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Search across 19,276 articles about elder fraud. Filter by fraud type, payment mechanism, or keywords.
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in Robocall / Phone Scam
geaugamapleleaf.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers impersonate Medicare representatives during the October 15-December 7 open enrollment period, using unsolicited calls and texts to trick consumers into divulging personal information like Social Security numbers under the guise of offering better coverage or threatening service discontinuation. One Westlake woman received a fraudulent call from someone claiming to be with Medicare who had partial personal information, but she recognized the scam and reported it. The BBB recommends avoiding unsolicited contacts, never sharing Medicare or Social Security information with unknown callers, using only official websites like Medicare.gov for enrollment, and reporting suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE.
washingtontimes.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Instagram announced new platform features designed to combat sextortion scams, which involve criminals stealing intimate images and extorting victims for payment by threatening exposure. The new protections include blocking screenshots of disappearing stories, preventing suspicious accounts from viewing followers and tagged photos, alerting users when chatting with international contacts, and automatically blurring nude images on Teen Accounts. The FBI reported over 13,000 sextortion scams involving minors from 2021 to 2023, with most victims being males ages 13-17 and perpetrators primarily from West Africa and East Asia.
texasstandard.org
· 2025-12-08
AI-driven phishing scams are targeting Gmail users through fake notifications, text messages, and sophisticated AI-generated phone calls impersonating Google support, with fraudsters requesting sensitive information like Social Security numbers and credit card details. Security experts recommend users protect themselves by ignoring urgent calls requesting personal information Google would never solicit, avoiding suspicious email links, and remaining vigilant about unsolicited contacts.
thebullamarillo.com
· 2025-12-08
Randall County authorities warned residents of Amarillo and Canyon about a impersonation scam where criminals pose as Randall County Sheriff's Office employees, including Sheriff Christopher Forbis, and call victims demanding $3,000 to resolve alleged federal warrants. The Randall County Sheriff's Office clarified that legitimate law enforcement will never contact residents by phone requesting money to resolve warrants, and advised potential victims to hang up and contact the sheriff's office directly at 806-468-5800 if they receive such calls.
addisonindependent.com
· 2025-12-08
The Internal Revenue Service warns that scammers are increasingly targeting seniors by impersonating government officials (IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare) and other trusted entities to steal personal information and money through phone calls, emails, and text messages. These fraudsters use tactics including caller ID spoofing, fabricated urgent scenarios (false tax debts or refunds), threats of arrest or deportation, and demands for immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. The IRS advises recipients of unexpected calls claiming to be from the agency to hang up immediately and contact IRS customer service directly at 800-829-1040 to verify any legitimate tax issues.
wusa9.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old woman in Washington, D.C. lost approximately $109,000 in a government impersonation scam after receiving a phone call claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. The scammer sent fraudulent documents (including a fake "U.S. Supreme Court" certificate with numerous grammatical errors) and text instructions directing her to transfer funds and mail cash to multiple accounts. This case illustrates a growing trend: the FBI reported elder fraud targeting those 60 and older exceeded $3.4 billion in losses last year, a significant increase from 2022, and authorities advise that legitimate government agencies contact people by mail only, never by phone, email
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI operates the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website to help the public report cybercrime, receiving over 880,000 complaints in 2023 with estimated losses exceeding $12.5 billion. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to scams including investment fraud, ransomware, phishing, and tech support schemes, with nearly 60 percent of call center scam losses coming from people over 60, and Americans over 60 losing over $1.1 billion to cryptocurrency scammers alone. The FBI emphasizes prevention through awareness and due diligence rather than investigation alone, and successfully prosecuted a tech support scam ring originating from an IC3 complaint that affected over
azag.gov
· 2025-12-08
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a cease-and-desist warning to iDentidad Advertising Development LLC (also known as iDentidad Telecom) for transmitting suspected illegal robocall traffic, joining 50 other state attorneys general in an Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force. The company routed nearly 200 traceback-identified illegal calls involving IRS/Social Security imposters, utilities scams, and financial scams, including spoofed calls impersonating the Illinois Attorney General's Office. The FCC simultaneously issued its own cease-and-desist, and state attorneys general warned they will pursue legal action including damages, civil penalties,
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, a Peruvian national, was sentenced to 98 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution for operating a call center that defrauded over 1,100 Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, primarily recent immigrants. The scheme involved falsely promising free products, then threatening victims with arrest and immigration consequences to extort payments, and re-victimizing many through a fake restitution recovery scam. This conviction is part of a larger $15 million transnational fraud operation involving 12 defendants.
livebitcoinnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong police arrested 27 individuals operating a "pig butchering" romance scam ring that stole $46.3 million from victims across Mainland China, India, and Singapore. The scammers posed as romantic partners online and used AI deepfake technology and fake cryptocurrency investment platforms to deceive primarily male victims into transferring digital assets, which they never recovered. The operation was run from an industrial complex in Hong Kong's Hung Hom neighborhood and employed trained staff and contracted developers to execute the scheme.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
This article is a promotional piece about digital identity solutions for elderly care, not a scam or fraud incident. It discusses how AI-powered identity verification systems can help protect seniors from identity theft and fraud while improving access to healthcare and financial services, and highlights successful implementations of such technologies in elderly care settings.
kpel965.com
· 2025-12-08
Texas residents over age 50 are nearly six times more likely to be targeted by scams, with older Americans losing approximately $3 billion to fraud between 2019-2020, primarily through identity theft and phone/text schemes. Scammers target seniors because they hold 85% of the nation's wealth, have higher credit limits, and tend to be more trusting, with nearly 60% of elder financial exploitation committed by their own adult children. Experts recommend that family members educate older relatives about current scams, encourage reporting of attempts, and contact local law enforcement if victimized.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
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.
heritagefl.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines six common scams targeting seniors in Central Florida: check tampering, voice printing/deepfakes, celebrity impersonation on social media, grandparent scams, sweepstakes fraud, and good Samaritan email scams. The piece advises seniors and families to contact the Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) to verify suspicious communications and identify potential fraud attempts.
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-08
In a landmark ruling, Australia's Financial Conduct Authority (AFCA) ordered HSBC to compensate a customer who lost $47,178.54 in a sophisticated "spoofing" scam where the victim was manipulated into revealing security passcodes through a fake bank text message. The decision is significant because AFCA rejected the bank's argument that the customer voluntarily disclosed codes and therefore wasn't entitled to compensation, instead finding the victim was manipulated rather than acting of free will. This ruling could reshape how Australian banks handle similar cases and supports broader sector reforms pushing financial institutions to take greater responsibility for detecting and preventing scams rather than placing the burden solely on consumers.
nbcphiladelphia.com
· 2025-12-08
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.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
A Los Angeles man was defrauded of $25,000 by scammers who used artificial intelligence to replicate his son's voice, then posed as attorneys claiming his son needed bail money for a hit-and-accident case. The victim made two separate wire transfers via Uber drivers before realizing the scam, after which police confirmed that AI voice cloning technology is becoming an increasingly sophisticated tool in fraud schemes. Law enforcement notes that scammers need only brief audio samples from social media or voicemails to clone someone's voice convincingly.
news.sky.com
· 2025-12-08
A Thai teenager named Poom-Jai was lured to Cambodia under false employment promises and forced to work in a "fraud factory" conducting "pig butcher" romance scams, where he manipulated lonely victims into investing money in fraudulent schemes before stealing it all. Across Southeast Asia, an estimated 300,000 scammers operating in heavily guarded compounds controlled by Chinese mafia have stolen at least £34 billion worldwide, with workers often trafficked, tortured, and imprisoned when they fail to meet targets or attempt escape. Poom-Jai eventually suffered beatings with electric batons when accused of theft and attempted a desperate escape from the compound.
chroniclelive.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are placing fake QR codes on UK car park parking machines to redirect drivers to fraudulent websites where they steal credit card details—a phishing tactic known as "quishing." To avoid falling victim, drivers should inspect QR codes for signs of tampering, verify URLs before clicking them, check for website security features and legitimate design, avoid sites requesting excessive personal information, and use official parking apps instead of scanning codes. The article provides five protective measures as QR code scams become an increasingly common threat at parking facilities across the UK.
timesnownews.com
· 2025-12-08
A 48-year-old Bengaluru software engineer lost Rs 50 lakh after meeting a woman named "Shruthi Menon" on a dating app who lured him into a romance while convincing him to invest in fake stock trading schemes. The scammer used promises of marriage and fabricated investment returns to manipulate the victim into depositing money across multiple accounts, then demanded additional fees when he attempted to withdraw his supposed profits. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, with investigation ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
ici.radio-canada.ca
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are exploiting high demand for Taylor Swift's sold-out Eras Tour tickets in Canada by hacking social media accounts and posing as friends to sell fake tickets, defrauding victims of thousands of dollars each. One Toronto woman's hacked Facebook account was used to scam at least four people out of up to $1,600 each, and despite numerous reports to Facebook and police, the fraudulent account remained active. Experts recommend verifying seller identity by contacting the person directly, as police note recovered funds are rare due to the volume of fraud reports.
shinemycrown.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old Maryland woman, Gladys Baxley, lost nearly $100,000 to a social security impersonation scam in which fraudsters posed as the Social Security Administration and sent a fake Supreme Court certificate to convince her to transfer funds to shell companies. Over several transactions, Baxley transferred $36,000 to Yongri Trading Inc., $58,000 to Shengya WS Inc., and $15,000 in cash before her son discovered the scam contained numerous grammatical errors. The fraud has left Baxley unable to afford her 30-year family home, though her bank is attempting recovery efforts.
atlantablackstar.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old Washington grandmother lost $109,000 to a phone scammer who impersonated a Social Security Administration agent and used a fake Supreme Court document to create urgency about bank fraud. The victim transferred funds to shell companies (Yongri Trading Inc. and Shengya WS Inc.) and mailed $15,000 in cash based on the scammer's instructions, while her bank stated it followed proper protocols during the fraudulent transactions.
bbc.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
An NHS consultant lost £39,000 in May 2024 when scammers impersonated his bank, convinced him to transfer savings to his Revolut account for "safekeeping," then gained access and made unauthorized purchases. Dr. Ravi Kumar is one of over 100 customers who contacted the BBC regarding poor fraud response from Revolut, which refused his refund claim despite the scam. Revolut, a major UK e-money firm with nine million customers, was named in more fraud reports than any other major UK bank according to Action Fraud data.
sbs.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Bank impersonation scams, where criminals pose as bank representatives via phone, email, or message to solicit personal information or funds, are rising across Australia and caused $11 million in losses between January and September 2023, with over-55s accounting for 56 percent of impersonation scam losses. To protect yourself, independently verify any banking communication by contacting your bank directly using details from official statements or websites, and remember that legitimate banks never request passwords, security codes, PINs, or ask customers to transfer money for safekeeping over the phone.
ktvq.com
· 2025-12-08
A Billings business, Colima de Mis Amores, unknowingly facilitated an AI voice scam when a customer transferred several hundred dollars after being deceived into believing her daughter was being held hostage. The store owners later learned they were named in a public warning about the incident and filed a police report; they noted that scammers likely targeted the business after finding it through an online search for money transfer services. The store owners revealed they frequently receive fraudulent calls themselves, highlighting how businesses are common targets for multilingual scams using AI-generated voices, with the Better Business Bureau reporting a median business scam loss of $523 in 2023.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost $5.6 billion to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, a 45% increase from 2022, with over 69,000 complaints filed to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. People aged 60 and older were disproportionately affected, reporting over $1.6 billion in losses across 16,806 complaints, primarily through investment fraud schemes and relationship-building scams that use fake websites and recovery schemes. Common tactics include scammers promising unrealistic returns via unsolicited contact, building trust through dating apps and social media before pushing crypto investment, and impersonating recovery specialists to steal additional funds from victims.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are advertising fake "appointment setter" work-from-home jobs on social media, claiming applicants can earn substantial income scheduling appointments for executives and sales teams. The scheme requires victims to pay upfront fees for job training, a hallmark of employment fraud since legitimate employers never charge for training. The Better Business Bureau advises job seekers to research companies thoroughly by searching online for associated scam reports or complaints.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
An NHS consultant lost £39,000 in a sophisticated scam where fraudsters impersonated his credit card and bank, convincing him to transfer savings to his Revolut account and then delete the app, allowing them to make unauthorized purchases. Dr. Ravi Kumar is one of over 100 customers who contacted the BBC with complaints about poor treatment by Revolut following scams, with the fintech firm named in more fraud reports than any other major UK bank. Revolut initially refused to refund Dr. Kumar despite his authorization being fraudulently obtained, leading him to pursue a claim with the Financial Ombudsman Service.
710keel.com
· 2025-12-08
Louisiana residents over age 50 are nearly six times more likely to be targeted by scams, with older Americans losing approximately $3 billion to fraud between 2019-2020. Scammers exploit this demographic because they hold 85% of the nation's wealth, have higher credit limits, and tend to be more trusting, with nearly 60% of elder financial exploitation cases perpetrated by their own adult children. The article recommends that family members and friends educate older relatives about current scams, encourage reporting of attempted fraud, and advise contacting local law enforcement if victimized.
rollingout.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old grandmother from Washington D.C. lost her entire life savings of $109,000 to a phone scammer posing as a Social Security Administration agent who convinced her that her personal information had been compromised and instructed her to transfer funds to secure her accounts. Despite red flags including grammatical errors in a fake Supreme Court certificate and the scammer's requests for unusual payment methods, Baxley made multiple transfers totaling $109,000 before her son discovered the fraud. This case reflects a broader trend in which scams targeting seniors aged 60 and older resulted in over $3.4 billion in losses last year, with experts advising that legitimate government agencies communicate
abc17news.com
· 2025-12-08
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and experts advise consumers to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams by remembering the "three S's": stay suspicious, stop and think, and stay protected. Common scam tactics exploit fear, urgency, and money; frequent targets include seniors and vulnerable populations through robocalls, phishing emails, impersonation of authorities, and romance scams—with one 70-year-old woman losing tens of thousands over several months to a romance scammer. Experts recommend hanging up on unsolicited calls and texts, calling official numbers to verify requests, and asking trusted younger relatives to reverse-image search suspicious photos.
highcountryshopper.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines four common scams affecting individuals today: work-from-home scams that exploit job seekers through fake employment offers and requests for upfront payments or personal account access; tech support scams initiated by unsolicited pop-ups or calls impersonating companies like Microsoft or Apple to steal data or demand payment; romance scams where fraudsters build trust online before fabricating emergencies to solicit money; and grandparent scams targeting vulnerable individuals with urgent requests for untraceable payments. The article advises readers to verify unsolicited job offers and tech support contacts, be cautious with online contacts requesting money, and report suspected fraud to law enforcement, the FTC, FBI's Internet Crime Complaint
ironmountaindailynews.com
· 2025-12-08
Computer scams continue to evolve with increasing sophistication, affecting even experienced and intelligent computer users. This educational piece outlines eight prevalent scam types: imposter/impersonation scams, pig butchering scams (fake investment schemes), romance scams, payment app scams, online shopping scams, delivery scams, lottery scams, charity scams, and robocalls—each employing psychological tactics like creating false urgency, building trust, or exploiting guilt to manipulate victims into surrendering money or personal information. The article advises readers to remain vigilant and informed about these tactics regardless of their computer experience level.
globalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and security experts outline key scam prevention strategies as sophisticated fraud tactics continue to evolve. Scammers commonly exploit fear, urgency, and money as bait through phishing emails, spoofed caller IDs, robocalls, romance scams, and impersonation schemes targeting vulnerable populations including seniors and isolated individuals. The article recommends staying suspicious, stopping to think before acting, and staying protected by verifying requests through official channels and using tools like reverse image searches to identify potential fraud.
impactpub.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre warned of increasing bank impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as bank employees via calls, emails, or messages, using tactics like fabricated account compromises or system outages to create urgency, and employing technology to spoof legitimate bank numbers and message threads. The ACCC advises consumers never to share banking credentials, click unsolicited links, or transfer funds based on phone requests, and instead to independently verify communications by calling their bank directly using trusted contact information.
gnlm.com.mm
· 2025-12-08
Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the UN addressed international efforts to combat online scams at the UNTOC conference in Vienna (October 14-18), emphasizing the country's commitment to existing protocols and acknowledging the growing problem of online scams and gambling in the region. The Myanmar government called for strengthened international cooperation, public awareness campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, and advanced technology support to counter transnational organized crime, reaffirming its willingness to collaborate with the UNODC and global partners.
lamilano.it
· 2025-12-08
**Operation "Game Over" Scam Bust** — Italian Carabinieri arrested three men (a 40-year-old and two 20-year-old sons from Caserta) who operated an organized "Carabiniere scam" targeting elderly victims aged 75-81. The gang stole approximately €70,000 in cash and jewelry between January and June 2024 by posing as police or lawyers in phone calls claiming a family member had been arrested, then collecting payment in person; much of the stolen property was recovered and returned to victims.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A text message scam is targeting vulnerable UK residents by impersonating the "UK Government Living Allowance Office" and falsely claiming recipients can receive a winter heating subsidy, with fraudulent links directing victims to fake government websites designed to steal personal information. The scam exploits recent government cuts to Winter Fuel Payments that reduced eligible recipients from 11.4 million to 1.5 million pensioners, creating confusion and urgency that scammers weaponize to pressure victims into acting quickly. Security experts advise recipients to verify messages independently and avoid clicking unsolicited links, especially those claiming to be from government bodies.
azcentral.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost an estimated $12.5 billion to online scams in the past year, with artificial intelligence-generated "deepfake" videos making investment frauds increasingly difficult to detect—the FBI estimates 39% of victims fell for deepfake-based schemes involving fabricated videos of business leaders, celebrities, or romantic interests. Scammers exploit AI to duplicate voices, crack passwords, and process large volumes of data, while most stolen money goes unrecovered, particularly when criminals demand payment in cryptocurrency and operate from overseas. Common defenses include using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and scrutinizing videos for unnatural movements, inconsistent lighting, and mismatched lip movements
thesun.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Megan Clarke, 20, fell victim to a romance scam perpetrated by a man claiming to be "Lord Bertie Underwood," whom she met in 2017 and became engaged to within six months. Upon discovering his true identity through online research approximately one year into the relationship, she learned he was a serial fraudster using multiple aliases with a criminal history, and that he had secretly opened credit cards and loans in her name, leaving her £30,000 in debt before fleeing. Though Megan reported the incident to police and Action Fraud, authorities were unable to recover her losses.
nbcphiladelphia.com
· 2025-12-08
**October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and experts emphasize protecting yourself from increasingly sophisticated scams using three key tactics: stay suspicious, stop to think, and stay protected.** Common scam methods exploit fear, urgency, and money incentives—such as fake tax return errors, impersonation of authority figures, and romance scams that can last years and target vulnerable individuals including seniors. Defensive measures include avoiding robocalls and suspicious texts, verifying contacts through official numbers, and using reverse-image searches to identify stolen photos used in romance scams.
thebatt.com
· 2025-12-08
**Type:** Sports Ticket Scam (Educational/Advisory)
Online ticket scams targeting Texas A&M students are increasing ahead of high-demand football games, with fraudsters using fake student IDs and platforms like GroupMe and Facebook to pose as legitimate sellers, either delivering fake tickets or taking payment without providing passes. Campus police recommend purchasing tickets only through official sources like the 12th Man Foundation or SeatGeek, meeting sellers in person at safe locations like the ticket window, and reporting suspicious activity with screenshots and digital evidence of usernames and payment handles to help identify perpetrators.
startribune.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
October's Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the increasing sophistication of scams, including phishing emails, text spoofing, and caller ID spoofing. Security experts advise consumers to remain vigilant by remembering the "three S's"—stay suspicious, stop and think, and stay protected—as scammers use tactics based on fear, urgency, and money to trick victims into sharing personal information or sending funds through romance scams, job scams, and impersonation schemes.
wboc.com
· 2025-12-08
Worcester County Sheriff's Office warns of an active phone scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers, using real deputies' names and demanding payment for missed jury duty or arrest warrants. The sheriff's office emphasizes that legitimate law enforcement and government agencies never demand payment over the phone, and advises victims to hang up immediately and avoid sharing personal information or making payments.
wccftech.com
· 2025-12-08
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.
au.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
An Australian couple lost $1,000 from their Centrelink payments after scammers impersonating a charity deceived them into providing sensitive information including their driver's license and myGov details. The National Anti-Scam Centre warns that criminals are increasingly targeting financially vulnerable Australians by posing as legitimate charities and government assistance programs to steal personal information and divert payments. People should independently verify organizations offering financial assistance and never share personal identifying information through social media or unsolicited contacts.
onmanorama.com
· 2025-12-08
**Digital Arrests Scam in India**
Scammers in India are conducting "digital arrest" fraud, impersonating law enforcement officers via video calls to falsely accuse victims of crimes and extort money while confining them to their homes. High-profile victims include Malayalam actor Maala Parvathi (who avoided loss) and former church leader Dr. Geevarghese Mor Coorilos (who lost Rs 15 lakh), while an atomic energy institute employee was defrauded of Rs 71.33 lakh; Kerala Police advise victims to use common sense, noting that India has no law permitting arrests over phone or
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A widow named "Beatrice" fell victim to a romance scam during the COVID-19 pandemic after matching with someone posing as a Spanish lumberjack on a senior dating site; after four months of building trust, the scammer requested money. According to the FTC and DHS, over 70,000 people reported romance scam losses in 2022, with older adults losing $240 million that year, as scammers use fake identities and emotional manipulation to extract savings from vulnerable individuals, often operating from West African countries. The article identifies warning signs including claims of living abroad, poor grammar despite English proficiency, excuses to avoid video calls, and requests to move conversations to
about.fb.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta announced the expansion of facial recognition technology across its platforms (Facebook, Instagram) in the EU, UK, and South Korea to detect and remove celebrity-impersonation scams ("celeb bait"), where scammers use public figures' images to lure users to fraudulent websites requesting money or personal information. Since deploying these anti-scam measures, user reports of celebrity-bait ad scams dropped 22% globally in the first half of 2025, with facial recognition technology more than doubling the detection rate of such scams; the technology now protects nearly 500,000 public figures while remaining optional for users.