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in Robocall / Phone Scam
news.trendmicro.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are conducting multiple scams this week involving deceptive texts and emails impersonating FasTrak, Apple, U.S. and Canadian customs services, and NY Toll Services to steal personal and financial data. These scams use urgent messaging and malicious links to harvest credentials and information, which scammers then use for identity theft, financial fraud, or sell on the dark web. To protect yourself, remain skeptical of unexpected communications, avoid clicking unfamiliar links, verify sources directly with institutions, and use security tools like Trend Micro ScamCheck.
pentictonherald.ca
· 2025-12-08
The Palmyra Women's Institute is hosting a scam prevention education session featuring Chatham-Kent Police Special Constable Brenda Koldyk to address rising fraud losses in the community, including grandparent scams, romance scams (one victim lost $250,000), and various other schemes targeting seniors and vulnerable individuals. The November 7 session will cover warning signs, prevention strategies, and common scam types such as tax fraud, home renovation fraud, and impersonation scams, with Koldyk advising victims to verify requests with family members before sending money or gift cards.
newswire.lk
· 2025-12-08
A new financial scam in Sri Lanka targets SLTB depot employees and their relatives, with scammers calling to claim an accident occurred and demanding Rs. 10,000 be transferred via eZ Cash for vehicle repairs. The scammers impersonate senior officials, managers, garage owners, or police officers, with investigations revealing the phone numbers belong to deceased individuals or foreigners associated with drug trafficking. Police advise the public to verify such claims directly with relatives before transferring money.
indiatoday.in
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are exploiting Flipkart's Pay Later service during India's festive season sales by impersonating customer service representatives and requesting OTPs from users, claiming to prevent fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Flipkart confirmed this scam and emphasized it never requests sensitive information like OTPs via phone calls; users are advised to never share OTPs, hang up on suspicious calls, avoid falling for artificial urgency tactics, and report incidents to Flipkart or police immediately.
intelligencer.ca
· 2025-12-08
A NOSI (notice of security interest) scam targeted vulnerable older adults in Ontario, where home service companies pressured homeowners to sign contracts for inflated equipment costs while falsely claiming government rebates covered the expenses, resulting in homeowners unknowingly borrowing tens of thousands of dollars with liens placed on their homes. The Homeowner Protection Act, effective June 2024, now bans companies from placing NOSIs on homes for equipment rentals or financing, and existing NOSIs have expired, though homeowners may need legal assistance to formally remove them when selling or refinancing their homes.
metro.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Megan Clarke discovered that her fiancé of 18 months, who presented himself as aristocratic watch-seller "Lord Bertie Underwood," was actually serial con artist Robert Madejski using a fabricated identity, fake accent, and false backstory to manipulate her into an engagement. After finding mail addressed to other names and conducting online searches, she uncovered his previous fraud convictions and learned that virtually everything about their relationship—including her Cartier ring—was fraudulent, prompting him to disappear before their planned wedding. The case exemplifies the growing prevalence of romance scams in the UK, where Citizens Advice found nine million people fell victim to scams in the
coinmarketcap.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong police dismantled a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam network on October 9, detailing 27 suspects (aged 21-34) who used AI-generated deepfakes and fake online personas to defraud victims of approximately $46 million through romance schemes. The operation, discovered in a 4,000-square-foot facility in Hung Hom, employed university graduates as technical experts and featured detailed training manuals in multiple languages to manipulate victims into fraudulent crypto investments, with suspects linked to China, Taiwan, India, and Singapore.
wisbusiness.com
· 2025-12-08
Extortion, particularly sextortion scams, ranked among the top five internet crimes in the FBI's 2023 report with over 48,000 cases, according to a Better Business Bureau warning. Sextortion scams operate through two primary methods: phishing (claiming to have hacked victims' devices and recorded compromising material) and romance schemes (building trust through fake relationships before blackmailing victims for money). Victims have reported losses ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, with the scams exploiting fear of public embarrassment and loneliness to pressure victims into paying via bitcoin, gift cards, or wire transfers.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating popular podcasters like Fearne Cotton and Tony Robbins, inviting people to appear as guests and promising payment of up to $3,000. The scheme typically involves requesting a "tech check" before the alleged live-streamed episode, during which scammers trick victims into providing login credentials or changing account settings, gaining access to personal photos and sensitive information for extortion purposes. If victims refuse to pay, scammers threaten to publicly release compromising images, and may also target linked financial accounts.
observertoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Assemblyman Clyde Vanel introduced legislation in New York that would elevate theft and fraud crimes targeting seniors over 60 to felony status, responding to an estimated $1.5 billion in annual elder financial exploitation in the state and $28.3 billion nationally. The bill aims to address the prevalence of scams targeting elderly victims, who lose an average of $33,915 per incident, by allowing prosecutors to treat age-targeted crimes more severely than similar offenses against younger victims.
atlantafed.org
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans over 60 lost more than $3.4 billion to fraud—an 11 percent increase from 2022—with investment, tech support, email, and romance scams being the most common schemes. The author emphasizes that decline in financial judgment is an early sign of dementia, and recommends that families maintain regular voice contact with elderly relatives, monitor credit reports, apply credit freezes, and stay informed about legal and financial documents to prevent scams and elder fraud. Early intervention through personal relationships and periodic check-ins can help stop scammers before victims suffer financial loss.
newportdispatch.com
· 2025-12-08
A 48-year-old New York resident, Wenhua Zhuo, was indicted on felony charges of attempted theft by deception for allegedly serving as a courier in a scheme targeting a 77-year-old Richmond, New Hampshire man. The scam involved a fraudulent call claiming to be from the victim's bank, instructing him to withdraw $20,000; Zhuo allegedly traveled to the victim's home to collect money, with over $1,500 in currency present at the time of the attempted pickup. The case was investigated by the Attorney General's Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, with Zhuo's arraignment scheduled for November 7.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old North Adams man lost over $400,000 in a tech support scam that operated from June to September, in which a caller posing as a federal agent convinced the victim to withdraw cash and hand it to couriers, claiming he was implicated in money laundering. Boston resident Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel, 21, was arrested after an FBI sting operation at the victim's home and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; he claimed he was hired to pick up packages and deliver them for a cut. The FBI advises that legitimate federal agencies never request money by phone or send couriers to collect funds
makeuseof.com
· 2025-12-08
Social media scammers use four primary tactics to defraud users: phishing attacks that mimic trusted sources to steal personal information, fake profiles impersonating friends or family to request money or sensitive data, fraudulent giveaways and job offers designed to capture credentials or personal information, and romance scams involving lengthy deception to build trust before financial exploitation. Users can protect themselves by avoiding unsolicited messages and suspicious links, verifying suspicious contacts through alternate communication methods, checking for warning signs like poor grammar and unverified accounts, and researching companies before responding to job offers.
montgomery.crimewatchpa.com
· 2025-12-08
**QUISHING Summary:**
Quishing is a phishing scam using fake QR codes to steal personal information and commit identity fraud, typically delivered through unsolicited text messages, emails, or social media posts that promise discounts or gifts. When scanned, these codes redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to collect sensitive data like names, addresses, banking details, and passwords. Protection strategies include avoiding scanning unknown codes, verifying sources directly through official channels, blocking spam messages, updating smartphone software, and being skeptical of unsolicited offers.
wgal.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission's "Protecting Older Consumers" report found that older adults reported losing over $1.9 billion to fraud in 2023, though the true total is estimated at $61.5 billion when accounting for unreported cases. Seniors are reluctant to report fraud due to embarrassment and fear of losing independence, and they suffer significantly higher average losses ($918) compared to younger victims ($432). The three most common scams targeting older people are tech support scams, lottery/sweepstakes scams, and romance scams, with payments typically made through Bitcoin or gift cards.
startribune.com
· 2025-12-08
Dodzi K. Kordorwu, 38, of Brooklyn Park was sentenced to 5¼ years in prison for his role in a nationwide romance fraud scheme that defrauded dozens of primarily older victims of more than $2.1 million over four years. Operating under fake personas like "Dr. Carmen Williams," Kordorwu built false romantic relationships with victims to convince them to send money, exploiting their emotional vulnerability and isolation. He was ordered to make full restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
wcnc.com
· 2025-12-08
As Election Day approaches, the Better Business Bureau warns of increased political scams targeting voters through email, phone calls using voice cloning, and text messages. Scammers impersonate candidates or political organizations to solicit donations, collect personal information, or deceive voters into "text-to-vote" schemes that prevent actual voting participation. Voters are advised to verify links, avoid unknown callers, research organizations before donating, and remember that legitimate pollsters never request sensitive information like Social Security numbers or offer prizes.
wkyc.com
· 2025-12-08
A phone scam uses call forwarding codes (*72 on Verizon or **21 on T-Mobile) to redirect victims' incoming calls to scammers' numbers. Scammers impersonate banks and trick victims into dialing these codes followed by the scammer's number, allowing fraudsters to intercept authentication codes and gain access to financial accounts and funds. Victims should never dial these codes with unfamiliar numbers, and can disable call forwarding by dialing *73 (Verizon) or ##21# (T-Mobile) if compromised.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta is deploying facial recognition technology to combat celebrity scam advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, which fraudulently use celebrities like Elon Musk and Martin Lewis to promote investment schemes and cryptocurrencies. The system compares flagged ad images against celebrities' profile photos to automatically delete confirmed scams, with early testing showing promising results. Additionally, Meta is testing facial recognition for account recovery while acknowledging that scammers increasingly use deepfake technology to create more convincing fraudulent endorsements.
nbcboston.com
· 2025-12-08
Over half of Americans have been targeted by election-related scams, with younger voters particularly vulnerable to fake polls, political donation scams, and disinformation. Common tactics include fraudulent donation schemes where money doesn't reach intended campaigns or involves unauthorized recurring charges, survey scams that harvest personal information for phishing attacks, impersonation scams, and robocalls spreading misinformation. Voters should verify sources before donating, research organizations thoroughly, avoid clicking suspicious links, and report suspected scams to authorities.
inews.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Hundreds of pensioners lost their life savings to pension scammers in recent years, with 559 reported cases in the last year resulting in £17.75 million in losses and an average loss of £46,959 per victim. Pension scams take various forms—including fake pension reviews, unauthorized early withdrawals, and fraudulent transfer schemes—and have proliferated through social media and online advertising, exacerbated by economic uncertainty and the cost-of-living crisis. Experts argue the UK's pension fraud reporting system is inadequate and call for greater preventative measures and bank protections for vulnerable older customers.
news.abplive.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman lost over Rs 87,000 at Bengaluru International Airport after downloading a fraudulent "Lounge Pass" app when seeking airport lounge access in September 2024. The scammers used the app to gain access to her phone, set up call forwarding, and intercept OTPs to authorize unauthorized transfers to a PhonePe account. She reported the incident to the cybercrime department and urged others to be cautious about downloading unfamiliar apps and to remove unused applications from their devices.
wpsdlocal6.com
· 2025-12-08
During election season, scammers are exploiting heightened emotions to target donors through unsolicited political donation emails, calls, and social media pop-ups that request money and personal information. Local residents have reported receiving 10-20 fraudulent political emails daily from impostors posing as campaigns, with the Better Business Bureau identifying pushy donation requests, unsolicited links, and reward offers as common red flags. Experts advise researching campaigns before donating, avoiding clicking unsolicited links, and verifying requests directly with official campaign channels rather than responding to incoming communications.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A woman lost over ₹87,000 at Bengaluru International Airport after downloading a fraudulent "Lounge Pass" app to gain airport lounge access in September 2024. The scammers allegedly used the app to access her phone, intercept one-time passwords, and make unauthorized transfers to a PhonePe account while also setting up call forwarding on her line. She reported the incident to the cybercrime department and her bank after discovering the unauthorized charges on her credit card statement.
scoopwhoop.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
This is a personal account of the author nearly falling victim to a telecom fraud scam in India. The author received a pre-recorded call claiming to be from TRAI stating their phone number would be deactivated for illegal activities, and when transferred to a supposed helpline representative, was told there was an FIR registered against them and given increasingly specific details that appeared credible. The piece illustrates how even media-literate individuals can be vulnerable to sophisticated scams that exploit psychological pressure and exploit personal knowledge or well-timed details to establish false credibility.
cnn.com
· 2025-12-08
Hundreds of elderly Americans, including those with dementia, have been victimized by deceptive political fundraising tactics from both Republican and Democratic campaigns, with vulnerable donors unknowingly giving away millions of dollars through relentless text messages and emails that automatically enrolled them in recurring donations. A CNN investigation identified over 1,000 government complaints and found that elderly donors lost more than $6 million in a small sample alone, with some individuals giving away six-figure sums from their life savings, predominantly to Republican candidates and former President Donald Trump. The predatory practices exploit cognitive decline by making false urgent pleas for money appear to come directly from major candidates, draining bank accounts without donors' knowledge or consent
crowell.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are increasingly targeting System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registrations used by federal contractors through phishing emails impersonating the GSA and fraudulent access requests, aiming to compromise sensitive banking and tax information or divert government payments. Successful attacks can result in compromised accounts, modified certifications that jeopardize contract eligibility, or complete registration deletion, halting payments and requiring extensive recovery efforts. Companies can protect themselves by maintaining multiple SAM Administrators, carefully verifying all emails and access requests before clicking links, enabling multifactor authentication, and internally confirming any unexpected access requests before granting approval.
visionsfcu.org
· 2025-12-08
"Smishing" scams impersonate Visions and other financial organizations via text messages to trick members into revealing login credentials, secure access codes, or account information through fake webpages and fraudulent phone calls. The article provides examples of common scams and prevention strategies, recommending that recipients avoid clicking links, verify sender numbers against official Visions contact information, and call the official contact center at 800.242.2120 to confirm legitimacy.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece warns that AI-powered misinformation poses significant cybersecurity risks during elections, with bad actors using generative AI to rapidly create fake news, deepfakes, phishing emails, and coordinated social media campaigns. A Trend Micro study found a critical gap in consumer awareness: while 79% of U.S. respondents felt confident identifying online scams, 62% actually failed to recognize a specific scam example, suggesting people underestimate the sophistication of AI-generated election-related misinformation. The article advises readers to recognize that election-related scams and misinformation have become increasingly difficult to spot without proper awareness and skepticism of suspicious content.
valpo.life
· 2025-12-08
**SMiShing Scam Overview:**
SMiShing is a phishing attack using text messages where scammers impersonate banks, government agencies, and other trusted sources to trick victims into clicking malicious links or revealing personal information like passwords and credit card details. Common tactics include fake bank alerts about account issues, delivery notifications, government refund claims, and prize offers—all designed to exploit urgency and fear. Red flags include unsolicited messages, generic greetings, suspicious links, and requests for sensitive information; victims should verify requests directly with their bank, avoid clicking unfamiliar links, and report suspicious texts to authorities.
legion.org
· 2025-12-08
The IRS announced tax relief for Florida residents affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, extending filing deadlines to May 1, 2025, for most individual and business returns, with automatic penalty relief for those with addresses in disaster areas. The IRS also warned taxpayers to be vigilant against charity scams that often follow disasters, recommending they verify charities through the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool and avoid donating via gift cards, wire transfers, or to solicitors requesting personal financial information.
ahmedabadmirror.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines common online scams targeting consumers during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, including romance scams (which prey on isolated individuals over extended periods), job scams (impersonating recruiters to steal money or personal information), investment scams (get-rich-quick schemes often involving cryptocurrency), and quiz scams (harvesting personal data for account breaches). The article provides warning signs and protective measures for each scam type, such as reverse-image searching suspicious photos, verifying job offers directly with companies, researching investment opportunities independently, and avoiding online quizzes that collect personal information.
newsaegis.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece outlines cybersecurity best practices for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, emphasizing three core strategies: staying suspicious, stopping to think, and staying protected. The article identifies common scam tactics targeting all consumers—particularly elderly, lonely, and disabled individuals—including fear-based language, artificial urgency, and false promises of money, and recommends protective measures such as using password managers, enabling multi-factor verification, avoiding personal information requests in online quizzes, and reporting suspected fraud to the FTC or free resources like the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
pmg-ky3.com
· 2025-12-08
Scams and fraud have surged nationwide, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting scams more than doubled in 2020, Kentucky alone losing $13 million in 2021, and elder fraud reports to the FBI increasing 62% between 2020-2021. Elderly residents are disproportionately affected but often fail to report incidents due to embarrassment, while criminals employ evolving tactics including skimming devices, robocalls (60% of U.S. calls in 2022), phishing emails, and business impersonation schemes. Detective Dean Hutchinson recommends verifying caller identities independently, ignoring unsolicited bank emails, and being cautious with payment apps
newsbytesapp.com
· 2025-12-08
Online scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with fraudsters employing impersonation, voice-changing technology, and emotional manipulation to steal money and personal information from victims. Common schemes include "nude video call" blackmail on WhatsApp, voice-mimicking scams impersonating distressed family members, fake customs fees for parcels, lottery winnings requiring upfront payments, and romance scams. The article advises verifying caller identities through callbacks, avoiding unsolicited video calls from unknown numbers, confirming with legitimate companies before payments, and exercising caution when sharing personal information with people met only online.
emporiagazette.com
· 2025-12-08
The 22nd annual Senior Life Fair in Lyon County held an educational event focused on scam prevention, attracting hundreds of seniors to learn about fraud risks and community resources. Kansas Assistant Attorney General Melanie Jack delivered the keynote address emphasizing the prevalence of scams targeting seniors, including romance scams and internet-based fraud, while noting that fraud against Kansas residents over 60 is now treated as a criminal investigation. Nearly 40 vendors provided information on senior services, health screenings, and safety topics.
hawaiinewsnow.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly victim in Honolulu was defrauded through a malware scam in which he received a fake Microsoft pop-up warning on August 29, then was instructed by a female caller to withdraw cash and place it in a cardboard box for a supposed courier pickup. Over two days, two suspects (one female, one male) used provided passcodes to collect the cash-filled boxes from the victim's home, with both captured on surveillance video. Police note that elderly individuals are particularly vulnerable to these digital scams and urge family members to warn their relatives about such threats.
financial-planning.com
· 2025-12-08
Charles Schwab is facing a federal lawsuit filed by an 84-year-old man and his 76-year-old wife who allege the financial firm failed to prevent scammers from stealing $18.5 million of their retirement savings. The fraud involved hackers posing as Schwab and law enforcement representatives who manipulated the couple into transferring nearly $30 million to a cryptocurrency exchange, with $18.5 million ultimately converted to crypto and sent to the scammers. This is the third similar lawsuit against Schwab in less than two months, highlighting a broader elder fraud crisis affecting seniors nationwide.
theregister.com
· 2025-12-08
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrated that OpenAI's Realtime API can be used to create AI agents capable of automating phone scams and credential theft at an average cost of $0.75 per attempt, with a 36% success rate across various scam types including bank transfers, gift card fraud, and credential exfiltration. The study revealed that these scamming agents require minimal coding (1,051 lines) and can execute complex multi-step attacks on victims, exploiting vulnerabilities in the AI model's safety controls through jailbreaking prompts. The findings highlight significant security concerns with voice-enabled AI APIs, as phone sc
nbcmiami.com
· 2025-12-08
Wanda Tima, who operated "The Haitian American" Facebook page with over 460,000 followers, fell victim to a phishing scam when she clicked a malicious email link during a fake podcast interview request, allowing a hacker to take control of her account and post political content. Cybersecurity experts note that phishing attacks are increasingly difficult to detect because scammers exploit publicly available personal information from multiple sources, and recommend using two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and avoiding suspicious links to prevent such attacks. Tima regained control of her page after nearly two weeks and reported the incident to Meta.
larimer.gov
· 2025-12-08
An 85-year-old man and 83-year-old woman in California fell victim to a tech support scam after clicking a popup that directed them to call "Microsoft Support Services"; the suspect collected $30,000 from them in person and later attempted to extort an additional $70,000 in gold bars. Arashdeep Dhaliwal was arrested in April 2024 when he returned to collect the gold and subsequently pleaded guilty to felony theft, receiving 30 days jail time at work release, 3 years supervised probation, and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the victims.
the-independent.com
· 2025-12-08
A journalist was scammed out of £240 after being contacted via Facebook Messenger by someone posing as a casual acquaintance offering Coldplay concert tickets; the account had been hacked, and the fraudster exploited the victim's desire to help a friend and emotional connection to manipulate the transaction. The scam exemplifies how criminals exploit social media trust networks and personal relationships, targeting people's emotions rather than relying on obviously suspicious tactics, and demonstrates that social media platforms struggle to combat these increasingly sophisticated fraud techniques.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
In summer 2020, a 28-year-old woman lost £18,000 to a bank impersonation scam where fraudsters posed as her bank's fraud team and instructed her to move funds to a "safe" account. Though she was eventually reimbursed by her bank, the experience caused severe psychological distress including suicidal ideation. The article highlights growing evidence that fraud victims experience significant mental health impacts—with research showing 60-69% of UK fraud victims report negative effects on mental health including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem—and notes that psychological harm from scams is not simply proportional to financial loss but depends on factors like social support, existing
thefamuanonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Spam calls and communication fraud have become widespread globally, with scammers frequently targeting older adults aged 65 and up, who lose an average of $35,000 per victim according to Elder Affairs Florida. In response, Florida enacted House Bill 1171 effective October 1, which reclassifies fraud charges targeting seniors, minors, and people with disabilities to more severe felony levels—elevating misdemeanors to third-degree felonies and increasing penalties for higher-level offenses. The law also allows victims whose images or likenesses were used fraudulently to pursue legal action, while the Federal Trade Commission recommends protective measures such as avoiding unknown emails, securing personal information,
wthr.com
· 2025-12-08
A 90-year-old in Noblesville, Indiana, received a threatening letter claiming to be a "Final demand for payment" from a fake "Tax Processing Unit" demanding $8,000 for unpaid taxes, which her family identified as a scam by noting the urgency, lack of online payment option, and absence of verifiable contact information. The FBI reports that scams targeting people 60 and older resulted in over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023, with victims averaging $33,915 in losses, as scammers exploit seniors' politeness, savings, and reluctance to report fraud.
prnewswire.com
· 2025-12-08
A married senior couple lost $30 million in a coordinated fraud scheme involving impersonation, cryptocurrency transfers, and alleged negligence by Charles Schwab, Bank of America, and Unchained Trading. Scammers used confidential information from Schwab's 2023 data breach to convince the victims their investment accounts were compromised, then directed them to liquidate assets and convert funds to cryptocurrency. The lawsuit alleges that all three institutions failed to implement proper Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols despite clear red flags of elder financial abuse and identity theft, and instead attempted to upsell additional services rather than halt the fraudulent transactions
wktn.com
· 2025-12-08
The Auglaize County Sheriff's Office issued a public awareness alert about elder fraud targeting seniors through phone calls, emails, pop-ups, text messages, and letters to steal money and personal information. The advisory recommends residents avoid sharing personal information with unknown callers, never send money or gift cards to strangers, verify emergency claims and prize winnings with trusted sources, and report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission.
thealpenanews.com
· 2025-12-08
A caller impersonating "Jack Jones" from Dish Network convinced the author's wife to provide her debit card information by claiming a mandatory $149.99 software update fee was required within 24 hours to maintain service, with a promised $15/month credit over 36 months. The author discovered the scam after returning home, confirmed it with Dish Network customer service, and took immediate protective measures including moving funds and canceling the debit card, noting that the scam's sophisticated nature—mimicking legitimate service procedures—would be particularly dangerous for elderly or cognitively declining seniors.
thehindu.com
· 2025-12-08
The Cyber Crime Wing of Tamil Nadu Police warned of an impersonation scam targeting pensioners, in which fraudsters pose as government officials to extract bank details and personal information through phone calls, QR codes, and WhatsApp screen-sharing requests. Between January and October 2024, approximately 28 complaints were reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, with victims experiencing unauthorized debits from their accounts after providing sensitive financial information. Senior citizens relying on pensions are particularly vulnerable to this scam, facing both significant financial losses and emotional distress.