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Frisco, Texas high school senior Tazby Minaj was named TIME Magazine's 2025 Kid of the Year for creating Shield Seniors, a website dedicated to teaching older Americans how to identify and report online fraud and scams. The project was inspired by her grandfather's near-victimization in a scam, and Minaj plans to continue this elder fraud awareness work while pursuing college applications.

Carl Bucho, operating under the alias Lance Miller, was arrested for defrauding 12 victims out of over $213,000 by renting out the Charleston Lane wedding venue in Willis, Texas, collecting deposits and payments for weddings that never occurred. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office launched an official investigation after multiple victims came forward, with one bride discovering the venue door chained shut on her wedding rehearsal day. The investigation revealed Bucho had been operating this scam since 2023 and may have victims in other states.

In the first half of 2025, Texas residents lost approximately $10 million to scams, with three types dominating: debt collection scams ($2 million in losses, a 100-fold increase from $20,000 the previous year), investment scams ($3.7 million, double the prior year's $1.9 million), and employment scams. The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers exploit financial vulnerabilities, particularly through debt collection schemes that now target medical debt included in credit reports.

An Indian-origin couple from Texas, Sammy and Sunnito Mukerji, allegedly defrauded over 100 people of approximately $4 million through a scheme involving fake real estate ventures, forged contracts, and fake invoices. The couple leveraged their high-profile status from Bollywood-style events to lure investors with promises of high returns, while also targeting retirees with threatening emails demanding payment and securing fraudulent PPP loans using fake company employees. The scheme was uncovered in 2024 when one victim reported a $325,000 loss, triggering an FBI investigation.

The Better Business Bureau warns of donation scams following Texas floods, cautioning that fraudulent organizations may intercept funds intended for flood victims. To protect themselves, donors should verify charities through give.org and prioritize established organizations with proven disaster relief experience, while being particularly cautious with crowdsourcing platforms.

According to the FBI, Texas ranks second nationally for internet crime losses, with residents losing over $1.3 billion to extortion, data breaches, and phishing scams—an increase from the previous year. A community banker recommends key protective measures including avoiding clicking suspicious links in unsolicited text messages about unpaid tolls or invoices, and verifying unfamiliar communications through independent research before taking action.

Two Keller, Texas residents—Felix Clark and Esther Ampiel—pleaded guilty to federal charges for operating a romance scam that targeted elderly victims across the United States between June and September 2022. The scheme used fake online dating profiles to deceive vulnerable seniors, including recent widows, into sending money under false pretenses such as claims about accessing gold in Ghana, with funds subsequently transferred abroad. Clark pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud, while Ampiel pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter business.

An FBI report released in 2024 found that Americans lost $16.6 billion to scams, a 33% increase from 2023, with seniors particularly vulnerable and losing nearly $5 billion of that total. The FBI receives an average of 836,000 cyber fraud reports annually, with victims losing at least $20,000 on average, and California, Texas, and Florida experiencing the highest scam losses.

A North Texas man fell victim to a combined romance and cryptocurrency scam after meeting a woman named "Giana" on a dating site for seniors. The scammer built trust through daily communication, then persuaded him to invest in cryptocurrency, ultimately causing him to lose nearly everything. The scam exemplifies how romance fraud is often layered with investment schemes to exploit victims' emotional vulnerability and financial resources.

U.S. senators introduced legislation to combat Bitcoin ATM scams targeting older Americans, following investigations into the use of these machines by scammers. An 80-year-old victim lost $55,000 after falling for a "jailed son" imposter scam directing him to send cryptocurrency through a Bitcoin ATM; once the transaction completed, the funds could not be recovered. With over 4,000 Bitcoin ATMs operating in Texas alone, the proposed bill aims to establish safeguards and accountability measures to protect consumers from these increasingly common schemes.

In 2023, Texas ranked third in the nation for romance scams, with victims losing a combined $54 million, contributing to over $1 billion in total U.S. losses to these schemes according to the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers are increasingly using AI-generated images and videos to target victims based on their interests, including creating fake profiles resembling deceased partners to target widows. The FTC recommends verifying identities through reverse image searches and video chats, avoiding sending money to online acquaintances, and remaining cautious of individuals claiming military status, living abroad, or expressing rapid romantic commitment.

According to a 2024 Better Business Bureau report, Texans lost over $10 million to scams, with the top five being: cryptocurrency investment scams (averaging $4,600 loss, primarily affecting ages 55-64), employment scams ($1.6 million total loss to ages 25-34), online purchase scams ($1.5 million in losses), phishing scams ($550,000 in losses), and additional unreported scams on social media. The report highlights that different age groups face different fraud risks, with older adults targeted for investment schemes while younger adults are more vulnerable to employment-related fraud.

Pasadena police warned of an elaborate scam targeting Texas seniors in which scammers infect computers with malware that triggers fake federal warnings, then impersonate U.S. Department of Treasury agents claiming victims' money is unsafe due to market instability. Victims are coerced into withdrawing cash from their banks, which couriers then collect in person; one woman in her 80s lost $75,000 to this scheme.

A Texas woman lost $2,000 in a utility scam when she received a call from someone impersonating CPS Energy, threatening to cut off her electricity and demanding immediate payment via gift cards purchased at multiple stores. The scammer used social engineering tactics—including knowing the victim's account number—to build credibility, and the victim only realized she'd been defrauded after contacting CPS Energy directly, which confirmed they never call to demand payment or threaten same-day disconnection.

Scammers are increasingly using AI-powered tools including deepfake videos and synthetic voice technology to impersonate celebrities and trusted figures in order to defraud seniors, particularly during the vulnerable holiday season. Law enforcement agencies across multiple states report a widespread epidemic of elder fraud, with a recent case in Texas involving a scammer using deepfake video calls to steal $600,000 from a senior victim. These AI manipulation tools make it easier than ever for fraudsters to deceive vulnerable populations by creating convincing impersonations that are difficult to distinguish from authentic communications.

A Brampton woman lost $230,000 in a Facebook romance scam after being contacted by a man who built a relationship with her over a year, eventually convincing her to send money by claiming he needed funds while working in Texas and expecting a large payment. Romance scams cost Canadians over $52 million in losses last year, with scammers using social media platforms to establish trust before requesting money from victims.

Texas reported 13,000 allegations of financial exploitation of elderly residents in fiscal year 2023, with over 500 cases from Jefferson County alone. Adult Protective Services is hosting a "Your Money Matters" awareness event on October 16th at the Lakeside Center to educate seniors about fraud and exploitation through vendor presentations and community engagement.

A KXAN investigation uncovered widespread emissions fraud in Texas where millions of vehicles illegally passed state emissions tests designed to maintain air quality. The investigation revealed that state inspectors in 17 populous counties took bribes to illegally pass vehicles that should have failed, and evidence suggests the state's emissions testing database may have been hacked to facilitate the fraud.

A 72-year-old North Texas woman lost $250,000 in bitcoin and her paid-off home to a romance scam after a man posing as a petroleum engineer on Facebook convinced her over five to six months that he needed financial help, eventually claiming he was in a car crash and needed money for medical evacuation to Turkey. The victim is now living in a motel with only her social security income after selling her house to pay the scammer. Detective John Haker reports that scammers use increasingly sophisticated tactics, from long-term romance schemes to urgent bank impersonation scams, making victims vulnerable to devastating financial losses.

A Houston-based surrogacy escrow company owner, Dominique Side, is under FBI investigation for allegedly misappropriating $2.2 million in client funds intended for surrogate medical expenses and compensation. Court documents indicate Side used the stolen money to finance her personal music career, studio operations, and credit card bills, with forensic accountants identifying approximately $10.9 million in suspicious account activity since January. Multiple North Texas families, including clients who hired surrogates through the company, lost tens of thousands of dollars meant to fulfill their dreams of having children.

A Texas police officer stopped an elderly woman in her 80s from losing $40,000 to a scammer posing as a Chase Bank security employee. The victim had already sent $23,900 and was attempting to deposit additional funds into a cryptocurrency machine when a bystander noticed the suspicious activity, called 911, and police intervened to halt the fraud.

The FBI reports a significant surge in elder fraud cases, with older Americans losing over $1.6 billion to financial scams from January to May 2024—a nearly $300 million increase compared to the same period in 2023. The most common schemes targeting seniors include tech support scams, romance/confidence schemes, investment fraud, and government impersonation scams, with Texas alone reporting $278 million in losses and the nation totaling $3.4 billion in 2023.

The FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Report reveals that Texas has the third-highest rate of elder fraud in the nation, with over 7,000 complaints from seniors age 60+ resulting in nearly $300 million in losses. One elderly couple lost approximately $170,000-$200,000 to a computer popup scam, and local authorities report that in the prior year nearly 300 elderly residents in Bexar County fell victim to various scams including identity theft, wire fraud, and forgery, with 91 additional cases reported in the current year.