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dailypost.ng
· 2026-08-25
An eight-month INTERPOL-coordinated operation across 22 countries resulted in 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects linked to West African crime networks, including the Black Axe group, involved in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment schemes. Key outcomes included 39 arrests in South Africa with $2.67 million seized, 17 arrests in Argentina for crime-as-a-service operations, and the dismantling of a Romanian call-center investment scam that generated approximately €143 million globally. The operation also uncovered increased sextortion cases targeting minors as young as 14 by West African organized crime groups exploiting social media.
bbc.com
· 2026-08-25
A global law enforcement operation coordinated by Interpol arrested 58 people and identified 263 suspects linked to West African cyber-crime networks across 22 countries, targeting organized groups behind romance and investment scams that primarily victimized retirees in English-speaking countries. The operation, which ran from November 2025 to June 2026, also uncovered emerging threats including sextortion targeting minors as young as 14, with preliminary results including 39 arrests in South Africa and the seizure of $2.67 million along with 257 blocked bank accounts. These criminal networks are believed to be responsible for a significant share of cyber-enabled financial fraud, including cryptocurrency and email compromise sc
thestandard.com.hk
· 2026-08-24
A Hong Kong woman lost approximately HK$1.5 million in two separate scams within one month, first losing HK$1.2 million to a cryptocurrency investment fraud on a fake trading platform, then losing an additional HK$300,000 to a secondary scam involving a fake "Global Anti-Fraud Alliance" website. The case highlights a growing trend where fraudsters exploit victims' desperation to recover losses by impersonating law firms, anti-fraud organizations, and hacker groups, pushing fake websites to the top of search results.
radioiowa.com
· 2026-08-24
Fake employment scams are targeting Iowa college students and young adults, with con artists requesting bank account and routing numbers under the guise of job payments to steal money and identities. Scammers are increasingly using social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to find victims, with employment scams now ranking as the second most common fraud type. The Better Business Bureau advises job seekers to research employers thoroughly and protect personal financial information, as young adults are particularly vulnerable due to inexperience.
cyberghostvpn.com
· 2026-08-24
Romance scammers are increasingly using AI tools combined with personal data from data brokers and social media to create fake identities and manipulate victims at scale, with scammers leveraging publicly available information to identify vulnerable targets—particularly older adults—and generate realistic deepfakes for deceptive profiles. By automating personalized conversations and employing "love bombing" tactics, scammers build emotional trust before exploiting victims for financial gain or personal information. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned in December 2024 that data brokers selling detailed personal profiles make it easier for scammers to target vulnerable populations.
globaldatinginsights.com
· 2026-08-24
Between January 2022 and June 2026, 462 Malaysians lost a combined RM32.7 million (approximately $7 million USD) to romance scams originating from people met through dating platforms, with over 70% of victims aged 21-40. Rather than implement mandatory identity verification for dating app users, Malaysia is pursuing a broader online safety approach including stronger platform safeguards, scam detection, public awareness, and enhanced bank fraud detection, as officials acknowledged that identity checks alone cannot prevent sophisticated romance scams that exploit stolen identities and social engineering tactics. Scammers typically build relationships over time before directing victims toward fraudulent investment opportunities, fake trading platforms, or cryptocurrency schemes,
m.dailyhunt.in
· 2026-08-24
Cybercriminals in Bengaluru are increasingly targeting high-net-worth individuals including IT professionals, doctors, and entrepreneurs through detailed profiling using social media, leaked databases, and open-source intelligence to facilitate scams like fake investments, digital arrest, and romance fraud. A 57-year-old IT professional lost Rs 31.83 crore in a six-month digital arrest scam, with investigators noting that victims often delay reporting due to embarrassment, hampering efforts to recover funds during the critical window before money is transferred overseas.
rnz.co.nz
· 2026-08-24
Actor Ben McKenzie, known for "The OC," has become a prominent cryptocurrency critic, calling it "the largest Ponzi scheme in history" and appearing before the U.S. Senate to testify about crypto fraud. McKenzie, who has an undergraduate degree in economics, became interested in cryptocurrency during the pandemic but grew skeptical about the industry's lack of regulation and has since created a documentary titled "Everyone Is Lying To You For Money" examining crypto fraud, including interviews with disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. He has made his anti-crypto position profitable by betting that cryptocurrency prices would decline in 2022, with the winnings helping to fund his documentary.
thedailystar.net
· 2026-08-24
Scammers are defrauding lower and middle-income Bangladeshis through Facebook pages and mobile apps offering fake loans with artificially low interest rates, collecting upfront fees and security deposits before disappearing with victims' money. Victims like Touhida Akter, who lost her life savings of Tk 1 lakh (approximately $12,000 USD) to a fake "Ashar Alo Foundation" loan scheme, are also targeted through illegal loan apps charging interest rates as high as 800 percent and threatening to expose private data when borrowers cannot pay. Online fraud has expanded beyond loans to include illegal gambling, betting, and cryptocurrency trading platforms that harvest personal information and promise unus
thereadingpost.com
· 2026-08-24
A home health aide admitted in civil court to exerting undue influence over Dr. Louis Braida, an MIT professor, and taking over $1.4 million from him before his death in 2022, yet no criminal charges were filed in the case. Democratic candidate David Solet is criticizing the incumbent Middlesex District Attorney for failing to prosecute this elder exploitation case and is calling for stronger Massachusetts laws similar to Florida's to better protect vulnerable seniors from financial crimes.
candgnews.com
· 2026-08-24
Shelby Township police are reporting a significant uptick in scams targeting seniors, with individual losses ranging from hundreds to $30,000-$80,000, where victims are draining life savings and retirement accounts. Common scams involve criminals impersonating government agencies, family members, or utility companies and creating urgency through claims of arrests, medical emergencies, or service disconnections to pressure victims into sending money via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Police urge seniors to verify information independently, never send money to unknown callers, and contact local authorities to confirm the legitimacy of suspicious calls.
startsat60.com
· 2026-08-24
Approximately 4.9 million Australians (23% of those surveyed) reported losing money to scams, with online shopping fraud being the most common type affecting an estimated 2.1 million people through fake retailers and fraudulent websites. Other prevalent scams include cryptocurrency fraud (5%), investment/property scams (4%), and romance, impersonation, and insurance scams (3% each), with Australians reporting over $2.18 billion in combined losses across 481,000 scam reports in 2025. Even financial experts are vulnerable to these increasingly sophisticated scams that exploit trust, emotion, and artificial urgency to manipulate victims into acting without proper verification.
sarawaktribune.com
· 2026-08-24
Sarawak has experienced a surge in sophisticated financial scams powered by artificial intelligence and social engineering, with commercial crime cases rising 41.79% to 2,134 cases in the first five months of 2024, resulting in losses exceeding RM71 million. Recent victims include a Kuching woman who lost RM145,247 to a fake job offer, a Miri man who lost RM367,300 to a fraudulent investment scheme, and another individual who lost RM287,000 to a fake stock investment scam. Nationally, Malaysians lost RM2.8 billion to financial scams in 2024, with experts warning that AI-enabled
newswav.com
· 2026-08-24
Filipino authorities rescued 24 nationals from human trafficking operations in Cambodia after they were lured with false promises of customer service jobs but forced into "catphishing" scams targeting Europeans online. The victims, mostly young professionals, endured physical abuse, verbal assault, and exploitation while working toward recruitment quotas, with some being "sold" between syndicates across Southeast Asia. At least 125 trafficking cases connected to online scam hubs were intercepted in 2024, with traffickers specifically targeting educated, mobile Filipinos with strong communication skills to conduct romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and digital extortion operations earning millions.
bbc.com
· 2026-08-23
A 61-year-old man in Wales fell victim to a QR code parking scam after downloading a fraudulent parking app, which led to unauthorized charges of £1 initially and then a £60 monthly subscription to his bank account. QR code-related scams, known as "quishing," have increased by 700% over four years, with Report Fraud receiving 2,743 reports in the past 12 months compared to just 341 two years prior. Criminals are exploiting the growing use of QR codes in everyday situations like parking meters and advertisements to trick victims into downloading malicious apps or revealing banking details.
wsmv.com
· 2026-08-23
A 90-year-old North Carolina woman nearly lost $10,000 to a cryptocurrency scam that began with a fake Geek Squad text message claiming unauthorized charges to her account. Wilmington Police Officer Nicholas Morrison spotted her holding nearly $10,000 in cash at a bitcoin kiosk and recognized the warning signs of a scam, convincing her to stop the transaction and helping her redeposit her money safely.
hoodline.com
· 2026-08-23
A 75-year-old woman recovering from surgery at a San Antonio hospital was allegedly robbed by someone impersonating a credit union employee, with police seeking the public's help to identify the suspect through Crime Stoppers. This incident is part of a larger pattern of elder fraud in San Antonio, where the police department recorded over 330 financial crimes against seniors in 2025, with imposter scams being among the most common tactics. Texas residents over 60 lost $679 million to financial fraud in 2025 across more than 14,400 cases, prompting enhanced legal penalties under state law for crimes targeting elderly victims.
nst.com.my
· 2026-08-23
Over the past four years through June, 462 Malaysians aged primarily 21-40 lost RM32.7 million (approximately RM20,000 daily) to romance scams originating from dating platforms, where scammers build trust before directing victims to fake investment schemes, bogus trading platforms, and cryptocurrency scams. Malaysia's Deputy Communications Minister announced the government will not mandate dating app identity verification, instead focusing on stronger platform safeguards, improved scam detection, and public awareness to combat these cross-platform crimes. The government is adopting a layered approach involving telecommunications providers, financial institutions, and online platforms to disrupt the scam ecosystem and support investigations.
deccanherald.com
· 2026-08-23
Cybercriminals in Bengaluru have shifted from random targeting to strategically profiling high-net-worth individuals—including IT professionals, doctors, financial traders, and entrepreneurs—using social media scraping and dark web databases to execute sophisticated scams like fake investments and digital arrests. A notable case involved a 57-year-old IT professional losing Rs 31.83 crore over six months in a digital-arrest scam, though she delayed reporting for eight months. Investigators attribute the scams' success to victims' high disposable income, societal stigma preventing timely complaints, and the loss of the critical "Golden Hour" window needed to freeze funds before they are laundered offshore.
fbi.gov
· 2026-08-22
# Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud
Scammers are using cryptocurrency to defraud investors by promising high returns on digital asset investments, often through fake platforms or impersonated legitimate companies. Victims lose significant sums when they transfer funds to fraudulent accounts or wallets that disappear after the initial "investment." The FBI warns that these schemes are increasingly targeting both novice and experienced investors through social media, dating apps, and unsolicited contact.
newrepublic.com
· 2026-08-21
A 24-year-old Nigerian "Yahoo Boy" named Chibuike scammed tens of thousands of dollars from overseas victims by impersonating American celebrities and building fake romantic relationships to extract money through digital manipulation and fake investment schemes. The article explores the real lives of Nigerian romance scammers profiled in a new book that examines how poverty, inequality, and limited economic opportunities drive young West African men into cybercrime targeting vulnerable individuals in English-speaking countries. The piece traces the historical roots of 419 scams back to colonial Nigeria, where similar schemes evolved from impersonation tactics used by officials and ordinary people to exploit victims through false authority and deception.
cryptopolitan.com
· 2026-08-21
A 32-year-old Hong Kong man, Ma Che-hou, had his 56-month prison sentence upheld for orchestrating a fraud and money laundering scheme that lured five men with promises of employment and romance, ultimately trafficking them to Myanmar where they were tortured. The case highlights how criminal syndicates use cryptocurrency and stablecoins to launder fraud proceeds, with an estimated $14-17 billion sent to fraud-related crypto wallets annually, as part of a broader global fraud economy estimated at $442 billion in 2025. Hong Kong's lack of a distinct human trafficking law forced prosecutors to treat the trafficking and forced labor as aggravating factors within fraud charges rather than as
bhaskarenglish.in
· 2026-08-21
Uttar Pradesh faces a severe cyber fraud crisis, with over ₹100 crore lost monthly across more than 2.5 lakh complaints, though only 1,040 FIRs were registered in seven months. Four major scam types exploit fear, greed, romance, and sympathy: digital arrest scams (23% of losses), fake investment schemes (32% of cases), sextortion through nude video calls, and account impersonation, with victims ranging from educated young people to senior citizens losing a combined ₹720 crore, though timely intervention recovered ₹242 crore.
kstp.com
· 2026-08-21
Minnesotans lose approximately $1.5 billion annually to online scams, according to a Consumer Federation of America report cited at a fraud-prevention seminar hosted by eight credit unions in partnership with law enforcement. The event highlighted common scam tactics including romance scams, fake job offers, cryptocurrency pitches, and impersonation schemes that rely on urgency, fear, and trust to manipulate victims. Experts emphasized that people should not rush into decisions when contacted by suspicious offers and encouraged using the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker to research potential fraud before responding.
macaudailytimes.com.mo
· 2026-08-21
A middle-aged woman in Macau lost MOP460,000 in a romance scam when a man posing as a retiring Chinese military officer convinced her to invest in a fake "China Aerospace" metal investment platform through cryptocurrency transfers in June and July. The scammer disappeared in August without providing any investment returns, and police are investigating to identify the fraudster and trace the stolen funds. In a separate case, authorities arrested a mainland Chinese man for conducting illegal currency exchange operations near the ZAPE district, seizing HKD24,400 in cash.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-08-21
Scammers are operating fraudulent sites like Poison Claude that offer AI tokens at 70-90% discounts by using stolen payment methods, exploiting free trials, and routing user prompts through unauthorized endpoints without proper security controls. These services have attracted hundreds of users and cost legitimate AI companies millions of dollars daily in losses, while also serving users in countries where U.S. AI models are restricted. Users accessing discounted tokens through these gray market resellers face serious legal and security risks, as the underlying transactions are illegal.
ii.co.uk
· 2026-08-21
Investment fraud losses reached £879.8 million in 2025, with over 34,000 people reporting losses averaging £25,612 per victim—a 31% increase from the previous year. Scammers use social media, WhatsApp, deepfake endorsements, and cloned websites to impersonate celebrities, financial experts, and legitimate firms, promoting fake or overpriced investments with promises of quick profits and exclusive opportunities. Victims face additional risk from recovery scams, where fraudsters target them again with offers to recover their lost money.
dailyhodl.com
· 2026-08-21
A North Kingstown, Rhode Island elderly woman with dementia was targeted by tech support scammers who used a fake police pop-up warning to gain remote access to her computer and bank account, stealing thousands of dollars. After remotely compromising her finances, the suspects appeared in person at her home claiming to offer technical support, and the fraud was discovered when a bank teller noticed unusually large withdrawals. Police describe this as a targeted scheme involving multiple cash drop-off points and are seeking an Asian male suspect, emphasizing the importance of verifying urgent claims directly with banks rather than trusting unsolicited callers.
hoodline.com
· 2026-08-21
Former Fidelity broker Eric James Stone was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for defrauding a 75-year-old client of over $2 million through 613 fraudulent transactions over three years, using fake email accounts and fabricated legal threats to pressure continued payments. Stone, who had been terminated from Fidelity in 2021 for soliciting personal loans from clients, spent the stolen funds on foreign gambling websites, cryptocurrency, travel, and personal debts, moving money through Zelle, PayPal, wire transfers, and Bitcoin wallets. He was ordered to pay $2,037,103 in restitution to his victim.
au.lifehacker.com
· 2026-08-20
Meta removed 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts associated with cybercrime and digital scams in the second half of 2025, though attacks continue due to low costs and automated execution. Common WhatsApp scams rely on social engineering rather than sophisticated hacking, with the most dangerous being account takeover schemes where attackers trick victims into sharing verification codes, then impersonate them to extort money from their contacts. Users can protect themselves by enabling two-step verification, never sharing verification codes, and verifying urgent money requests through direct phone calls using known contact numbers.
theguardian.com
· 2026-08-20
Thousands of people trafficked into cyber-fraud compounds across Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar have escaped during regional military and police raids, but many remain stranded in Cambodia without passports, money, or means to return home. Survivors face mounting visa overstay fines reaching thousands of dollars, immigration detention, and homelessness, with aid organizations warning of a humanitarian crisis as governments treat escaped trafficking victims as perpetrators rather than victims. Some desperate survivors are reportedly returning to the scam compounds they escaped from due to lack of support and viable options to leave the region.
hoodline.com
· 2026-08-20
A Louisville man lost over $1 million in a pig-butchering cryptocurrency investment scam that began with a pop-up ad and progressed through fake investment promises and fake profit displays. The scammers collected cash and physical gold across 14 in-person handoffs using couriers and demanded additional penalty payments before disappearing when the victim attempted to withdraw. The FBI reports that such schemes are increasingly using physical couriers to bypass bank fraud detection systems, with gold courier scams alone accounting for $219 million in losses nationally in 2024.
weau.com
· 2026-08-19
Wisconsin residents over 60 lost $46 million to cryptocurrency scams in 2025, prompting a bipartisan legislative committee to examine whether the growing cryptocurrency industry requires additional state regulation. Common scams include pig butchering schemes that use fake romantic relationships to lure victims and phishing scams with bogus websites, with criminals favoring cryptocurrency due to its permanent, fast, and anonymous transaction nature. The Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage Committee is seeking public input on potential legislation and plans to meet again on October 15.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-08-19
Singapore implemented new anti-scam regulations on August 18 requiring messaging platforms to restrict unknown contacts and social media services to verify advertisers, targeting the country's significant fraud problem. Singapore lost over US$2.8 billion to scams between 2020 and mid-2025, with investment and romance scams proliferating through messaging apps and social media, which accounted for approximately 30% of scam cases in 2025. Platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must comply with the new rules by January 31, 2027, or face penalties up to S$1 million.
asgam.com
· 2026-08-19
Cambodia's government revoked licenses for 20 casinos and suspended 29 others as part of a crackdown on technology-based scam networks operating from the country, shutting down 605 of 751 identified scam locations. Between July 2025 and July 2026, authorities prosecuted 4,147 suspects from 27 nationalities involved in organized criminal scam operations, including cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, and illegal online lending schemes targeting both domestic and international victims. The crackdown, though demonstrating government commitment to combating online fraud, has severely impacted Cambodia's tourism industry, with international visitor numbers declining by 47.8% in the first five months of
yahoo.com
· 2026-08-19
An elderly Georgia couple fell victim to a scam involving a fake pop-up warning claiming their bank account was breached, which led them to deposit cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk following instructions from a fraudster impersonating an FTC official. Law enforcement agencies from Oconee County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the state Attorney General's office collaborated to trace the stolen cryptocurrency across multiple digital wallets and successfully seized and returned the funds to the victims. The case highlights the vulnerability of older adults to crypto scams and has prompted new state protections requiring cryptocurrency kiosks to display warnings about irreversible transactions.
wsbtv.com
· 2026-08-19
An elderly Georgia couple fell victim to a crypto scam after a fake pop-up warning claiming their bank account was breached directed them to withdraw cash and deposit it into a cryptocurrency kiosk, with a fraudster impersonating an FTC official guiding them through the process. Law enforcement from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the state Attorney General's office successfully traced the stolen cryptocurrency through multiple digital wallets and exchanges, then seized and returned the funds to the victims. The case highlights the growing problem of crypto scams targeting seniors and prompted new Georgia legislation requiring cryptocurrency kiosks to display warnings about transaction irreversibility.
hoodline.com
· 2026-08-19
Elderly residents in Oconee County, Georgia recovered stolen cryptocurrency after falling victim to a scam where fraudsters posing as FTC agents used fake bank breach warnings to trick victims into withdrawing cash and depositing it into crypto kiosks while keeping them on the phone. Law enforcement from multiple agencies traced the stolen funds through digital wallets and froze them at a centralized crypto exchange before they could be liquidated, making this recovery unusually successful in a crime category where losses are normally irreversible. The case highlights the effectiveness of new Georgia legislation (House Bill 945) that established daily transaction limits, fee caps, and mandatory refund procedures for crypto kiosk operators, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
wave3.com
· 2026-08-19
A Louisville man lost over $1 million in a "pig butchering" scam, where fraudsters gained his trust over time by posing as friendly contacts before convincing him to invest in fake cryptocurrency and other bogus schemes. The scam began with a pop-up offering a free book, evolved into online conversations, and culminated in 11 face-to-face transactions where the victim handed over physical gold and cash in exchange for worthless certificates. A suspect, Yu Jie Yin, was arrested in June in connection with this and at least one other victim case.
houstonpress.com
· 2026-08-19
Romance scammers target older adults online by creating fake profiles, building emotional connections, and eventually requesting money for fabricated emergencies; Texans lost over $57 million to romance and confidence scams in 2024, with people over 60 averaging losses exceeding $38,000. The article warns daters to verify profile photos through reverse-image searches, be suspicious of overly perfect profiles or unusually fast relationship progression, and avoid sending money to people who consistently avoid in-person or video meetings.
lifehacker.com
· 2026-08-19
Meta removed 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts in the second half of 2025 due to cyber crime and digital scams, with attackers using low-tech social engineering tactics rather than sophisticated technology. Common WhatsApp scams include account hijacking through verification code theft and emergency impersonation scams where attackers access compromised accounts to solicit money from the victim's contacts. Users can protect themselves by enabling 2-step verification, never sharing verification codes, and verifying sensitive requests through direct phone calls to known contact numbers.
wgnsradio.com
· 2026-08-19
Investment and cryptocurrency fraud remains the highest-risk scam category with a median loss of $5,000, followed by employment scams ($1,000 median loss) and online purchase scams, according to the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. While overall scam susceptibility dropped 10% and monetary losses decreased 28%, scammers continue exploiting digital payment platforms, social media, and text messaging to target consumers, particularly those aged 25-34 and 65 and older. The report highlights PayPal as the most impersonated brand and recommends using prepaid cards or isolated payment portals to protect primary bank accounts.
unionleader.com
· 2026-08-19
A Manchester couple fell victim to a government impersonation scam in March 2025 where scammers posing as a financial institution and FBI agent convinced the wife to deposit $3,900 in cryptocurrency at a bitcoin ATM as part of a fake "parallel transaction." The scam, which exploits fear and urgency through spoofed phone numbers, has affected 148 victims in New Hampshire with approximately $1.68 million in losses and $797 million nationwide in 2025. The FBI warns that it never calls citizens demanding payment and advises people to hang up, verify by calling the organization directly, and never send money via prepaid cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency ATMs.
ksat.com
· 2026-08-18
The FBI's San Antonio Division reports that elder fraud targeting people age 60 and older resulted in over 200,000 complaints and $7.5 billion in losses last year, with common scams including impersonation of law enforcement, the IRS, and government agencies. Older adults are frequently targeted because they may have accumulated wealth, are more likely to engage with strangers, and often fall victim to repeated scams. The FBI recommends victims hang up and independently verify claims, treat cryptocurrency and gift card requests as red flags, and promptly report fraud to their bank, local law enforcement, or the FBI.
theedgemalaysia.com
· 2026-08-18
Singapore implemented new regulations requiring messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to restrict unknown contacts and social media services to verify advertisers, targeting the proliferation of online scams that have cost the nation over US$2.8 billion from 2020 through mid-2025. The rules, enforced under the Online Criminal Harms Act, specifically address investment and romance scams coordinated through messaging apps and advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, which accounted for approximately 30 percent of scam cases in 2025. Platforms must comply by January 31, 2027, or face penalties up to S$1 million.
einpresswire.com
· 2026-08-18
Georgia's White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit, working with the Oconee County Sheriff's Office and GBI, successfully seized and returned cryptocurrency to elderly fraud victims who were deceived by scammers impersonating the FTC. The perpetrators used fake computer pop-up alerts claiming bank account breaches to convince an elderly couple to withdraw funds and deposit them into crypto kiosks, instructing them to avoid detection by bank employees. Law enforcement traced the stolen cryptocurrency through multiple wallets and recovered the funds from a crypto exchange wallet, resulting in court-ordered return to the victims.
kucoin.com
· 2026-08-18
An 80-year-old Hong Kong man lost over HK$5 million in a cryptocurrency investment scam after downloading a fake "Trust Wallet" app from a fraudulent pop-up ad in June 2024. Scammers posing as customer service representatives convinced him to exchange bank withdrawals for ETH cryptocurrency and transfer it to their wallets over 1.5 months, with the victim only discovering the fraud when he could no longer access funds or reach the fake service team.
cepa.org
· 2026-08-18
An Ohio woman lost approximately $663,000, including her life savings and Roth IRA, to a cryptocurrency investment scam that began with a text message from a scammer posing as a friend. The FBI now receives around 3,000 fraud complaints daily, with cyber-enabled fraud accounting for $17.7 billion in losses during 2025, prompting the U.S. government to authorize vetted private companies to conduct cyber surveillance and operations against foreign criminal organizations.
scamwatch.gov.au
· 2026-08-17
The National Anti-Scam Centre contacted over 10,000 Australians whose personal information was compromised during a UK police investigation into organized crime targeting cryptocurrency users across multiple countries. While arrests were made, affected individuals remain at risk of further scam attempts as their data may still be circulating in criminal networks. The NASC also warned of scammers impersonating government agencies to solicit money and sensitive information under the guise of assisting with investigations.
law.georgia.gov
· 2026-08-17
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's office seized and returned cryptocurrency to elderly fraud victims in Oconee County who were targeted by scammers impersonating the Federal Trade Commission. The perpetrators used fake bank breach alerts to convince an elderly couple to withdraw funds and deposit them into crypto kiosks, then instructed them on how to avoid detection while the funds were transferred through multiple wallets. Law enforcement traced the stolen cryptocurrency and secured a court order to return the funds to the victims.