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in Romance Scam
irishmirror.ie
· 2025-12-08
Gordon Gallagher, a 49-year-old Irish man, is wanted by English police after failing to appear in court on multiple romance fraud charges involving alleged financial swindles of several women. Gallagher reportedly contacted victims through dating apps like Tinder and Match.com, established relationships with them, and then defrauded them of money; he has no fixed address but has links to Sussex and Surrey in southern England.
todayonline.com
· 2025-12-08
Love scams in Singapore are increasing despite public awareness, with 913 cases reported in 2023 compared to 868 in 2022, and average losses rising to S$43,677 per victim. Contrary to assumptions that only older people are vulnerable, 73 percent of victims are aged 49 and under, and scammers now employ sophisticated tactics including AI-generated profiles and deepfake videos to create convincing fake identities. To protect yourself, stay informed about scam tactics, scrutinize online profiles using reverse image searches and AI detection tools, and remain vigilant for inconsistencies in language, photos, and behavior that may indicate a fraudulent romance.
gmanetwork.com
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Philadelphia tech professional lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam involving a fake online suitor who used deepfake videos and sophisticated social engineering to build romantic trust before directing her to a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment app. The scammer, operating from Southeast Asia as part of an organized crime syndicate, convinced the victim to invest her savings and retirement funds by showing fake profitable trades and gradually escalating pressure to invest more. This type of romance-based cryptocurrency fraud has resulted in billions of dollars in losses across the United States with minimal victim recovery options.
m.facebook.com
· 2025-12-08
Military romance scams involve fraudsters posing as service members who emotionally manipulate victims into sending money, gift cards, or personal information. These imposter scams harm both victims and legitimate service members, and can be identified through awareness of common manipulation tactics.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Video call scams are fraudulent schemes conducted via platforms like WhatsApp where scammers use impersonation, deepfakes, and emotional manipulation to target victims through four main methods: blackmail (threatening to release recorded calls), investment fraud, tech support deception, and romance schemes. India's CERT-In recommends safeguards including avoiding video calls from unknown contacts, not sharing personal information, verifying identities, using secure platforms, and maintaining restricted privacy settings on social media.
natlawreview.com
· 2025-12-08
The FTC has proposed expanded regulations to combat impersonation fraud, which has surged due to emerging technologies like deepfake AI. The proposed rule changes would prohibit impersonation of individuals (extending beyond current government and business protections) and hold companies liable if they knowingly provide services—such as payment processing or AI platforms—used in impersonation schemes including romance scams and grandparent scams. The rule will enter a 60-day public comment period before implementation.
kjrh.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission warns that cryptocurrency scams cost victims over $1 billion last year, with scammers posing as investment managers who convince people to withdraw retirement funds and deposit them into cryptocurrency ATMs under false pretenses of protection. Key red flags include unsolicited calls promising risk-free returns, celebrity endorsements on social media, demands for cryptocurrency payments, and romance scams requesting crypto transfers. Experts advise searching online for company reviews, complaints, and scam reports before engaging with any cryptocurrency investment opportunity, as funds transferred to crypto ATMs are virtually impossible to recover.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Noel Chimezuru Agoha, age 40, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for orchestrating business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams that defrauded victims of over $1.5 million between 2015 and 2018. Operating with co-conspirators, Agoha used fraudulent emails impersonating business contacts and fake dating profiles to trick victims into transferring funds to drop accounts he controlled, personally obtaining approximately $111,242 in BEC proceeds and over $1 million in dating scam proceeds, and was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution.
taipeitimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Philadelphia tech professional lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam after being wooed for months on a dating app by someone posing as a French wine trader using deepfake videos and sophisticated manipulation tactics. The fraudster gained her trust through romantic attention, then convinced her to invest in cryptocurrency through a fake trading app, with initial fake gains encouraging larger investments including her retirement funds and loans. The scam, run by Southeast Asian crime syndicates, has caused billions in losses across the US with little recourse for victims to recover their money.
khou.com
· 2025-12-08
A financial advice columnist lost $50,000 to a scam, illustrating that fraud victims span all demographics and expertise levels. According to Deloitte research, Gen Z actually reports higher rates of identity theft, romance scams, phishing, and social media hacking than older generations, likely due to their comfort with online engagement and reduced exposure to internet safety warnings compared to earlier generations.
thesandpaper.net
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams, which involve fraudsters creating fake online profiles to build emotional relationships with victims before requesting money, are increasing in frequency according to the U.S. Secret Service. A Long Beach Township resident recently fell victim to this type of scam, though police intervention helped in the case. These cyber crimes exploit emotional trust to manipulate victims into financial transfers.
palmcoastobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
The Ormond Beach Police Department reported 246 fraud cases in 2024, with victims losing thousands of dollars in schemes including fake investments (Belgian mine), romance scams (Gaza war), and tech support fraud using gift cards and cryptocurrency. Elderly victims over 60 are disproportionately targeted, with national data showing losses increased 84% and cryptocurrency-related losses surged 350%, with victims averaging $35,101 in losses. Police note that cryptocurrency fraud cases have grown from roughly one per month to several per week, as criminals increasingly exploit digital payment methods and cryptocurrency ATMs to evade detection.
news.bloomberglaw.com
· 2025-12-08
A new study estimates that pig-butchering scam networks have stolen over $75 billion globally between January 2020 and February 2024, significantly exceeding previous estimates. Pig-butchering schemes typically involve romance or investment fraud where scammers build trust with victims before manipulating them into sending large sums of money. The scale of these criminal operations underscores the widespread nature of this fraud type affecting victims worldwide.
kpmg.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadian organizations of all sizes face evolving fraud risks driven by technological advances like generative AI, cryptocurrency, and digital payment systems, with SMBs particularly vulnerable due to limited fraud prevention resources and awareness. Fraudsters employ increasingly sophisticated tactics including crypto scams, online payment fraud, social engineering attacks targeting elders, and ESG misrepresentation, with 88% of victimized Canadian SMBs experiencing internal fraud and 75% experiencing external fraud over the past five years. Organizations must strengthen their fraud prevention strategies through risk assessment, robust controls, and cross-sector partnerships to effectively counter these threats.
mha.gov.sg
· 2025-12-08
During Singapore's 2024 budget debate, the government announced a comprehensive anti-scam strategy in response to scam cases increasing nearly 50% in 2023, driven primarily by social engineering and deception targeting money transfers. Key initiatives include the "Add, Check, Tell" public awareness campaign, targeted programs for vulnerable groups like the elderly through Silver Generation Ambassadors, a consolidated one-stop anti-scam information portal, and enhanced community partnerships to build cyber vigilance. The government is also introducing legislation to deter misuse of local SIM cards for scams, requiring online platforms to implement stronger user verification and anti-scam measures, and pursuing international cooperation through participation in the Global
pembinavalleyonline.com
· 2025-12-08
The Grandparent Scam, currently prevalent in Manitoba, involves criminals calling seniors pretending to be relatives who need bail money for a supposed arrest, then arranging cash pickup at the victim's home. RCMP Sergeant Joanne Ryll advises recipients to hang up, verify the story by calling other family members, never share personal information, and establish a family safety word, noting that fraudsters often make multiple calls requesting additional money once they identify a vulnerable victim. Recovery of money lost to these scams is nearly impossible once handed over to the criminals.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
Undercover video obtained by software engineer Jim Browning reveals a "pig butchering" scam operation based in Dubai employing hundreds of people, including real models, to pose as glamorous individuals on dating apps and romance-bait victims into fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. The scammers use VPNs, multiple messaging platforms, and scripts to target victims globally across countries ranging from South America to Central Asia, with workers operating from eight-story buildings under exploitative conditions. The operation, run primarily by Chinese nationals using migrant workers from North Africa and Southeast Asia, commits romance and investment fraud to extract large sums of money from unsuspecting victims worldwide.
beincrypto.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams have surged 85-fold since 2020, with scammers using fabricated personal narratives and cryptocurrency to steal millions from vulnerable victims seeking companionship. Notable cases include an Indian software engineer losing $120,500 to a fake investment scheme on a matrimonial website and a Myanmar operation ("KK Park") linked to over $100 million in stolen funds through "pig butchering" scams that exploit victims' emotional vulnerabilities. Cryptocurrency's anonymity features make it the preferred payment method for scammers, with scam wallets accumulating at least $4.6 billion in 2023, though actual losses are likely much higher due to undetecte
thebamabuzz.com
· 2025-12-08
Alabama college students are vulnerable to common fraud schemes including fake apartment listings, online marketplace scams, dating app fraud, and credit card loan scams that specifically target their lifestyle needs and desires. A banking fraud expert emphasizes that scammers use phishing via email and text to initiate contact, then tailor their approach based on publicly available personal information, making password management, multi-factor authentication, and privacy settings critical defensive measures.
decrypt.co
· 2025-12-08
"Pig butchering" romance scams using cryptocurrency surged 85 times higher from 2020 to 2023, with revenue doubling between 2022-2023, according to Chainalysis research. These scams involve fraudsters building fake romantic relationships before tricking victims into cryptocurrency investments they don't understand, resulting in an average loss of $4,593 per victim in 2023—the highest financial impact of any scam type. The scammers, often organized criminal groups, frequently operate through human trafficking networks in Southeast Asia and use sophisticated money laundering techniques to hide their activity, though a December 2023 Interpol operation arrested 3,500
channelnewsasia.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore's Minister of State for Home Affairs criticized Meta for repeatedly refusing to implement government-recommended safety features on Facebook, despite the platform accounting for nearly half of the 9,783 e-commerce scams reported in 2023, which resulted in S$13.9 million (US$10.3 million) in losses—more than double the prior year. Meta has rejected recommendations including government ID verification and secured payment options for Marketplace users, causing Facebook to rank lowest (one tick) in Singapore's E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings for the second consecutive year, while competitors like Shopee and Carousell have cooperated and seen scam reductions of up to 71
todayonline.com
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia tech professional named Shreya Datta lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency romance scam after being targeted on a dating app by a scammer posing as a French wine trader named "Ancel," who used deepfake videos and sophisticated manipulation tactics to build trust over months before convincing her to invest in a fake crypto trading app. The scam, orchestrated by crime syndicates operating out of Southeast Asia, drained Datta's savings, retirement funds, and left her with debt, with victims collectively losing billions of dollars in the United States and having little recourse for recovery. The fraud works by using romantic manipulation and false investment promises to gradually
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
In 2020, scammers perpetrated a sweepstakes fraud against a Hennepin County couple in their 80s, stealing over $110,000 by convincing them to pay upfront taxes on a fake prize, with the perpetrators never identified and funds never recovered. AARP Minnesota is advocating for legislation to create a state-level restitution fund for fraud victims, funded by civil penalty payments from consumer fraud cases, as Americans reported 2.5 million fraud cases in 2022 totaling $9 billion in losses. The organization is also pushing to ban long-term real estate contracts (like those offered by MV Realty) that bind home
dailyhodl.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Chainalysis's 2024 Crypto Crime Report, cryptocurrency-based criminal activities declined in 2023, with illicit address funding dropping to $24.2 billion from $39.6 billion in 2022, though overall scam revenue fell 29.2%. Romance scams emerged as a significant concern, more than doubling in revenue year-over-year and growing 85-fold since 2020, causing the greatest per-victim financial damage despite being underreported due to their targeted, individual nature.
investmentexecutive.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Chainalysis research, cryptocurrency crime declined significantly in 2023, with illicit activity dropping from $39.6 billion in 2022 to $24.2 billion, driven by a 29.2% decrease in crypto scams and a 54.3% drop in hacking losses. Scammers increasingly adopted romance scam tactics to target individuals with fraudulent investment schemes, and the decline in illicit activity correlated with reduced market enthusiasm for cryptocurrency. While scams and hacks fell, ransomware attacks and darknet market activity rose in 2023, with stablecoins becoming the dominant asset for criminals, surpassing Bitcoin.
thetimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Lauren McEwen, a 70-year-old Missouri woman, fell victim to a romance scam using stolen photographs of Dr. Christian Boving, a Danish doctor and television personality, who was impersonated by scammers on Facebook under the alias "Ace Swift." The article reveals that an estimated 140,000 people lose money annually on Meta platforms, with romance scams causing £18.5 million in losses in the first half of the prior year, and notes that Meta has failed to remove numerous fake profiles using Boving's images despite repeated reporting and complaints about inadequate identity verification measures.
nationalaccordnewspaper.com
· 2025-12-08
Six members of a fraud enterprise were arrested between October 2020 and February 2021 for orchestrating business email compromise scams, romance fraud targeting vulnerable elderly victims, and fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications, collectively controlling over 45 bank accounts with approximately $55 million in deposits. The defendants used spoofed emails, fake online identities, and fraudulent Small Business Administration loan applications to deceive victims and divert funds to accounts they controlled. Authorities seized luxury vehicles purchased with fraud proceeds, and the defendants face prosecution in federal court by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations division.
spotonalabama.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warned that singles seeking romantic relationships online are increasingly targeted by "romance scams" that result in emotional and financial harm. These scams exploit vulnerable individuals by breaking their hearts while draining their bank accounts. The BBB reported on this growing threat to online daters in March 2024.
spotonalabama.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams target victims' emotions to extract money, causing both emotional and financial harm. The Better Business Bureau warns that these scams result in broken hearts and depleted bank accounts. Key protection strategies include verifying the identity of online romantic interests and avoiding financial requests from people met online.
news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams occur when scammers build fake online relationships with victims through dating apps, social media, or email, then request money by fabricating emergencies or personal crises. The Better Business Bureau reports that romance scams are increasing in frequency and financial impact, with median losses rising from $900 in 2021 to $1,400 in 2022, and scammers typically request payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or personal banking information. People of all ages are vulnerable to these scams, and the BBB advises never sending money to someone you haven't met in person or sharing financial information with online romantic interests.
khmoradio.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI has issued a warning to Missouri residents about 13 active scams currently targeting the state, including adoption fraud, investment schemes, business email impersonation, charity fraud, elder fraud, romance scams, ransomware attacks, and skimming at ATMs and gas stations. The advisory emphasizes that elderly Missourians are particularly vulnerable targets and recommends citizens verify legitimacy before responding to unsolicited contacts, providing funds, or clicking links from unknown sources.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A Better Business Bureau alert warns that romance scams targeting singles online have increased significantly, with median victim losses rising from $900 in 2021 to $1,400 in 2022. Scammers build fake romantic relationships through dating apps, social media, and email, then request money through emotional manipulation tactics, gift cards, or wire transfers. The BBB advises people of all ages to be cautious when strangers request money before meeting in person and to never share banking or credit card information.
kyoutv.com
· 2025-12-08
Wapello County, Iowa receives at least one scam report weekly, with senior citizens being the primary targets. Sheriff Don Phillips reported a notable case involving two Chinese nationals who scammed a local farmer out of $1 million through a "pig butchering" scam that began on Instagram, with the case involving federal authorities including the Department of Homeland Security. To address the growing problem, the Iowa Fraud Fighters—a coalition of AARP, the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services, and the Iowa Attorney General's Office—held a public awareness event to educate residents on scam prevention tactics.
winnipegfreepress.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, fraudsters deceived 1,009 Manitobans out of $9 million, with 22 different scam types employed including service scams, investment scams, and romance scams that exploited vulnerabilities in victims' situations. Investment scams were the most costly, with 85 Manitobans losing an average of $85,000 each ($3.32 million total), while service scams affected 226 people for $535,477 in losses. Across Canada, 41,111 people were defrauded of $553.9 million in 2023, representing fewer victims than 2022 but with significantly
the-sun.com
· 2025-12-08
A 43-year-old man was defrauded of $22,000 by an AI-generated chatbot posing as a wealthy 24-year-old woman on Tinder who promised cryptocurrency investment returns. The scammer used deepfake video calls and phone conversations to build trust over a month before convincing the victim to send two payments ($10,000 and $12,000), which the victim only discovered were fake after reverse-image searching the profile photos. This case illustrates the growing threat of AI-powered romance scams on dating apps, where increasingly sophisticated deepfakes make fraudulent profiles difficult to distinguish from genuine users.
sinardaily.my
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia tech professional was defrauded of $450,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency romance scam after meeting a fake "French wine trader" on the dating app Hinge who used deepfake videos, emotional manipulation, and a fraudulent crypto trading app to gradually convince her to invest her savings and retirement funds. The scam, commonly run by Southeast Asian crime syndicates, has resulted in billions of dollars in losses across the United States, with victims reporting little recourse for recovery.
spotonalabama.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warns that singles using dating apps and social media are vulnerable to romance scams, where fraudsters pose as potential romantic partners to manipulate victims into sending money. These scams result in both emotional harm and financial losses for victims seeking genuine relationships online.
dallasnews.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes common modern scams targeting older adults, including impersonation calls from fake government officials, phishing emails with malicious links, and various fraudulent schemes conducted via phone, email, and social media. The author, an attorney, provides practical prevention advice such as using strong unique passwords, freezing credit reports, verifying caller identity by independently calling businesses back, and avoiding unsolicited requests for personal information or financial details.
dlnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pig-butchering romance scams have stolen over $75 billion globally between January 2020 and February 2024, with criminals primarily based in Southeast Asia using blockchain to move funds to crypto exchanges, according to a study by University of Texas professor John Griffin. Victims are typically lured through fake text messages into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and can lose thousands to millions of dollars, while those sending the scam messages are often trafficking victims forced to participate. In response, UK law enforcement will gain authority from April 2024 onwards to freeze and seize suspected crypto assets linked to crimes without requiring a conviction.
spacecoastdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
Launch Credit Union's Fraud Manager provided educational guidance on current fraud trends and protective measures for consumers. Key advice includes recognizing spoofed calls impersonating legitimate organizations, never sharing digital banking credentials or personal information with unsolicited callers, refusing remote access requests, and remaining skeptical of phishing emails and AI-generated scam communications, with particular emphasis on educating seniors about fraud risks including romance scams and unsolicited offers.
observer-review.com
· 2025-12-08
Schuyler County declared the week of March 3-9 as National Consumer Protection Week, with the County Office for the Aging and County Attorney distributing educational materials about scams, fraud, and identity theft to vulnerable residents. County officials highlighted that seniors are especially susceptible to scams, with the FTC reporting 5.2 million fraud reports totaling $8.8 billion in losses in 2022, with investment scam losses doubling year-over-year to $3.8 billion.
atlantafed.org
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission reported over 850,000 imposter fraud complaints in 2023, resulting in approximately $2.7 billion in losses—a 60 percent increase over five years. Business and government imposters account for nearly 80 percent of these complaints, with phone calls generating the highest median losses per victim at $1,500. While older adults are frequently targeted, younger people also fall victim to phone-based imposter scams involving fake government agencies, tech support, or romantic partners using emotional manipulation to extract money.
oudtshoorncourant.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece provides ten practical strategies for avoiding romance scams on the internet. Key advice includes: not engaging with unknown online contacts, using reverse image lookups to verify identities, recognizing manipulation tactics (excessive terms of endearment, avoidance of video calls), never sending money to people you haven't met, and avoiding sharing personal information or intimate photos that could be used for sextortion or extortion. The article emphasizes trusting friends and family who recognize warning signs, as scammers often exploit emotional manipulation and create false scenarios to extract money or sensitive information.
ice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Noel Chimezuru Agoha, a 40-year-old Maryland man, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison in February 2019 for leading multiple fraud schemes that defrauded victims of over $1.5 million between 2015 and 2018. Agoha and his co-conspirators executed business email compromise scams by impersonating legitimate business contacts to trick victims into transferring money to fraudulent accounts, and operated romance scams on dating websites using fake profiles to extract money and property from victims. The court ordered Agoha to pay $1 million in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.
idahobusinessreview.com
· 2025-12-08
At a February 2024 cybersecurity conference in Boise, industry experts discussed the rising threat of digital fraud as financial technology adoption has surged—with 88% of Americans now using fintech services, up from 60% pre-COVID. The FBI reported 800,944 cyber-crime complaints in 2022 with $10.2 billion in losses, while the FTC received 5.4 million complaints in 2023, with Idaho alone losing $40.6 million to fraud across 9,829 reports. Experts emphasized that younger generations (ages 20-29) filed 44% of fraud complaints due to lower financial literacy and less skepticism
kiro7.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost over $1 billion to romance scams last year, and scammers are now using an evolving variation that involves tricking victims into becoming "money mules" by offering them money (as a fake sugar daddy/mama) and then asking them to transfer funds to third parties or charities. Victims who unknowingly move stolen funds can face criminal liability and be required to repay victims, even if they never received promised money themselves. The Better Business Bureau advises stopping communication immediately, preserving evidence, notifying banks and the FBI, and treating requests for financial discussions within the first weeks of online dating as major red flags.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Actor Jamie Dornan recounted on a podcast that Warren Beatty fell for an email phishing scam in which scammers had hacked actor Eddie Redmayne's email account and sent messages requesting cash from his contacts. Beatty reportedly responded positively to the fraudulent request, though it remains unconfirmed whether he actually sent money. The article notes that email and phishing scams target people of all ages, not just seniors.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
Susan Guthrie, a 76-year-old widow from Arizona, lost her entire life savings of $25,000 to a tech support scam in February when fraudsters posing as Microsoft employees convinced her that her computer had been hacked and instructed her to transfer money to them via Bitcoin ATM for safekeeping. Despite initial resistance to believing she'd been scammed, Guthrie was finally convinced of the fraud when her bank manager confirmed the funds were gone; however, authorities were unable to recover the money. A GoFundMe campaign subsequently raised over $27,700 for Guthrie, preventing her from financial destitution.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
Carina, a 45-year-old neuroscientist, lost $130,000 to a romance scam and faced complex tax filing challenges, including potential penalties for withdrawing retirement funds to pay the scammer. With help from a tax lawyer, she discovered she could claim the loss as a "casualty and theft loss" deduction against her salary, though she paid $950 in legal fees and had to file by mail rather than e-file. The article advises other scam victims to consult tax lawyers, document all evidence of the fraud, prepare for possible audits, and properly vet their tax professionals before filing.
wrex.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau released its 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report, identifying investment scams (including cryptocurrency fraud) as the riskiest in the U.S., with over 80% of victims experiencing losses and a median loss of $3,800 per person, particularly affecting those aged 45 and older. The report also found that employment scams ranked second with a median loss of $1,995 and a 54.2% increase in reports, while romance scams quadrupled in losses, with vulnerability spanning multiple age groups including 35-44-year-olds experiencing the highest risk.