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3,874 results in Investment Fraud
investmentexecutive.com · 2025-12-08
The SEC charged Ryan Wear and his companies with operating two Ponzi schemes that raised over $275 million from retail and institutional investors between 2016 and 2023 by falsely claiming funds would be invested in water vending machines that either did not exist or were sold to other investors. Fund manager Jordan Chirico was separately charged for violating his fiduciary duty by investing his fund's assets in the scheme while concealing his personal $7 million stake and knowledge that the venture was fraudulent, ultimately increasing the fund's investment to over $90 million by early 2024. Both men face criminal charges including securities fraud and wire fraud, and the operator filed for bankruptcy in August 2024.
aol.com · 2025-12-08
Kenneth G. Akpieyi, a Georgia man, was convicted on federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded eight victims of over $3 million. Operating across social media platforms, Akpieyi and his co-conspirators posed as military officers and entrepreneurs to build emotional relationships with victims—predominantly women—before fabricating financial emergencies to extract money, which was then routed through his business accounts to avoid detection. The case underscores the serious threat romance scams pose to older adults and highlights key warning signs including rapid declarations of love, requests for money via untraceable methods, and pressure to move conversations to
canyon-news.com · 2025-12-08
Jonathan Tudor, a West Hollywood resident, was arrested on July 29 for running a luxury vehicle discount scam in which he posed as a BMW executive and defrauded victims of approximately $16,000 by convincing them to wire money for discounts he never delivered. Detectives recovered over $250,000 in luxury goods (Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton) believed stolen from victims at his residence. Tudor was charged with 44 counts including fraud, money laundering, theft from an elder, and grand theft, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 26.
news.vocofm.com · 2025-12-08
Two Romanian nationals were arrested in Vacaville, California on August 8 for operating a "cash drop scam" targeting elderly victims, with investigations linking them to over 40 fraudulent cases across six states. The scam involved criminals observing victims withdraw cash at ATMs, obtaining their PIN and card information through distraction techniques (such as dropping bills on the ground), then stealing or switching their cards. The suspects faced multiple felony charges including fraud, identity theft, conspiracy, and elder abuse, and are being held in Solano County Jail pending further investigation with FBI assistance.
m.scoop.co.nz · 2025-12-08
The U.S. sanctioned leaders of Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for operating timeshare fraud schemes that victimized Americans and generated revenue for the terrorist organization. Operating from call centers in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, English-speaking telemarketers impersonated brokers, attorneys, and government officials to defraud victims into paying advance fees and taxes, with U.S. victims losing nearly $300 million to these schemes between 2019 and 2023. The Department of Justice encourages fraud victims to report complaints to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-
ainvest.com · 2025-12-08
This article examines the financial vulnerability of aging populations globally, noting that only 49.2% of adults aged 55+ demonstrate basic financial literacy, making them susceptible to fraud and inadequate retirement planning. It highlights how countries with robust financial education programs (like Sweden and Norway) have reduced senior fraud exposure by 30%, and discusses emerging solutions including government policy changes, annuity products, and AI-driven fintech tools that simplify retirement planning for low-literacy populations. The piece positions the aging demographic as a $10 trillion investment opportunity while emphasizing the need for scalable education, transparent financial products, and technology-driven safeguards to protect seniors from financial mismanagement and predatory schemes.
premiumtimesng.com · 2025-12-08
The Nigerian Immigration Service deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cyber fraud and Ponzi scheme offenses after the Federal High Court sentenced each to one year imprisonment and fined them N1 million. The syndicate operated from a Lagos building where foreign nationals trained Nigerian recruits to conduct romance and investment scams targeting victims in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, generating over N2.26 billion through cryptocurrency and bank transfers between April and December 2024, with $222,729.86 in digital assets ordered forfeited.
the-sun.com · 2025-12-08
Cyber criminals are increasingly using malicious links hidden in emails, PDFs, and other documents rather than attachments to steal passwords and install malware, with over 3 billion such attacks reported. Emerging threats include "ClickFix" scams (fake error messages), QR code phishing (4.2 million attempts in early 2025), and "pig butchering" romance scams where criminals build trust with victims before pressuring them into fraudulent investments—including a 2023 case where a Kansas banker lost £34.6 million and received a 24-year sentence. Security experts warn these attacks exploit human psychology by using trusted brands and familiar technology rather
thecable.ng · 2025-12-08
The Nigeria Immigration Service has begun deporting 192 foreign nationals convicted of internet fraud, with the first batch of 42 deported in early 2025. The deportations follow a major December 2024 EFCC operation that arrested 792 members of an international fraud syndicate (primarily Chinese, Filipino, and other nationals) operating from Lagos, where they trained others in romance and cryptocurrency scams. The court-ordered repatriations come after convictions were secured in June, and the EFCC had previously seized digital assets worth $222,729 from the convicted fraudsters.
cantonrep.com · 2025-12-08
Sheriff Eric Weisburn outlines four key warning signs of scams—impersonation of trusted organizations, creation of false problems or prizes, pressure to act immediately, and demands for untraceable payment methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency—to help Stark County residents protect themselves. The article emphasizes that legitimate organizations never demand money or personal information unsolicited via phone, text, or email, and advises people to pause, verify through trusted contacts, and report suspected scams to local authorities or the FTC. Residents are encouraged to share their experiences to help prevent others from becoming victims.
Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Government Impersonation Law Enforcement Impersonation Bank Impersonation Cryptocurrency Wire Transfer Gift Cards Payment App Check/Cashier's Check
people.com · 2025-12-08
Journalist Alex Sammon investigated a job offer scam by deliberately responding to a text message recruiting for fake remote work, which led him to uncover a Philippines-based "click farm" operation that required users to perform repetitive clicks on music streaming platforms while pressuring victims to make Bitcoin purchases to access earnings they could never withdraw. According to the FTC, Americans reported $470 million in losses to text scams in 2024, more than five times the amount reported in 2020, with tens of thousands of people reporting similar fraudulent job offer texts. Sammon lost less than $100 during his investigation but documented how scammers use fake recruiters and fake earnings to manipulate victims into
timesofindia.indiatimes.com · 2025-12-08
Mohammed Sabir from Bantwal taluk lost approximately Rs 7.09 lakh in an investment scam after clicking a malicious link from an unknown Telegram account in July. The fraudsters promised investment returns but prevented him from withdrawing his funds, leading authorities to register a case under IT Act and BNS Act provisions at Dakshina Kannada CEN police station.
mangaloretoday.com · 2025-12-08
Mohammed Sabir, a resident of Bantwal taluk, lost Rs 7,09,873 in an investment scam after clicking a malicious link shared via Telegram on July 31, 2025. The scammers promised investment returns but blocked his withdrawal attempts once he transferred multiple installments to their specified accounts. A case was registered at Dakshina Kannada CEN Police Station under IT Act and BNS Act provisions.
pandasecurity.com · 2025-12-08
Wrong number phone scams are increasingly common frauds where scammers send seemingly accidental texts to build trust and eventually manipulate victims into sending money or sharing personal information. Scammers use social engineering tactics—starting with innocent messages, building rapport over weeks, and escalating to requests for funds or cryptocurrency investments, with some victims losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The best defense is to not respond to unknown numbers, block them immediately, and report suspicious messages to authorities, as even replying "wrong number" confirms your phone is active and marks you for future scam attempts.
sierradailynews.com · 2025-12-08
The FBI warns the public about an evolving "brushing scam" variation where criminals send unsolicited packages with QR codes designed to steal personal and financial information or install malicious software on victims' phones. The packages often lack sender information to encourage scanning, and while not yet widespread, the agency advises consumers to avoid scanning unknown QR codes, reject unsolicited packages, and report suspicious activity to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
plumassun.org · 2025-12-08
The FBI warns of a QR code scam variation in which criminals send unsolicited packages designed to trick recipients into scanning codes that steal personal information or install malicious software on their phones. This evolves from traditional "brushing scams" where vendors ship unrequested items to boost product ratings. The FBI recommends avoiding unsolicited packages without sender information, not scanning unknown QR codes, and reporting suspected fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
ainvest.com · 2025-12-08
In 2024, seniors aged 60 and older lost $4.885 billion to scams—a 43% increase from 2023—with investment fraud, imposter scams, and tech support fraud causing the most damage, including median losses of $20,000 per victim in investment schemes. The FBI and FTC attribute this surge to older adults' significant assets, limited digital literacy, and AI-enabled fraud tactics like deepfakes, compounded by low reporting rates (only 19% of victims report incidents). While regulatory tools like FINRA's trusted contact rules and AI-driven transaction monitoring have improved, gaps remain due to widespread financial illiteracy among seniors and scammers
coconutcreektalk.com · 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old Coconut Creek resident was defrauded through a fake loan scheme in which scammers texted him about a $10,000 loan eligibility, obtained his personal information, deposited fraudulent funds into his account, then instructed him to buy gift cards and provide the card numbers before the false deposits cleared, leaving his account overdrawn. Coconut Creek Police are warning residents to delete similar text messages and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers, as this scam falls into the "too good to be true" category.
financial-planning.com · 2025-12-08
Stanley and Riki Tulin, an elderly couple, filed a federal lawsuit against JPMorgan alleging the bank failed to prevent investment advisor Scott J. Mason from defrauding them of over $19 million through forged signatures and fraudulent transfers. Mason pleaded guilty in January to schemes defrauding clients of more than $23 million and was sentenced to over eight years in prison, while the Tulins accuse JPMorgan of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and failing to properly oversee their accounts despite years of fraudulent activity.
roughdraftatlanta.com · 2025-12-08
Fulton County Department of Senior Services launched Avoid Cyber Threats (A.C.T.), a free online training program in August targeting residents aged 55 and older to help them recognize and avoid cyber scams including phishing, voice cloning, and impersonation schemes. The initiative responds to a 60 percent rise in scams targeting seniors over five years, with Americans aged 60+ losing nearly $4.9 billion to fraud in 2024 and Georgia ranking seventh nationally for senior fraud losses; the program aims to train 2,000 seniors by December, with research showing trained seniors are 80 percent more likely to recognize and avoid scams.
azag.gov · 2025-12-08
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and the Better Business Bureau issued a public awareness campaign alerting residents to cryptocurrency scams, where criminals use Bitcoin and other digital currencies to defraud victims through investment schemes, romance scams, impersonation fraud, and ransomware demands because crypto lacks protections and is difficult to trace. The campaign recommends verifying caller information independently, being skeptical of unsolicited financial requests, recognizing that legitimate businesses never demand cryptocurrency payment upfront, and consulting trusted individuals before making digital currency transactions.
Romance Scam Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Sextortion Kidnapping/Ransom Scam Cryptocurrency Crypto ATM Wire Transfer Gift Cards
newamerica.org · 2025-12-08
Chicago residents identified online fraud as a major concern, with 90 percent of survey respondents rating protection from it as "important" or "very important." The Federal Trade Commission received 2.6 million fraud reports in 2024 resulting in $12.5 billion in losses, with Illinois accounting for over 186,000 fraud reports, and the article provides expert guidance on identifying, avoiding, and responding to various types of fraud including account fraud, non-delivery scams, and impersonation schemes.
trendmicro.com · 2025-12-08
Task scams are fraudulent employment schemes advertised through social media and text messages that promise easy remote work (like liking videos or writing reviews) with attractive compensation and benefits. Scammers use social engineering and psychological manipulation—including fake professional websites and initial small payouts—to build trust before escalating financial demands, ultimately trapping victims in a cycle of deposits to access their claimed earnings. The Federal Trade Commission reported increased task and employment scam complaints in 2024, with victims targeting a range of demographics but most commonly those seeking easy online income from home.
it-online.co.za · 2025-12-08
Luno's data shows that while crypto scams affect less than 1% of its 14 million customers, scams and fraudulent misrepresentation remain prevalent in digital currency, with the platform handling 516 scam-related queries over three months. Common fraud schemes include romance scams (one South African man lost R4 million over 4.5 years), phishing, impersonation of staff, money laundering schemes, and password compromises, with males aged 20-40 and females aged 20-30 most susceptible. Luno recommends security measures such as unique passwords, two-factor authentication, and passkeys, while noting that cryptocurrency's dec
ainvest.com · 2025-12-08
A senior UK bank professional lost £13,000 in a pump-and-dump scam involving Pheton Holdings, a Chinese Nasdaq-listed company, after investing over six weeks based on convincing deepfake social media advertisements featuring financial sector figures and professional-looking market updates. The trader's investment initially doubled before the share price crashed, wiping out his gains entirely. This case reflects a broader trend of coordinated pump-and-dump schemes targeting micro-cap stocks, with the FBI reporting a 300% increase in related complaints year-over-year.
thestar.com.my · 2025-12-08
A 55-year-old Malaysian man was victimized by two consecutive scams totaling approximately RM451,500 (RM390,000 in an initial IPO investment scheme, then RM61,500 in a recovery scam). After losing his savings to fraudsters posing as Hong Kong IPO investment advisors found on social media, the victim sought help from a fake lawyer who claimed to work with authorities and directed him to an online gambling site, where a second scammer impersonating the Hong Kong Anti Deception Coordination Centre convinced him to send additional money under false promises of recovery. This case illustrates the vulnerability of fraud victims to follow-up "
makeuseof.com · 2025-12-08
In 2024, scammers stole $16.6 billion using increasingly sophisticated tactics including AI-generated deepfakes, romance schemes, and cryptocurrency fraud. AI-powered voice clones enable criminals to impersonate trusted individuals and request urgent wire transfers, while romance scammers target vulnerable people on dating platforms, building emotional connections before requesting money for fabricated emergencies or investments. Cryptocurrency and investment scams remain particularly damaging, using social media ads and fake investment advisors to promise unrealistic returns and create urgency around missing opportunities.
Romance Scam Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Government Impersonation Law Enforcement Impersonation Cryptocurrency Wire Transfer Gift Cards Payment App Check/Cashier's Check
investopedia.com · 2025-12-08
AI-powered bank impersonation scams are surging, with cyber fraud losses reaching a record $16.6 billion in 2024 (up 33% from 2023). Scammers now use artificial intelligence to create legitimate-looking emails, texts, and calls with perfect grammar and spoofed phone numbers, exploiting consumers' trained panic responses to fraud alerts. Key red flags include urgent requests for immediate action, unusual payment methods (cash withdrawals, bitcoin transfers, new accounts), and the article advises consumers to hang up and call the number on their debit card to verify any bank communication.
Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Government Impersonation Law Enforcement Impersonation Bank Impersonation Cryptocurrency Crypto ATM Wire Transfer Cash Bank Transfer Check/Cashier's Check
cnn.com · 2025-12-08
Financial scams have become increasingly prevalent and sophisticated, with the FBI reporting $16.6 billion in cybercrime losses in the past year—a 33% increase over the prior year with an average loss of $19,372 per victim. The FTC documented a more-than-four-fold increase between 2020 and 2024 in reports of older Americans (age 60+) losing $10,000 or more to scams, with some victims emptying entire bank accounts and retirement funds. Common schemes include imposter scams masquerading as government agencies or businesses, tech support scams, and prize/sweepstakes frauds, with red flags
kshb.com · 2025-12-08
The Palmer Center in Independence, Missouri hosted its annual "Scamboree" event to educate approximately 175 senior attendees about fraud prevention, featuring resources on common scams including investment fraud and utility company impersonation schemes. According to the Senior Medicare Patrol program, Medicare loses an estimated $60 billion annually to fraud, errors, and abuse, with participants advised to avoid sharing personal information with unknown callers and to hang up immediately on suspicious calls.
myfoxzone.com · 2025-12-08
Texas seniors lost over $480 million to scams in 2024, ranking second nationally according to FBI data, with common schemes including charity fraud, romance scams, and jury duty threats targeting vulnerable older adults. Local organizations like San Angelo's Better Business Bureau and retirement communities are addressing the surge through education programs that teach seniors to recognize red flags, avoid panic-driven decisions, and report crimes without shame. Experts note that official complaint numbers likely underrepresent the true scope, as many victims fail to report due to embarrassment.
countytimes.co.uk · 2025-12-08
Paul Butterworth, a 72-year-old grandfather from Powys, lost £17,106 to a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam operated by Diamond Ridge Financial Academy, which used a fake investment platform called "Winning" promoted through Facebook and WhatsApp. The scammers made his account appear to grow to $753,855, but when he attempted withdrawal, froze his account and demanded a $25,000 "loan repayment," ultimately leaving him with only £5,500 recovered so far through the National Fraud Helpline and his bank Nationwide.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com · 2025-12-08
Three separate fraud cases were reported in the Udupi and Mangaluru regions: a 33-year-old woman lost Rs 11.5 lakh to a forex trading scam after being deceived by someone posing as a CEO of Abhiram Exports; a 27-year-old woman lost Rs 1.7 lakh through a fake work-from-home scheme promoted via Telegram; and a man from Bantwal lost Rs 3.8 lakh in a gift/customs clearance scam after receiving a fraudulent call. All three cases were registered with local police under various sections of the IT Act and BNS.
moodys.com · 2025-12-08
Fraud schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with global losses exceeding $1 trillion annually and affecting individuals, businesses, and government bodies across the UK and worldwide. Emerging fraud types include sextortion scams (which more than doubled globally in 2023 to 26,718 cases) and romance scams (up 14% in 2024), often enabled by AI and deepfakes for identity theft and deception. Public-Private Partnerships, advanced technology tools, and regulatory reforms are being deployed to combat fraud, with the UK's National Fraud Initiative demonstrating success by preventing £510 million in fraud between 2022-2024.
techradar.com · 2025-12-08
Romance scams cost victims over £106 million in 2024 in the UK alone, with fraudsters increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic identities to impersonate celebrities and trusted individuals, as demonstrated by a case where a French woman lost €830,000 to fake Brad Pitt impersonators. Beyond romance fraud, these same tactics are being deployed in investment scams, phishing attacks, and social engineering schemes, with investment scam losses reaching £144.4 million in 2024 and one Georgian network defrauding victims across multiple countries of $35 million using deepfake videos of money expert Martin Lewis.
army.mil · 2025-12-08
Military service members and their families face elevated fraud risks during high-stress periods like deployment transitions, with the Better Business Bureau reporting 273,937 complaints from military consumers between 2019-2024 and higher median losses compared to nonmilitary consumers. Common scams targeting this population include fake rental listings requiring advance payments, phishing emails impersonating military financial officials, and investment fraud promising unrealistic returns. To protect themselves, service members should use credit cards over cryptocurrency or wire transfers, verify requests by contacting organizations directly, and communicate openly with family members about finances.
foxnews.com · 2025-12-08
This educational piece explains how criminals target retirees' retirement accounts and personal data, noting that elder fraud caused over $4.9 billion in losses in 2024, with 72% of cases involving personal data found online. The article advises retirees to remove their information from data broker websites and databases—either manually or through automated removal services—to reduce their vulnerability to identity theft, phishing attacks, and social engineering scams. Taking these protective steps helps secure hard-earned retirement savings by limiting the personal information scammers can use to craft convincing fraud attempts.
wweek.com · 2025-12-08
83-year-old real estate developer Walter Bowen sued his former senior vice president Barclay Grayson for elder abuse, alleging Grayson used Bowen's signature stamp to sign personal guarantees and loan documents without authorization, and misappropriated $250,000 of a $1.1 million improvement allowance intended for condo renovations. Bowen, who hired Grayson in 2003 despite Grayson's prior prison sentence for mail fraud, fired him in July 2024 and filed suit for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and financial abuse of a vulnerable person; the complaint also implicated the
hollywoodreporter.com · 2025-12-08
Actor John Amos' daughter Shannon sued her brother Kelly Christopher Amos, former caretaker Belinda Foster, and associate Eugene Brummett for elder abuse, fraud, and wrongful death, alleging that starting around 2019, K.C. Amos systematically isolated their father, manipulated him into signing new wills and trusts that gave K.C. near-complete control of the estate, and neglected his medical needs—resulting in hospitalizations including treatment for a maggot infection. The petition claims John Amos, who died in 2024 of natural causes, was kept in unsafe conditions with improperly administered medications, and seeks to freeze the
pasadenanow.com · 2025-12-08
California seniors lose an average of $46,000 daily to scammers, ranking the state third-worst nationally for elder fraud losses. In 2024, investment scams caused $1.8 billion in losses to older adults, while phishing and spoofing attacks surged 700% year-over-year, with 72% of cybercrimes enabled by exposed personal data. In response to rising elder abuse cases in LA County, the La Pintoresca Branch Library in Pasadena is hosting a free bilingual "Financial Exploitation Prevention Workshop" to educate seniors on recognizing and preventing fraud.
republicanherald.com · 2025-12-08
David P. Shallcross, director of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Senior Protection Unit, conducted a fraud awareness seminar for approximately 25 seniors in Friedensburg, highlighting common scams targeting older adults including the "Sweetheart Swindle" (where scammers pose as romantic interests to extract money), lottery/investment schemes, and cryptocurrency fraud. Shallcross provided protective strategies such as verifying information sources, recognizing red flags like unsolicited requests for gift card payments, and using verification tools like the SEC's EDGAR database and FINRA.org; he noted that the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office returned $1.2 million to scam victims in
oodaloop.com · 2025-12-08
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission deported 102 foreign nationals (60 Chinese and 39 Filipinos) convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, with additional deportations of 51 more foreigners occurring since mid-August. These individuals were part of a larger operation that victimized people through romance scams and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes designed to extract cash from targets. The deportations followed a December raid on Lagos that arrested 792 suspected cybercriminals, including 192 foreign nationals, as Nigeria intensified its crackdown on organized online fraud operations.
commonsenseinstituteus.org · 2025-12-08
Financial fraud in Oregon resulted in an estimated $201 million in reported losses and $1.2 billion in unreported losses in 2025, with the FBI and FTC reporting significant increases in fraud cases nationwide. The state's economy faces a projected $3.9 billion reduction in GDP, $2.6 billion reduction in personal income, and approximately 15,000 job losses due to all financial fraud (reported and unreported). Oregon ranks 26th-28th among states for cyber-enabled crime losses and elder fraud complaints, with fraud cases up 3,336 since 2022 and total losses up 285% since 2020.
Romance Scam Crypto Investment Scam Investment Fraud Inheritance Scam Lottery/Prize Scam Cryptocurrency Wire Transfer Gift Cards Payment App Check/Cashier's Check
theannapurnaexpress.com · 2025-12-08
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission deported 102 foreign nationals (60 Chinese, 39 Filipinos) involved in internet fraud and cybercrime, including romance scams and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. The enforcement action follows a December raid that arrested 792 suspected cybercriminals and is part of an ongoing crackdown, as criminal gangs continue targeting North Americans, Europeans, and Mexicans through exploiting weak cybersecurity systems.
bbc.com · 2025-12-08
Nigeria's anti-graft agency deported 50 Chinese nationals and dozens of other foreigners as part of "Operation Eagle Flush," a crackdown on a major foreign-led cybercrime syndicate that resulted in 192 total arrests during a Lagos sting operation; the 102 deported individuals were convicted of cyberterrorism and internet fraud. The operation targeted criminals involved in romance scams, sextortion schemes, and cryptocurrency investment fraud, with 148 of those arrested being Chinese nationals who collaborated with local Nigerian recruits. This marks the second major enforcement action in a year against foreign cybercriminals operating in Nigeria, a country plagued by internet fraud and identified as a
yahoo.com · 2025-12-08
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission deported 102 foreign nationals (60 Chinese, 39 Filipinos, and others) convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, including romance scams that lured victims into fake cryptocurrency investments. The deportations followed a December operation in Lagos that arrested 792 suspected cybercriminals, with additional deportations ongoing as part of Nigeria's crackdown on organized online scam operations targeting primarily Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and Europeans. These sophisticated schemes typically involve foreign gangs recruiting Nigerian accomplices to conduct phishing attacks and persuade victims to transfer money or reveal sensitive account information.
aljazeera.com · 2025-12-08
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission deported 102 foreign nationals (60 Chinese and 39 Filipinos) convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, with additional deportations of 39 Filipinos, 10 Chinese, and 2 Kazakhs since mid-August. The deportees were part of a larger operation targeting romance scam networks that lured victims—primarily Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and Europeans—into fake cryptocurrency investment schemes, with 792 suspected cybercriminals arrested in Lagos in December 2024. The EFCC noted that foreign cybercrime syndicates exploit Nigeria's weak cybersecurity infrastructure and recruit local accomplices to conduct
stthomassource.com · 2025-12-08
Banking and financial service workers in the Virgin Islands attended an Elder Justice Summit workshop to address the rising financial abuse of elderly residents, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic when isolated seniors became more vulnerable to exploitation by family members, caregivers, and strangers. The workshop featured presentations on common fraud schemes and bank protocols for assisting victims, with participants emphasizing that combating elder financial exploitation requires collaborative efforts across law enforcement, financial institutions, and government agencies. A third workshop is planned for September to include seniors and caregivers in the ongoing educational efforts.
bbc.com · 2025-12-08
A man in his 60s was arrested in Seoul for littering but was found to be a fugitive wanted for a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded 1,300 people of 17.7 billion won ($13 million) over five years. Police became suspicious when he resisted the minor citation, refused to provide identification, and attempted to bribe officers, prompting them to investigate and uncover his outstanding arrest warrant for 10 fraud-related charges. The case highlights rising global cryptocurrency-related crimes, with platforms losing $2.2 billion to theft in 2024 alone.
sacobserver.com · 2025-12-08
A Chase Bank and AARP awareness event in Sacramento educated approximately 50 seniors about fraud prevention after California consumers lost over $1.7 billion to fraud in 2024, with people aged 60+ suffering hundreds of millions in losses. Experts highlighted common scams targeting older adults through fear (utility shutoffs), excitement (lottery wins), and romance schemes, emphasizing that identity theft is the #1 form of fraud occurring every two seconds in the U.S. The presentation recommended securing personal documents in safes, updating passwords regularly, avoiding unsolicited calls and links, and reporting suspicious activity to prevent emotional and financial devastation.