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in Romance Scam
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old Oklahoma woman, Christine Joan Echohawk, posed as multiple men (Jason Morris, Edward Lotts, and Glenn Goadard) in an elaborate romance scam that defrauded four senior women aged 64-79 of $1.5 million between late 2024 and January 2025. The victims were manipulated into sending money under false pretenses including oil rig rescues, financial portfolio management, and promises of future cohabitation; Echohawk laundered the funds through multiple bank accounts, cryptocurrency, and gift cards before being caught when a $120,000 transaction was flagged by MidFirst Bank. She now
thevibes.com
· 2025-12-08
Malaysia's online fraud cases surged 13% in the first quarter of 2025, with 12,110 reported incidents resulting in RM573.7 million (approximately USD 122 million) in losses. E-commerce scams led the increase at 19.8%, followed by telecommunications scams (5,214 cases), investment fraud (2,026 cases), and fake loan schemes (1,404 cases), with scammers increasingly using AI tools, deepfakes, and counterfeit digital identities to deceive victims. Authorities attribute the rise to increased online shopping activity during festive seasons and the proliferation of sophisticated digital deception technologies, urging the public
01net.it
· 2025-12-08
**Identity fraud and catfishing on dating platforms are significant threats to older adults, with online scams causing over $3.1 billion in losses in 2024 according to the FTC.** A survey of 967 SeniorMatch users over 50 found that 87% worry about identity fraud and fake profiles, prompting the platform to launch Selfie Liveness Verification—a feature that uses AI to match live selfies with profile photos and instantly awards verified badges to authenticated users. The system encrypts biometric data and deletes it immediately after verification to protect privacy while helping seniors connect safely.
lelezard.com
· 2025-12-08
SeniorMatch launched Selfie Liveness Verification, becoming the first 50+ dating platform to implement AI-powered identity verification to combat romance scams and catfishing. According to FTC data, online scams targeting older adults resulted in over $3.1 billion in losses in 2024, with a SeniorMatch survey showing 87% of users over 50 are concerned about identity fraud and 72% feel more comfortable engaging with verified users. The feature uses real-time selfie capture and AI authentication to confirm user authenticity, issuing a verified badge within seconds while immediately deleting biometric data after processing.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI seized $8.2 million in cryptocurrency connected to the "pig butchering" dating scam, which affected more than 30 victims who were manipulated into transferring money or investing in crypto schemes after being emotionally groomed through fake romantic relationships. One victim, a Cleveland woman, liquidated her retirement savings and transferred over $650,000 in digital assets. The FBI's use of blockchain intelligence to trace funds across multiple platforms is considered a breakthrough that will help authorities pursue similar romance scams in the future.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Rodrick Lodge, a 69-year-old widower, lost £85,000 to a romance scam after falling in love with a woman named "Anita" who did not exist, resulting in him becoming homeless and now living in poverty on his monthly pension. He criticized his banks—Halifax and Charter Savings Bank—for failing to adequately protect him despite warnings about his transfers. The case highlights growing concerns about romance fraud in the UK, with cases rising nearly 60% between 2019 and 2023, prompting calls for stronger banking protections and enforcement of new mandatory reimbursement policies introduced in October 2024.
myupnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a scam awareness roundup highlighting major fraud schemes targeting state residents, including disaster relief and charity scams, government imposter fraud, phishing/smishing attacks, cryptocurrency "pig butchering" romance scams, and data breach identity theft. The advisory recommends consumers verify charity legitimacy before donating, never click suspicious links or provide personal information to unsolicited contacts, monitor credit reports regularly through AnnualCreditReport.com, and implement security measures like two-factor authentication and password changes following data breaches.
kenyans.co.ke
· 2025-12-08
A 69-year-old British man lost his life savings of £85,000 (Ksh14.5 million) to a romance scam involving a fake Kenyan woman named "Anita" whom he met online and agreed to marry. After traveling to Kenya to meet her, he found she did not exist, and upon returning to the UK, he spent six weeks homeless before eventually securing housing dependent on his pension. The case highlights rising romance fraud cases, which increased over 60 percent between 2019 and 2023 in England and Wales, with the victim criticizing his banks for insufficient fraud protections despite acknowledging his own vulnerability to the scheme.
mirror.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
One in eight romance scam victims are in an existing relationship when they fall victim to fraudsters, according to research by the National Fraud Helpline, with the vast majority meeting scammers on dating sites like Match.com and Tinder. Scammers typically target vulnerable individuals by building emotional connections over months before requesting money through elaborate false scenarios. A 68-year-old retired care worker was defrauded of £22,000 by a scammer posing as a widower from Cambridge, who used stolen photographs and fabricated emergencies to manipulate her into sending money between June and November.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Olufemi Ojaleye, a Nigerian national, won his deportation appeal after serving seven years in a UK prison for orchestrating a sophisticated fraud scheme that stole between £2,000 and £50,000 from COVID-19 Bounce Back loans intended for small businesses. The Upper Tier Tribunal approved his appeal to remain in the UK based on claims that deporting him would cause undue hardship to his two autistic children who require significant daily support. This case represents a second recent instance of a Nigerian fraud convict successfully avoiding deportation through human rights grounds, following another case involving an £200,000 romance scam perpetrator.
thescottishsun.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A 50-year-old German woman lost her entire £50,000 inheritance to a romance scammer who impersonated British actor Richard Gadd using AI-generated photos and deepfake voicemails. The fraudster, who contacted her after she sent fan mail to a fake social media account, gradually built an emotional relationship with her before requesting £13,000 for a non-disclosure agreement and making additional requests citing personal crises, ultimately extracting multiple payments totaling over £50,000 before she became suspicious when promised meetings failed to materialize. She reported the scam to police and hired a private investigation firm, which traced her money through multiple bank accounts linked to five scam websites, though
1011now.com
· 2025-12-08
Since 2020, law enforcement in Lincoln, Nebraska has investigated cryptocurrency scams resulting in millions of dollars in losses, with individual victims losing up to $1.5 million and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office documenting 18 cases with losses as high as $156,000 per case. Scammers employ sophisticated social engineering tactics including romance scams and fake social media messages, often keeping victims on the phone while directing them through withdrawal processes, making recovery of funds unlikely. Banks and law enforcement recommend reporting suspected fraud to local police and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, as reporting helps prevent future scams even when victim restitution is rare.
mitrade.com
· 2025-12-08
Local law enforcement in Lincoln and Lancaster County have reported a significant surge in digital asset scams targeting elderly residents since 2020, with victims losing millions of dollars—including individual losses up to $1.5 million. Scammers use forged arrest warrants and jury duty impersonation schemes combined with sophisticated social engineering tactics to coerce victims into sending Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, with the funds rarely recovered. Banks and law enforcement are now implementing fraud detection training and urging regulators to address crypto scams, particularly those involving Bitcoin ATMs, as the number of reported incidents continues to rise.
10tv.com
· 2025-12-08
As artificial intelligence advances, scams targeting seniors have become increasingly sophisticated, with Americans aged 60 and older losing $3.4 billion to fraud in 2023. Attorney Carlos Crawford led a free cybersecurity training at a Columbus community center to educate seniors on recognizing common scams including phishing, tech support fraud, fake charities, and romance scams, advising them to watch for red flags like misspelled emails, suspicious sender addresses, and unusual payment requests (cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards). Experts recommend trusting instincts when something feels off and consulting trusted contacts before responding to suspicious communications.
birminghammail.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Barclays warned of a significant rise in romance scams, with the average victim losing £8,000 in 2024—a 37% increase from £5,800 in 2023—and romance scam incidents up 20% in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year. Most scams originated on social media platforms and dating apps, where fraudsters build trust with vulnerable victims (often those feeling lonely) before manipulating them into transferring money. Barclays called for tech companies to implement stronger protections, with 76% of the public agreeing that platforms should do more to prevent romance scams.
leeds-live.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Barclays reported a 20% surge in romance scams during the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024, with victims losing an average of £8,000—up from £5,800 in 2023. These scams predominantly originate from social media and dating platforms, where fraudsters exploit emotional vulnerability to manipulate victims into transferring money. Barclays and 76% of surveyed consumers are calling for tech companies to implement stronger safeguards to prevent scammers from operating on their platforms.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
The U.S. Secret Service seized the website NFT-UNI.com, which was used in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded victims of over $4.5 million from November 2023 to March 2024, including a New York victim who lost $172,405.61. In pig butchering scams, fraudsters build trust with victims through fake online relationships before directing them to fraudulent crypto investment platforms where funds are laundered and disappear. Older Americans are particularly targeted, with the FBI reporting that individuals over 60 lost $3.4 billion to investment fraud in 2023, with cryptocurrency schemes representing $2
home.barclays
· 2025-12-08
Romance scam reports in the UK rose 20 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with victims losing an average of £8,000 in 2024, escalating to £19,000 for those aged 61 and over. One in ten UK adults have been targeted by or know someone affected by romance scams, which typically involve fraudsters building trust through fake romantic relationships on social media and dating platforms before requesting money for fake emergencies, travel, or medical expenses. The data shows men comprised 60 percent of romance scam reports, and three-quarters of consumers believe tech companies should implement stronger protections to prevent these scams
aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
An AARP report found that approximately 41 percent of American adults (110.1 million people) have experienced fraud or had sensitive information stolen and used fraudulently, a dramatic increase from an estimated 15 percent a decade ago. The report reveals that Americans reported a record $12.5 billion stolen in 2024 according to the FTC, though actual losses are likely much higher when accounting for underreporting; older adults lose more money on average than younger victims, and Black respondents reported the highest victimization rate at 50 percent. Adults 50 and older express significantly higher worry about fraud (64 percent rating their concern 6-10 on a scale)
digit.fyi
· 2025-12-08
Cyber gangs based in Southeast Asia and China conducted investment, cryptocurrency, and romance scams that cost eastern and southeastern Asian countries approximately $37 billion in 2023, with significantly higher global losses. These organized crime syndicates, often operating from compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos using trafficked workers, have expanded their operations to Africa and the Pacific while partnering with drug cartels and criminal organizations worldwide. Despite regional crackdowns that freed thousands of workers, law enforcement efforts have only displaced rather than dismantled these networks, which continue to exploit evolving technologies like cryptocurrency for money laundering and victim targeting.
euronews.com
· 2025-12-08
Transnational organized crime groups from East and Southeast Asia are expanding scam operations globally, with the UNODC estimating hundreds of industrial-scale scam centers generating nearly $40 billion in annual profits through romance scams, fake investments, and illegal gambling schemes. These operations are spreading to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Pacific islands as authorities intensify crackdowns in Southeast Asia, while emerging technologies like AI, deepfakes, and cryptocurrency facilitate "crime as a service" models that enable rapid adaptation and money laundering networks.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Barclays Bank reported a 20% increase in romance scams in early 2025, primarily occurring on social media and dating platforms, with the average loss rising to £8,000 per victim in 2024 (up from £5,800 in 2023). Adults aged 61 and over are most vulnerable, losing an average of £19,000 per scam, with scammers typically building trust before requesting money under false pretenses such as emergencies, travel costs, or medical bills. The data shows 12% of UK adults have been targeted by or know someone affected by romance scams, and Barclays is calling for tech companies to implement stronger frau
wyomingnews.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
In 2025, Sheridan County law enforcement has received 91 combined fraud reports, with scammers increasingly impersonating law enforcement and medical officers using scare tactics to coerce victims into sending money, and exploiting Facebook Marketplace. The elderly and people over 50 are disproportionately targeted, with at least two victims losing over $150,000 each, though recovered funds are rare since money is typically sent electronically to overseas servers beyond law enforcement jurisdiction.
do.usembassy.gov
· 2025-12-08
U.S. citizens using online dating apps while traveling abroad face risks from romance scams and scammers who exploit location-based apps to lure tourists into dangerous situations involving entrapment or assault. The U.S. Embassy recommends protecting personal information, conducting video calls before meetings, using personal transportation, meeting in public places, and having an emergency contingency plan to reduce vulnerability and ensure safer encounters.
globalinitiative.net
· 2025-12-08
This article discusses the growing threat of online fraud and cybercrime involving India and the United States, highlighting how scammers exploit weak data security and leverage generative AI. India serves as both a hub for scam operations targeting Western victims through fake tech support and loan schemes, and increasingly, a source of victims itself, with Indian nationals being trafficked to scam compounds in Cambodia and exploited to defraud others. The article calls for the US and India to strengthen cooperation against these transnational fraud networks, particularly regarding data breaches—such as the 2023 theft of 815 million Indian citizens' personal information—that provide scammers with the databases they need to target vulnerable populations
buffalobulletin.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
In 2025, Sheridan County continues to experience rising internet scams with increasingly sophisticated tactics, particularly impersonation of law enforcement and medical officers using scare tactics to demand payment. As of the reporting date, the Sheridan Police Department received 65 fraud reports and the Sheriff's Office reported 26 scams, with victims over age 50 disproportionately affected; at least two victims lost over $150,000 each. Law enforcement recommends reporting suspected scams immediately, using IC3.gov to document losses, and remembering that legitimate law enforcement never demands payment over the phone.
thescottishsun.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Adele Rennie, a 34-year-old former nurse, was sentenced to an additional 100 days in jail for violating court conditions by contacting one of her previous victims just ten days after being released early from a 28-month sentence. Rennie had operated a catfishing scheme where she posed as men online to trick women into sending nude photos; she has now been convicted four times for this offense, with her first conviction in 2017 involving 18 charges against 12 women. Despite being placed on a non-harassment order and the sex offenders register, she repeatedly reoffended after each release, demonstrating a pattern of predatory behavior
insight.scmagazineuk.com
· 2025-12-08
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that Southeast Asian cyber fraud networks operating billion-dollar scams are expanding globally through "one-stop-shop" digital marketplaces, establishing new hubs across Africa and collaborating with South American drug cartels despite law enforcement takedowns in Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines. These industrialized criminal enterprises increasingly target individuals worldwide with sophisticated social engineering and emotional manipulation tactics, including romance scams and fake investment schemes that exploit human vulnerabilities. Experts warn that technological defenses alone are insufficient; comprehensive user education and cybersecurity awareness training are critical to combating these expanding criminal operations.
northfortynews.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
This is an educational awareness piece from Larimer County Sheriff's Office highlighting current scam trends affecting Northern Colorado residents, particularly seniors. Chief Scambuster Barbara Bennett presents 20+ active scams including romance schemes, impersonation frauds (bank, IRS, law enforcement), tech-based scams (DocuSign phishing, hacked Facebook accounts), and marketplace fraud, while proposing a confidential support group for scam victims and their families to address shame and isolation barriers to reporting.
thefinanser.com
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational piece about digital trust and fraud in an AI-enabled world, not a news article about a specific scam incident. The author discusses how romance scams, Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, and social engineering attacks exploit human trust and psychology, noting these scams are growing daily. The piece emphasizes that in a deepfake world where AI can impersonate voices, faces, and documents, individuals face challenges in verifying identity and authentication through three key mechanisms: identification, authentication, and verification.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Transnational organized crime groups based in East and Southeast Asia are expanding their scam operations globally in response to increased law enforcement crackdowns, according to a UN report. These criminal syndicates, which operate hundreds of industrial-scale scam centers generating nearly $40 billion annually through romance scams, fraudulent investments, and illegal gambling schemes, have been reported operating in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Pacific islands, with notable operations discovered in Nigeria, Brazil, and Peru. The report warns that as Asian-led groups expand geographically and adopt new technologies like AI and deepfakes, governments face intensifying challenges requiring coordinated responses.
actionnews5.com
· 2025-12-08
Two men, Stanley Anyanwu, 41, and Vitalis Anyanwu, 42, were convicted of defrauding the City of Memphis of $773,695 through a business email compromise (BEC) scam in February 2022, in which funds intended for a contractor were redirected to their accounts and quickly laundered. The brothers were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, and were also identified as "money mules" processing funds from romance scams targeting individual victims. Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing on July 18, 2025.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Two Texas men, Stanley Anyanwu (41) and Vitalis Anyanwu (42), were convicted of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy for their roles as "money mules" in a scheme that defrauded the City of Memphis of $773,695.45 through a business email compromise (BEC) scam in February 2022, as well as romance scam victims. The conspiracy quickly laundered the stolen funds through a network before the city could recover them, and sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2025.
thesenior.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Asian crime syndicates operating multibillion-dollar cyberscam networks have expanded globally to South America and Africa despite intensified Southeast Asian raids, with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reporting the industry generates tens of billions in annual profits by victimizing people worldwide through schemes like romance and cryptocurrency scams. Many scam workers are trafficked and forced into operations, and criminal groups have adapted by relocating to remote areas with weak governance in Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and now Georgia, Zambia, Angola, and Namibia. The U.S. alone reported $5.6 billion in cryptocurrency scam losses in 2023, with elderly and vulnerable people particularly
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Three Chinese nationals were sentenced to federal prison (24-60 months) for their roles in a transnational gift card fraud conspiracy that laundered over $100 million obtained through romance scams, elder fraud, and hacking. The defendants purchased stolen gift cards and used them to buy Apple products for export to China, converting stolen funds into tangible goods as part of a larger criminal supply chain. All three face deportation to China upon completion of their sentences.
unite.ai
· 2025-12-08
AI vishing scams—which use voice cloning and deepfake technology to impersonate trusted individuals—have become increasingly sophisticated and effective, with losses to Americans rising 23% from 2023 to 2024. Recent high-profile attacks include scammers impersonating Italy's Defense Minister to target business leaders like Giorgio Armani (resulting in one $200,000+ loss), hotel staff targeted during peak hours, and elderly individuals tricked out of approximately $200,000 by voices mimicking family members. The proliferation of AI Vishing-as-a-Service platforms like PlugValley has enabled attackers to launch these convincing, automated attacks at scale with custom
localmatters.co.nz
· 2025-12-08
New Zealanders, particularly older adults, are increasingly targeted by "pig butchering" scams, where organized criminal networks operating from Southeast Asia build trust with victims over weeks or months before convincing them to invest in fake cryptocurrency or forex opportunities, then disappearing with their money. Netsafe estimates New Zealanders lost $2.3 billion to scams in 2024, with these schemes employing sophisticated emotional manipulation tactics and following a predictable formula of unexpected contact, false relationship-building, and pressure to invest. The article provides five warning signs to recognize these scams and advises victims to immediately stop contact, alert their bank, preserve evidence, and report the fraud to Netsafe
gottheimer.house.gov
· 2025-12-08
U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer introduced bipartisan legislation called the GUARD Act to combat financial fraud and "pig butchering" scams targeting older Americans by providing state and local law enforcement with federal grant funding and blockchain tracing tools. "Pig butchering" scams involve fraudsters convincing retirees to invest in fake opportunities, with victims over 70 suffering median losses of $9,000 compared to $2,400 for all age groups, and these scams causing over $1 billion in losses in 2022 alone. The bill is supported by multiple organizations including AARP and law enforcement associations.
vice.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, seniors aged 60+ lost nearly $5 billion to online scams, filing 147,127 complaints representing a 46 percent increase in complaints and 43 percent increase in losses compared to 2023, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Report. The elderly were most commonly victimized by investment scams, tech support fraud, and romance scams, with an average loss of $83,000 per person, while cryptocurrency fraud also surged with seniors losing over $2.8 billion to such schemes. Overall, Americans reported over $16 billion in online fraud losses across 859,532 complaints in 2024, a 33 percent increase from
infosecurity-magazine.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scam reports in the UK rose 20% year-over-year in Q1 2025, with victims losing an average of £8,000 in 2024, increasing to £19,000 for those aged 61 and over, indicating fraudsters are specifically targeting older adults. Scammers primarily operate through dating apps and social media, typically requesting money within a month of contact by fabricating emergencies, travel costs, or medical expenses. Experts recommend that tech companies and banks implement stronger verification controls and behavioral monitoring to detect and prevent romance scams before significant losses occur.
caughtindot.com
· 2025-12-08
The Boston Police Department is warning of increased online romance scams targeting people across dating apps and social media, where scammers build fake emotional relationships and request money for emergencies, military expenses, or fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. These scams also employ sextortion tactics, threatening to release explicit photos unless victims pay, and victims should never send money to people they haven't met in person and should report incidents to local police, the FTC, or FBI's IC3. Red flags include requests to move conversations to private messaging apps, frequent cancellations of in-person meetings, demands for money or explicit photos, and attempts to isolate victims from friends and family.
aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Anna Rowe, a 52-year-old teacher in England, was victimized by a romance scam involving "love bombing" and catfishing when she met a man named Antony on a dating app who used a fake identity and flooded her with excessive attention and affection over 14 months. After discovering Antony was married and had defrauded at least 16 other women (possibly up to 200), Rowe founded two nonprofits to help romance scam victims and now assists approximately 100 people weekly, as dating app romance scams have increased significantly with 40 percent of dating app users reporting being targeted. Love bombing is a multi-
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, scammers stole a record $16.6 billion from over 250,000 victims, representing a 33% increase from 2023, with an average loss of $19,000 per victim. People over 60 filed the most complaints (147,000) and suffered the greatest losses at $4.8 billion (average of $83,000 per person), while investment scams ($6.5 billion), compromised business emails ($2.7 billion), and tech support scams ($1.4 billion) were the leading fraud types. The FBI notes that cryptocurrency was the most common payment method used by scammers, and reporte
nbcnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals stole a record $16.6 billion in 2024, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, a 33% increase from $12.5 billion in 2023. People age 60 and older were the biggest victims, losing $4.8 billion total, with $2.8 billion involving cryptocurrency and $1.8 billion lost to investment scams including "pig butchering" schemes where criminals pose as romantic partners to convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency ventures. The report, based on 859,532 complaints filed, is considered an undercount of actual cybercrime losses.
abcnews4.com
· 2025-12-08
South Carolina seniors suffered disproportionately in 2024 cybercrime, with 2,295 victims over age 60 losing over $58.5 million—more than a third of the state's total $146 million in reported internet crime losses. The most costly scams targeting seniors were tech support scams, government impersonation schemes, and investment fraud, each accounting for nearly $10 million in losses, while confidence/romance scams cost seniors almost $3 million. The FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Report documented a 33% nationwide increase in cybercrime losses to over $16 billion, with extortion, phishing, and personal data breaches
wmur.com
· 2025-12-08
Three Chinese nationals—Naxin Wu, Mengying Jiang, and Mingdong Chen—were sentenced to at least two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to operating a gift card fraud scheme that targeted victims through romance scams and elder fraud. The defendants used stolen gift cards to purchase expensive electronics, particularly Apple products, which they then sold overseas; all three face deportation following their release.
planadviser.com
· 2025-12-08
Representative Zachary Nunn introduced the bipartisan GUARD Act, which would provide federal grant funding to local law enforcement agencies to investigate financial fraud against retirees, including tools for tracing blockchain technology and resources for specialized staff training. The legislation is prompted by significant elder fraud losses, including over $42.6 million in Iowa alone in 2023 and $3.4 billion nationally among those aged 60+ in that same year, with particular focus on "pig butchering" investment scams involving cryptocurrency. If passed, federal agencies would be required to report on fraud trends and enforcement efforts, and financial institutions would be encouraged to appoint liaisons to improve data sharing with law enforcement.
wwltv.com
· 2025-12-08
FBI data reveals that scammers stole over $16.6 billion in 2023, a 33% increase despite heightened public awareness, with victims losing an average of $19,000 each. Adults over 60 were disproportionately targeted, filing the most complaints and losing the most money at $4.8 billion total (averaging $80,000 per victim), with investment scams, romance scams, and tech support scams being the leading fraud types.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
AARP's Fraud Watch Network provides comprehensive support for fraud victims, recognizing that scams cause both financial and emotional harm including shame and isolation. The organization offers a helpline (877-908-3360) with trained fraud specialists, plus free peer-facilitated support groups called ReST (Resilience, Strength, and Time) where victims can connect with others and receive emotional guidance to aid recovery.
doralfamilyjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center report documented a 33% increase in online scams, with 859,532 complaints totaling over $16 billion in losses. Adults over 60 were hit hardest, filing 147,000 complaints and losing $4.8 billion (43% increase from 2023), with investment scams being the leading fraud type at $6.5 billion in losses overall, followed by compromised business emails, tech support scams, and romance scams.