Explore the Archive

Eight individuals across the U.S. were arrested and charged with defrauding 139 seniors of over $11 million through romance scams, counterfeit checks, gold bar schemes, account hacking, and identity theft. The defendants, operating from New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and Rochester, face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft, carrying sentences of up to 15-30 years in prison. The arrests were facilitated by Save Our Seniors, a collaborative task force of federal, state, and local authorities formed to investigate elder fraud cases.

Romance scams are rising in frequency, with a Northeast Ohio woman sharing her story of how her ex-husband lost tens of thousands of dollars to such a scam, detailing how quickly these schemes escalate from initial contact to financial devastation. The segment highlights how romance scams begin and progress, serving as a warning about the tactics used in these fraudulent schemes.

The Cleveland Public Library fell victim to a vendor impersonation scam in which a fraudster submitted a nearly $400,000 fake invoice that the library paid. The Ohio Auditor of State's Office documented the incident, and the library successfully recovered the full amount.

Sue Collins' ex-husband Dave lost between $40,000 and $55,000 to a sophisticated romance scam after meeting a woman named "Sydney" on TikTok while living in a nursing home; the scammer used stolen photos, made false promises to meet, and eventually convinced him to open joint accounts for a fake inheritance scheme. Collins' story highlights the rising trend of romance scams targeting isolated older adults, with data showing a 20% increase in such scams, and experts recommend that family members approach victims with empathy rather than judgment to prevent them from becoming more defensive and further entrenched with scammers.

Two Kent State University students, Touhedul Tuhin (24) and Iftekhar Latif Nieon (23), face federal charges for acting as "money mules" in an elder fraud operation targeting victims in New York and Ohio, collecting over $276,000 in cash directly from elderly victims who had been defrauded through tech support scams, fake government agency impersonations, and other schemes. The defendants allegedly collected money from at least five victims ranging in age from 68 to 82 years old, with individual losses between $15,000 and $40,000, using vehicles tracked by license plate readers traveling between Kent and New York on the dates of the frau

A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty to money laundering as part of an online-romance scam that defrauded over $2 million from multiple victims. The scheme involved criminals using stolen photos and fake identities on dating websites to establish romantic relationships with victims, then convincing them to send money for fabricated medical expenses and other false reasons. Richard Opoku Agyemang, 41, faces up to 41 months in prison for laundering $32,000 in fraud proceeds in 2022.

Vatsal Pankajkumar Mistry was arrested and charged with money laundering conspiracy in connection with a "phantom hacker" scheme that defrauded multiple victims in Ohio and Michigan. A 76-year-old woman from Ann Arbor lost over $500,000 after being convinced to grant remote computer access for a fake refund, leading to multiple cash and gold bar drop-offs; Mistry admitted to participating in pickups for approximately $500 per package. Mistry waived his preliminary hearing and the case was bound over to a grand jury, with an ICE detainer preventing his release.

Richard Opoku Agyemang, a 41-year-old Cincinnati man, pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with an online romance fraud scheme that defrauded victims of over $2 million. Agyemang managed accounts that received victims' wire transfers and check deposits as they believed they were helping romantic partners with expenses like medical bills, though the profiles were created using stolen photos and information. He faces up to 41 months in prison after being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and related offenses in 2024.

An Ohio nursing home resident lost between $40,000-$55,000 to a romance scam conducted on TikTok by someone posing as "Sydney," who made excuses to avoid meeting in person while requesting escalating cash transfers and eventually asking him to open joint accounts under false pretenses. The victim, who died in summer, is one of numerous seniors targeted by similar schemes, as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned of increasing romance scams targeting widowed and divorced seniors; nationally, romance scams resulted in nearly 70,000 reported victims and $1.3 billion in losses in 2022.

A Knox County, Ohio man lost over $807,000 in a cryptocurrency investment scam after being befriended online by a scammer who pressured him to keep investing or lose everything. Federal authorities located the frozen funds, but they remain inaccessible due to complications involving foreign-based cryptocurrency exchanges that may not comply with U.S. legal processes, leaving the 70-year-old victim waiting months for potential recovery while continuing to work full-time.

A scammer's attempt to fraudulently obtain a reverse mortgage on an elderly Ohio homeowner's property was prevented by EquityProtect's SmartPolicy fraud prevention technology, which flagged the unauthorized loan request and alerted the homeowner's daughter who held Power of Attorney. The incident illustrates growing financial crime targeting seniors, with the FBI reporting $4.88 billion in losses from 147,127 elder fraud complaints in 2024, a 46% increase in complaints year-over-year.

A scammer attempted to defraud an elderly Ohio homeowner by convincing him to take out a reverse mortgage to steal his home equity, but the scheme was foiled when EquityProtect's Property Title Lock service detected the unauthorized loan application and notified the homeowner's daughter, who held Power of Attorney over the property. The incident highlights growing financial crimes against seniors, with the FBI reporting $4.88 billion in losses from 147,127 elder fraud complaints in 2024, a 46% increase from the previous year.

The Westlake Police Department warned residents about the "Pigeon Drop Scam," an in-person fraud targeting seniors in which scammers approach victims in public places claiming to have found cash, then request "good faith" money before switching the bag containing promised funds with worthless material, leaving victims with nothing. Police advise residents to avoid giving money to strangers, be suspicious of unsolicited offers to share found money, and report suspicious activities immediately.

Impostor scams in Ohio surged 47% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with scammers impersonating government and business officials. A Sheffield Lake business owner received a voicemail from someone claiming to be a Lorain County Sheriff's sergeant threatening arrest warrants and demanding payment, but he avoided the scam by contacting law enforcement directly. Law enforcement advises that legitimate government agencies contact residents by mail, not phone, and warns people not to provide personal information or make payments over the phone.

An 81-year-old Mayfield Heights resident lost $9,600 in a grandparent scam after receiving a call from someone posing as an attorney claiming his granddaughter was in jail following a car crash. The scammers used a black SUV courier to collect cash from his home and then called back demanding an additional $9,600, claiming a pregnant woman had miscarried. The victim discovered the fraud when he contacted family members and learned his granddaughter was safe.

This article highlights resources and legal information presented at a Senior Forum in Portage County, Ohio, including advice on protecting assets through "transfer on death" titles to avoid probate court and warnings that liens can be placed on homes without the owner's knowledge. The article also directs seniors to the newly updated Senior Resource Guide and informs readers about local senior services, housing programs, and discounts available in the community.

In October 2024, the Ohio Department of Commerce warned Ohioans about rising cyber threats during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, noting that internet crime complaints reached nearly 860,000 nationwide with losses exceeding $16 billion in 2024—a 33% increase from the prior year, with Ohio ranking 7th in the nation with 25,000 complaints. Common scams include one-time passcode interception, cryptocurrency "pig butchering" schemes, financial institution impersonation, government imposter scams, and AI-fueled fraud, with the FTC reporting $12.5 billion in total consumer fraud losses in 2024, including $2

Job scams promise high pay for minimal work but actually harvest personal information, financial access, or money through tactics like fake checks, reshipping schemes, and bogus employment agencies. Common red flags include vague job descriptions, communication from free email accounts, hiring without interviews, and requests to wire money or purchase prepaid cards. Consumers should research companies thoroughly before applying and report suspected scams to the Ohio Attorney General's Office or similar state authorities.