on May 12, 2025, continuing to prioritize prosecution of fraud and abuse of government programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare fraud, as well as complex frauds such as Ponzi schemes, investment fraud, elder fraud, and securities fraud. The new policy emphasizes three core tenets—focus, fairness, and efficiency—while balancing effective prosecution of corporate and white-collar crimes with minimizing unnecessary burdens on American businesses. The memorandum also reiterates the importance of corporate compliance programs in determining appropriate enforcement actions.
dailypress.net
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued consumer alerts about a rising trend of scams impersonating celebrities (Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, Kid Rock) and military leaders. The scams include romance fraud, cryptocurrency/pig butchering schemes, merchandise fraud, and AI-generated deepfake audio and video impersonations designed to extract money from victims. The alert advises consumers never to send money or personal information to online contacts claiming to be celebrities or officials, to verify requests through trusted contacts, and to be wary of urgent investment opportunities or requests for banking details.
techcrunch.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Scammers exploited compromised contractor accounts within Granicus's GovDelivery email system—used by U.S. federal and state governments to send official notifications—to send fraudulent emails impersonating government agencies in Indiana and New Mexico. The fake toll and payment scam emails, sent from official government addresses, contained malicious links directing recipients to phishing websites designed to steal personal and financial information. Granicus confirmed the breaches resulted from compromised user accounts rather than system vulnerabilities, but did not disclose the number of affected recipients.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
**Article:** LexisNexis Risk Solutions 2024 Cybercrime Report
**Summary:**
First-party fraud—including false loan applications, friendly fraud refund claims, and misrepresentation of personal information—became the leading fraud type globally in 2024, rising to 36% of all fraud (up from 15% in 2023), with inflation and rising living costs driving opportunistic attacks against financial institutions and ecommerce providers. Account takeover fraud remained significant at 27% of cases, while scams and authorized push payment fraud declined to 11%, though over three billion bot-driven account takeover attacks were still detected and AI-
deseret.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers use increasingly sophisticated tactics—including spoofed caller IDs, voice cloning, and impersonation of government agencies and loved ones—to defraud people through unsolicited calls, texts, and emails requesting money or personal information. Older adults are particularly targeted because they tend to be more trusting and willing to "make things right," and fraudsters deliberately create urgency to pressure quick decisions without verification. The FBI reports billions of dollars are stolen annually through fraud, and experts recommend resisting immediate action, consulting trusted contacts, and avoiding clicks on suspicious links rather than falling prey to these schemes.
cnn.com
· 2025-12-08
Google is rolling out enhanced scam detection technology in Google Messages to identify fraudulent text messages about unpaid tolls, which have become increasingly prevalent scams affecting Android users. The FBI received approximately 60,000 toll scam complaints last year, and consumers lost $470 million to text scams in 2024, with fake unpaid toll texts nearly quadrupling in early 2024 according to McAfee. The on-device detection system will flag suspicious messages as "likely scams" while also identifying fraud related to cryptocurrency, technical support, and gift cards, helping users avoid sophisticated phishing attempts that use poor grammar, urgent language, suspicious links, and imitated official logos.
beverlyreview.net
· 2025-12-08
Katie Walsh of the Cook County Sheriff's Office warned senior citizens about the "grandparent scam," in which callers impersonate distressed relatives claiming to need emergency money and demand secrecy to prevent rational intervention. Walsh identified multiple scam types targeting people of all ages—including IRS impersonation, romance scams, and fake charities—noting that seniors are vulnerable not due to lack of intelligence but because emotional manipulation disrupts rational thinking. She advised victims to hang up before sharing information, consult trusted contacts, report to police and the Federal Trade Commission, and contact Illinois Adult Protective Services if needed, while emphasizing that recovery options are limited.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old retired Maharashtra government official lost Rs 4.2 crore in a sophisticated digital arrest scam that began in April when fraudsters impersonated telecom and law enforcement officials, falsely claiming money laundering charges and an arrest warrant against him. The scammers used fake video calls simulating a Supreme Court hearing, the fabricated concept of "digital arrest" with threats of surveillance, and psychological pressure to coerce the victim into transferring his life savings to accounts they claimed were government-monitored. The fraud was only discovered when the victim's son investigated the transactions and confirmed the scam.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
This article provides guidance on reporting fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), emphasizing that victims should report scams even without monetary loss, as only 38% of 2024 fraud reports involved actual financial damage. Reporting helps law enforcement identify trends, catch criminals, and educate the public about popular scams through data analysis and alerts. Victims can file complaints at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, which feed into law enforcement databases used by thousands of agencies nationwide to build cases against fraudsters.
standard.net
· 2025-12-08
This educational article identifies three evolving scams: a sophisticated Social Security Administration phishing email that uses image-based content to bypass filters and installs remote access malware (ScreenConnect) to steal banking and personal data; a Gmail impersonation scam using Google Sites to create fake support portals and collect account credentials; and a fake Realtek driver update targeting Mac users that installs malware to steal login credentials and browser data. The article advises users to avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails, visit official websites directly, and report suspicious messages to appropriate authorities like the FTC and Google.
atlantanewsfirst.com
· 2025-12-08
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day (May 15) highlights a growing problem: seniors lost over $3.4 billion to scams in 2023, an 11 percent increase from 2022, through schemes including tech support, romance, and cryptocurrency fraud. The Federal Trade Commission reports that older adults experienced the highest financial losses among all age groups who reported scam losses in 2024, making fraud prevention education and resources from major financial institutions essential for protecting vulnerable seniors.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
North Korean IT workers are infiltrating Western companies as remote developers to generate income for the regime, with cybersecurity researchers identifying two individuals allegedly linked to a $6 million cryptocurrency heist and other cyber operations. These workers, operating from locations like Laos and Russia, use fake personas and stolen identities to secure employment while their wages fund North Korea's nuclear weapons development and evade international sanctions. Researchers have publicly disclosed over 1,000 email addresses linked to North Korean IT worker activity in one of the largest exposures of this criminal operation to date.
buckscounty.gov
· 2025-12-08
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day (May 15th) highlights the growing threat of scams targeting seniors in Bucks County and nationwide, including grandparent scams using AI technology, government impersonation schemes, tech support fraud, romance scams, and phishing attacks. The article emphasizes that seniors are vulnerable targets exploited through various channels, and recommends protective measures such as verifying information independently, resisting pressure tactics, protecting personal data, using strong passwords, and consulting trusted contacts before responding to suspicious requests.
bostonglobe.com
· 2025-12-08
Craig Clayton, a 75-year-old Rhode Island accountant, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice for laundering over $35 million in proceeds from internet fraud schemes targeting elderly victims through romance and business scams between 2019 and 2021. Clayton used his consulting business and shell companies, including Providence Sanitizer Inc., to process the fraudulent funds and transfer money to accounts in multiple countries, while lying to authorities about his activities. Under his plea agreement, Clayton faces 2.5 to 6.5 years in prison, must pay $140,000 in restitution, and forfeit over $330,000 and a vehicle.
news-shield.com
· 2025-12-08
Scam incidents are increasing dramatically—computer repair shops now report 1-2 victims daily compared to 1-2 per week previously—with AI technology making fraudulent emails, websites, and voice impersonations increasingly convincing and difficult to detect. Common scams include romance schemes (often the costliest), tech support pop-ups that trick users into granting remote access and transferring funds via untraceable payment methods, and "grandparents scams" using voice mimicry. Experts recommend verifying caller identities with family knowledge questions, avoiding rushed financial decisions, refusing unusual payment methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency, and immediately contacting banks or professionals rather than calling numbers on suspicious pop
kolotv.com
· 2025-12-08
The Reno Police Department arrested two men, Amit Bhanwala-Singh and Anil Kumar, in connection with a "pig butchering" elder fraud scheme targeting northern Nevada and California residents. The suspects impersonated U.S. Marshals to convince elderly victims that their assets were under investigation, then coerced them into withdrawing cash and gold; one 64-year-old victim from Truckee lost hundreds of thousands of dollars before the suspects were apprehended attempting to collect a fake gold package valued at $213,000.
boston25news.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI issued a public service announcement warning of an ongoing "malicious text and voice messaging campaign" using AI-generated voice messages and fake texts impersonating high-ranking government officials to target current and former senior federal and state officials and their contacts. The scam typically directs victims to separate messaging platforms designed to harvest additional contacts for impersonation or to solicit money and information. The FBI recommends verifying sender identity through independent channels, scrutinizing communications for errors or AI artifacts, avoiding clicking links or downloading attachments, and reporting suspicious messages without engaging.
news-shield.com
· 2025-12-08
**Title:** In this technological age there is no shortage of ways a scammer might try to defraud someone.
AI-powered scams are increasing dramatically, with one computer repair business reporting a spike from 1-2 scam victims per week to 1-2 daily, as scammers now use tools like ChatGPT to create convincing phishing emails, fake websites, and deepfake voice calls. Common scams include romance fraud (which starts with small requests but accumulate over time), fake tech-support pop-ups that trick users into granting remote access and stealing banking information, and grandparent scams where AI mimics a family member's voice
jsonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Lisa Schiller, senior director of investigations for the Better Business Bureau, emphasized that scam victims should not feel embarrassed about reporting fraud and provided guidance on common scams including identity theft, phishing, and government imposter schemes. She recommended victims document all details (contact information, descriptions, dates) and use the BBB's Scam Tracker platform to report incidents, noting that while resolutions can take months or years, reporting is essential to help prevent others from becoming victims.
buckscounty.gov
· 2025-12-08
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day (May 15th) highlights the escalating threat of fraud targeting seniors in Bucks County and nationwide, with criminals increasingly using AI-powered tactics like grandparent scams, government impersonation, tech support fraud, and romance scams to exploit seniors' trust and extract money. To protect themselves, seniors should verify unexpected contact through independent channels, resist pressure tactics, safeguard personal information, use strong passwords, and consult trusted contacts before responding to requests for money or sensitive data.
cyberscoop.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned of an ongoing campaign since April targeting current and former U.S. government officials with phishing texts and AI-generated deepfake audio impersonating senior officials to gain access to personal accounts. The advisory highlights the growing use of deepfake technology in fraud schemes, exemplified by a 2024 incident where a political consultant faced a $6 million FCC fine and criminal charges for creating a deepfake of President Biden to suppress votes. The FBI recommends not assuming messages from senior officials are authentic and advises standard security measures including multifactor authentication and identity verification through official phone numbers.
thepress.net
· 2025-12-08
The county issued a public awareness warning about ten common phone and internet scams targeting residents, including grandparent scams, government imposter schemes, technology support fraud, romance scams, charity fraud, lottery scams, investment schemes, home repair fraud, phishing emails and texts, and utility payment scams. The advisory educates the public on how to identify and recognize these fraudulent tactics to protect themselves from financial loss and identity theft.
oklahoma.gov
· 2025-12-08
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a warning on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, noting that elder fraud causes seniors over $3 billion in annual losses nationally through schemes including fake lotteries, tech support scams, government impersonation, and romance scams. The advisory recommends protective measures such as never sharing personal information unsolicited, avoiding clicking suspicious links, rejecting high-pressure payment demands, and reporting suspicious activity to financial institutions and law enforcement.
radaronline.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating Garth Brooks on dating apps and social media, convincing victims they are in romantic relationships with the country singer before requesting money, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. This romance scam scheme has also targeted impersonations of Kid Rock and Snoop Dogg, with perpetrators using elaborate tactics to extract funds from unsuspecting fans.
context.news
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old Michigan woman was deceived in a romance scam involving deepfake technology, where a scammer posing as a French man named "Richard" used AI-generated video calls and fake photos to manipulate her into taking out loans totaling $26,000. The scam exemplifies a growing threat, with projections of 8 million deepfakes to be shared globally in 2025—approximately one-fifth of which will be used in romance scams—as scammers increasingly employ artificial intelligence to impersonate romantic interests.
wispolitics.com
· 2025-12-08
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ashley Moody (R-FL), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act to provide tax relief to individuals who have suffered losses from fraud, scams, thefts, accidents, and personal casualty losses. The legislation reinstates tax deductions for personal casualty and theft losses that were previously suspended.
san.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned of an ongoing AI-based impersonation campaign targeting U.S. government officials and their contacts through "smishing" and "vishing" attacks (text and voice phishing), where attackers use AI-generated voice messages mimicking senior officials to trick victims into divulging personal information or account access before requesting they move to alternate messaging platforms. The threat is growing as AI voice-cloning technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, with the global AI voice market reaching $5.4 billion in 2024; the FBI advises verifying caller identity through official channels, checking for suspicious details, and reporting incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
dailyhodl.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI is warning of an ongoing phishing scheme active since April that uses text messages and AI-generated voice calls impersonating senior US officials to target current and former government officials and their contacts. Perpetrators employ smishing and vishing techniques to establish rapport, trick victims into clicking malicious links, and gain access to personal or official accounts, which they then use to target other government officials or harvest sensitive information and funds. The FBI advises recipients to not assume messages claiming to be from senior officials are authentic.
theregister.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warned that fraudsters have been running a campaign since April using deepfake voices and text messages (smishing and vishing techniques) impersonating senior US government officials to target current and former government employees. The attackers seek to steal login credentials for official accounts to compromise government systems and harvest financial information, and advise recipients to verify authenticity by calling official department numbers and listening for unnatural speech patterns that indicate deepfakes.
lexology.com
· 2025-12-08
On May 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced new enforcement priorities for white collar crime prosecution, emphasizing a balanced approach between prosecuting corporate wrongdoing and minimizing burdens on businesses. The announcement identifies 10 high-impact focus areas for prosecutors, including healthcare fraud, trade/customs fraud, and notably elder fraud schemes involving investment fraud and Ponzi schemes. The DOJ's revised guidance emphasizes fairness through alternatives to prosecution and efficiency in investigations, representing a significant shift in the current administration's approach to white collar enforcement.
truthout.org
· 2025-12-08
Internal Trump administration documents reveal that anti-fraud checks implemented at the Social Security Administration detected only 2 potentially improper claims out of over 110,000 phone-based benefit applications (a 0.0018% rate), contradicting claims by Trump and Elon Musk that Social Security is rife with fraud. The anti-fraud measures caused a three-day processing delay that slowed benefit payments to seniors despite finding no significant fraud, raising concerns that the initiative targets a nonexistent problem while making it harder for eligible beneficiaries to access their earned benefits.
raskin.house.gov
· 2025-12-08
Congressman Jamie Raskin led a bipartisan group in introducing the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act, which would restore the Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction for taxpayers from 2018-2025 to prevent victims from facing additional tax liability on stolen or lost income. The legislation was prompted by a Maryland constituent who lost $655,000 in retirement savings to fraud and faced a $148,000 tax bill, and addresses a critical issue as elder fraud caused over $4.885 billion in losses in 2024 with an average victim loss of $83,000.
fox23.com
· 2025-12-08
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond highlighted precautions against elder fraud on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, noting that seniors lose over $3 billion annually to scams including fake lotteries, technical support schemes, government impersonation, and romance fraud. The advisory provides ten key protective measures including: not sharing personal information unsolicited, verifying email sources before clicking links, being wary of upfront payment demands, monitoring bank statements, resisting high-pressure tactics, researching offers, and reporting suspected scams to the Attorney General's Office.
cointelegraph.com
· 2025-12-08
Hackers have been operating since April 2024 using deepfake voice and text messages to impersonate senior US government officials in phishing campaigns targeting federal and state officials to steal sensitive data and compromise accounts. In separate incidents, deepfake scams also targeted cryptocurrency founders including Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, with attackers using compromised Telegram accounts to lure victims into fake video calls where they requested installation of malicious software. The FBI and crypto industry leaders advise verifying identities, avoiding clicking unknown links, using multi-factor authentication, and never installing software during unsolicited online interactions.
arstechnica.com
· 2025-12-08
Since April 2025, the FBI has warned of an ongoing malicious messaging campaign using AI-generated voice deepfakes to impersonate senior U.S. government officials and target current or former federal and state officials and their contacts. The attackers send convincing deepfake audio and text messages to build trust, then trick recipients into clicking malicious links by requesting to continue conversations on alternate messaging platforms, potentially compromising personal accounts and devices. The FBI advises recipients not to assume authenticity of messages from government officials without independent verification.
m.economictimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Impersonation scams are increasingly sophisticated, exploiting digital banking and UPI apps through fraudulent calls and emails that mimic legitimate financial institutions and government agencies. Key warning signs include unsolicited requests for passwords or OTPs, pressure to act quickly, demands for secrecy, and slight variations in sender email addresses—legitimate organizations never request sensitive information via phone or email. Experts recommend never sharing private information, enabling multi-factor authentication, verifying requests by calling contacts directly, and remaining skeptical of offers promising unrealistic returns or urgent money transfers.
local3news.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau reports an increase in scams targeting seniors, with online purchase scams and romance scams being particularly prevalent among adults 55 and older. The article outlines common warning signs of senior-targeted fraud, including phone scams impersonating government or bank officials, pressure to pay via unusual methods, unrealistic investment promises, and requests for personal financial information. Consumers are advised to verify caller identities, research purchases, protect personal data, and report suspicious activity to the BBB's Scam Tracker.
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
**Article:** Elder fraud has reached epidemic proportions – a geriatrician explains what older Americans need to know
Americans age 60 and older lost over $3 billion to scammers in 2023, with elder fraud complaints to the FBI increasing 14% year-over-year, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Older adults are targeted because they tend to be trusting, have financial savings and assets, and may be less comfortable with technology, making them vulnerable to tech-support scams, romance scams, investment fraud, and call-center schemes—with investment scams being the costliest category. Beyond financial losses, fraud victims often experience trauma
ciso.economictimes.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI warns iPhone and Android users that criminals are using AI-generated text messages and voice calls—including cloned voices of family members and government officials—to steal personal information such as banking credentials and private data. Users should watch for red flags like odd pauses in audio, grammar errors, distorted images, and unusual delays, and should verify contacts through separate channels, avoid clicking suspicious links, and use encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal. The agency recommends enabling multi-factor authentication and reporting suspicious messages to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
ntd.com
· 2025-12-08
Since April 2025, scammers have impersonated senior U.S. officials using text messages (smishing) and AI-generated voice calls (vishing) to target government officials and their contacts, then using compromised accounts to conduct follow-up impersonation scams for financial gain or personal information. The FBI and CISA warn against sharing sensitive information with unknown callers, recommend verifying new contact methods through trusted sources, and suggest families establish secret phrases to confirm identities. Tactics include fake subscription renewals, giveaways, legal threats, and AI voice cloning of loved ones requesting emergency funds.
newsbreak.com
· 2025-12-08
Marin County authorities arrested two individuals in separate elder fraud schemes involving fake FBI agents who convinced seniors their bank accounts were under investigation. In the first case, a victim lost $25,000 before becoming suspicious when scammers pressured her to buy gold; suspect Zian Hu, 38, was arrested in Daly City and faces grand theft and elder abuse charges with bail set at $1 million. In a second similar case, Balraj Singh, 24, was arrested in Torrance before successfully collecting $50,000 from another elderly victim and faces attempted grand theft and conspiracy charges with bail denied.