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in General Elder Fraud
veronews.com
· 2025-12-08
Investigators arrested two men—Rakeshbhai Harshadbhai Patel and Syed Mubbashir Makki—who allegedly stole $156,256 from a 77-year-old Indian River Shores woman in a sophisticated international scam involving fake government agents, ransomware pop-ups, and gold bar theft in February 2024. The scheme, which has victimized elderly, affluent people across multiple states (with 49 victims in Wisconsin alone losing over $38 million), involved coercing victims to convert bank funds into gold bars under the pretense of securing compromised accounts, then having couriers retrieve the gold in parking lots
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
A 74-year-old Washington senior lost $624,000 in life savings to a gold bar scam orchestrated by 42-year-old Zhichao Huang, who was extradited from California to face charges. The scam followed a common pattern: a fake pop-up mimicking Charles Schwab prompted the victim to call a number, where an imposter claiming to be a federal agent convinced her to liquidate stocks and retirement accounts into gold bars, then collect them in a parking lot under false pretenses. Between May and December 2023, the FBI reported over $55 million in losses from similar gold bar scams targeting seniors nationwide, with investigators susp
consumerreports.org
· 2025-12-08
A 70-year-old widow in Santa Clara County, California lost $25,000 in a spoofing scam when a caller impersonating a Wells Fargo fraud department representative used her personal information to gain her trust and extract banking details. Over 90 minutes, the scammer obtained her account password and transaction information, then changed her contact number and authorized a fraudulent wire transfer while keeping her distracted on the phone. Scammers increasingly use spoofed caller IDs, personal data obtained from the dark web, and AI deepfakes to impersonate trusted institutions and individuals, making verification of legitimate contacts and independent confirmation essential protection strategies.
citizen.co.za
· 2025-12-08
Several elderly women aged 65-78 in Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, lost a collective R120,000 to an online romance scam in January 2025 involving a man posing as "Doctor Mike from London," a British doctor allegedly practicing in New York. The scammer used Facebook and phone numbers with USA and UK prefixes to establish contact, promised romantic dates in Durban, and then claimed to have been arrested at King Shaka International Airport with confiscated US dollars, requesting R20,000-R50,000 transfers to secure his release. The victims discovered the fraud only after traveling to the airport to meet him and finding themselves blocke
thesenior.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers targeted Australians over 65 in 2024, using sophisticated phishing emails, social media, and fake dating profiles to deceive lonely seniors into sending money, resulting in nearly $8 million in losses. Cybersecurity experts recommend verifying online relationships with trusted friends or family before sending money, recognizing that scammers build trust gradually before requesting funds, and contacting your bank and ScamWatch immediately if victimized.
lavalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
Six of 16 suspects were arraigned in Quebec courts in connection with a $1 million province-wide fraud scheme targeting senior citizens with an average age in the late 70s. The suspects allegedly used telephone spoofing software to impersonate banks, institutions, and police officers to defraud 214 victims across 250 fraud cases. The arrests concluded a multi-year investigation by over 90 police officers that began in 2022.
familywealthreport.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Jason Thomas has been appointed as a wealth director at Fiduciary Trust International in Atlanta, bringing over 20 years of experience advising ultra-high net worth individuals and institutional clients. Thomas co-founded myFloc in 2019, an expense management platform designed to prevent elder fraud and financial exploitation.
pmg-ky1.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article defines elder abuse (including neglect, theft, abandonment, physical harm, and financial exploitation) and outlines support resources available to seniors. Multiple assistance options exist at local, state, and federal levels, including Adult Protective Services, legal aid, ombudsmen in care facilities, and online searches through justice.gov/elderjustice, with the article emphasizing that thousands of seniors over 60 are affected annually and that victims should not self-blame. The article notes that those with disabilities or memory problems are most frequently targeted, though anyone requiring assistance with daily activities can be vulnerable.
ntd.com
· 2025-12-08
Antony Linton Stewart, a 40-year-old from Jamaica, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for operating a lottery scam from 2010 to 2016 that defrauded U.S. seniors by falsely claiming they had won sweepstakes prizes and then repeatedly extracting fees and taxes from victims who never received anything. Stewart and his co-conspirators targeted elderly Americans by phone, instructing them to send money via wire transfer or mail to intermediaries before it reached Stewart, ultimately causing significant financial losses to his victims. Stewart was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution after being extradited to the United States
talkofthesound.com
· 2025-12-08
A 35-year-old Bronx woman was arrested on January 29, 2025, for allegedly writing nearly $10,000 in unauthorized checks from the bank account of an elderly Rye woman she was caring for. Amie Faye was charged with grand larceny, forgery, and possession of a forged instrument—all Class D felonies—and released on her own recognizance pending her February 4, 2025 court date. This case highlights vulnerabilities in caregiver oversight and the potential for financial exploitation of elderly individuals in care arrangements.
krocnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Minnesota brothers, Abdulkadir Nur Salah and Abdi Nur Salah, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in connection with the Feeding Our Future scandal, a $250 million scheme involving fraudulent claims under the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The brothers, who operated Safari Restaurant and a fraudulent nonprofit, received over $16 million in false reimbursements and must forfeit more than $1.5 million in bank accounts and several properties to the federal government.
wjon.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Minnesota brothers, Abdulkadir Nur Salah and Abdi Nur Salah, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges for their roles in the Feeding Our Future scandal, a $250 million scheme involving fraudulent reimbursements from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. One brother's restaurant received over $16 million in fraudulent payments, while the other registered a fake nonprofit to obtain federal funding by falsely claiming to provide meals to children across Minnesota. Both men agreed to forfeit over $1.5 million in bank accounts and several properties to the federal government, with sentencing to be scheduled later.
darkreading.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers in Namibia are using deepfake videos and impersonation of former First Lady Monica Geingos to perpetrate investment scams, particularly forex trading schemes, targeting vulnerable victims including at least one woman who lost her retirement savings. Similar impersonation scams featuring political figures and celebrities are widespread across Africa, exploiting limited law enforcement resources and cross-border criminal operations that are difficult to track and prosecute.
bryantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
The Williams County Department of Aging alerted the public to a phone scam targeting home-delivered meals service recipients, in which at least one senior was contacted by a scammer demanding payment for their meal service. The department emphasized that it never requests payment by phone and that meal service is never withheld based on ability to pay, with donations being entirely voluntary. The agency advised recipients and their families not to provide personal information to suspicious callers, to hang up immediately if pressured for payment, and to report incidents to local authorities or the department directly.
mytexasdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
A scam in Corpus Christi, Texas involves sending unsolicited packages containing items like jewelry or speakers with QR codes that claim to identify the sender; scanning these codes can expose personal and financial information, download malware, or compromise bank accounts. Recipients should avoid scanning unknown QR codes, monitor their accounts for fraud, and report suspected identity theft to local authorities or IdentityTheft.gov.
lewistownsentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
A Pennsylvania Attorney General representative educated veterans on fraud risks, noting that veterans are twice as likely to be scammed through schemes targeting military benefits, disability payouts, and pensions. Key prevention measures include being cautious of unsolicited contacts, researching entities through official government websites, shredding personal documents, and remembering that government agencies do not initiate contact via phone, email, or social media. Victims can report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission or Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
indianexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired Army colonel in his early 70s from Pune lost Rs 62 lakh in a "digital arrest" scam when fraudsters posing as Delhi Cyber Cell officers claimed he was involved in a Rs 500 crore hawala scam and coerced him to transfer his savings to fake government accounts over five days. The scam operated by threatening arrest, conducting fake video calls to simulate detention, and routing stolen funds through bank accounts in Karnataka, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh. This case is part of a broader pattern of digital arrest fraud targeting senior citizens and armed forces personnel in India, with recent victims losing crores of rupees to organized multinational syndicates.
richmondsunsetnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The San Francisco Police Department released an educational video in partnership with a blessing scam survivor and Self-Help for the Elderly to raise awareness about blessing scams targeting the Chinese community. Blessing scams typically involve Cantonese-speaking suspects who pose as fortune tellers, claiming victims or loved ones are cursed and must surrender valuables to be "blessed," then replacing them with worthless items. The video emphasizes how to refuse scammers and encourages community members to report incidents to SFPD.
nbcdfw.com
· 2025-12-08
During tax season, the Federal Trade Commission warns that identity theft scams are evolving, with scammers increasingly using text messages and emails rather than phone calls to direct victims to fake IRS websites and steal login credentials or install malware. In 2023, the FTC received over one million identity theft reports resulting in more than $10 billion in losses combined. The FTC advises taxpayers to avoid clicking unsolicited links, visit IRS.gov directly to verify information, freeze their credit, use strong passwords with multi-factor authentication, file taxes early, and obtain an IRS identity protection PIN.
aljazeera.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore passed unprecedented anti-scam legislation in 2024 that grants authorities power to freeze bank accounts of suspected scam victims to prevent them from transferring funds to scammers. The measure was prompted by record-high scam reports—26,587 cases in the first half of 2024 with losses exceeding $284 million—where 86 percent involved willing fund transfers, despite education efforts and bank safeguards. While supporters view the law as essential protection, critics argue it reflects paternalistic governance that inappropriately restricts individual financial autonomy.
marinij.com
· 2025-12-08
This is an obituary for Patrick K. Murphy, not an article about fraud or elder abuse. It announces his death on January 12, 2025, and notes that during his career he worked as an FBI Special Agent for 27 years, later in fraud investigation at Charles Schwab, and in retirement was active in elder abuse prevention programs in Marin County. This entry does not describe a specific scam, fraud case, or victim and is therefore not suitable for the Elderus database.
substack.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, scams targeting older adults resulted in approximately $3.4 billion in losses, according to the FBI's Elder Fraud Report. Common schemes include romance scams, tech support fraud, grandparent scams, government impersonation, lottery scams, and home repair fraud, with perpetrators typically using intimidation tactics or appeals to family relationships to pressure victims into sending money. Experts recommend maintaining awareness, being cautious of high-pressure situations, and reporting suspected fraud as the best defenses against these schemes.
rmoutlook.com
· 2025-12-08
A Barrhead man lost $200,000 to an online investment fraud impersonating Mark Cuban, while another victim lost $20,000 in a CRA impersonation scam demanding gift card payments. RCMP warned seniors about multiple circulating scams including cryptocurrency fraud, government impersonation, gift card extortion, and family emergency schemes, noting that recovered funds are rare and scammers use spoofed caller IDs and personal information to appear legitimate.
wfsb.com
· 2025-12-08
A 90-year-old South Windsor resident lost nearly $50,000 in an online scam after receiving a fraudulent PayPal email claiming his account was flagged for unauthorized Bitcoin purchases. The scammer gained access to the victim's computer and instructed him to withdraw cash from multiple bank branches for courier pickup; police arrested 42-year-old Qiao Zheng of Brooklyn when he arrived to collect an additional $20,000, charging him with conspiracy to commit second-degree fraud.
finextra.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams are highly sophisticated fraud schemes that exploit emotional vulnerability and loneliness, affecting victims across all age groups but particularly targeting middle-aged adults (55-64) and older adults (65-74). In 2023, romance scams resulted in approximately $1.14 billion in reported losses in the United States, with a median loss of $2,000 per victim, with scammers increasingly using AI-generated images and fake social media accounts to build trust before requesting money for fabricated emergencies. A notable 2024 case involved a 53-year-old French woman who lost her entire life savings of $850,000 to scammers posing as
notizie.it
· 2025-12-08
Telephone scams targeting elderly people have increased significantly in recent years, but seniors are becoming more empowered to fight back through training courses organized by the Carabinieri in parishes and senior centers. These courses teach pensioners to recognize scam methods through real cases and simulations, enabling them to identify suspicious situations and contact authorities—transforming them from passive victims to active protectors of themselves. Key prevention strategies include never sharing personal information with strangers, verifying caller identity, and maintaining skepticism toward overly attractive offers.
news.jrn.msu.edu
· 2025-12-08
A Michigan man and woman were charged with financially exploiting an 87-year-old Rochester Hills resident through fraudulent power of attorney, with one defendant embezzling over $400,000 and the other stealing thousands through unauthorized checks. A Michigan State University study in rural communities found that preventative training for family caregivers and seniors, combined with caseworker follow-up visits, effectively empowers people to identify and prevent financial exploitation of older adults. Michigan reports increasing financial exploitation cases, with over 4,000 referrals in fiscal year 2024, and research shows that even basic community education can raise awareness and help prevent elder fraud.
dailymail.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A 91-year-old San Francisco millionaire, Geraldine Clark, was allegedly defrauded of approximately $5 million by her four live-in caregivers between 2015 and 2022 through forged checks and unauthorized withdrawals from her investment portfolio. The caregivers—Elsie Curameng, Milagros Alinas, Lilia Galdo, and Marina Suriao—exploited Clark's dementia (which they concealed from her family) and kept her sedated on high doses of Vicodin to drain her $9 million nest egg down to less than $200 before she died in
thebridgechronicle.com
· 2025-12-08
A 73-year-old woman in Pune, India was defrauded of ₹75,000 in jewelry and cash after criminals posing as grain distributors convinced her to remove her valuables, claiming a supervisor would disapprove of her wearing jewelry during the distribution. The thieves kept her distracted while stealing the bag containing her belongings and fleeing the scene. Police have noted a concerning trend of similar scams targeting elderly women with false promises of free goods like grain and sarees.
english.gujaratsamachar.com
· 2025-12-08
A senior citizen in Vadodara lost ₹1.28 crore to an investment scam after being contacted via WhatsApp with promises of high returns through a fraudulent company called Citadel Securities. The victim was added to a WhatsApp group, provided bank details to an operator named Rashi Gupta, and made multiple investments after seeing inflated account balances, only to discover he could not withdraw funds. He reported the fraud to the cyber cell when he became suspicious.
washingtonpost.com
· 2025-12-08
Seniors face heightened vulnerability to medication scams and false health claims, but individuals and community groups are working to help older adults distinguish accurate information from fraud. The article features Gladys Williams, a retired professional with backgrounds in nursing, social work, and education, as an example of those combating misinformation targeting elderly populations.
townandcountrymag.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, multiple high-profile fraud cases emerged involving sophisticated impersonation schemes: a Hermès heir reported a $13 billion fortune missing, Elvis Presley's estate discovered Graceland nearly sold at auction after a woman forged loan documents and signatures, and an Arup engineering employee wired $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to impersonate company executives. The article highlights how modern scammers exploit advancing technology—including AI-generated voices and deepfakes—to impersonate authority figures, family members, and trusted individuals, with experts predicting AI-generated fraud could reach $40 billion by 2027. Recommended protections include establishing family
theschoharienews.com
· 2025-12-08
The Sharon Springs Silver & Gold Senior Club held an educational presentation on January 10th where a Social Security Administration official informed approximately twenty seniors about identity theft, consumer scams, and emerging fraud threats including AI-enhanced scams such as phishing, family emergency, and romance schemes. Attendees learned protective measures and were provided resources including IdentityTheft.gov for reporting identity theft, the Senate Special Committee on Aging's Fraud Hotline (1-855-303-9470), and the "Fighting Fraud" booklet available at www.aging.senate.gov.
slguardian.org
· 2025-12-08
**Romance Scam Victimization - Poppy's Case (UK)**
An 84-year-old woman from Manchester named Poppy fell victim to three separate romance scams between 2021 and 2023, losing approximately £20,000 total. The scams involved fraudsters posing as an American oil worker, a wealthy businessman, and a NATO medic, each requesting financial help through various pretexts; her brother discovered the full extent of the fraud when managing her finances due to her declining memory. While NatWest refunded £16,000 of her losses, the case highlights a growing epidemic of romance scams in the UK, with
themonroesun.com
· 2025-12-08
Common scams targeting victims include fake attorney calls claiming a loved one needs bail money, utility shutoff warnings, lottery schemes, romance scams, and cryptocurrency investment fraud. Law enforcement advises that when unsolicited callers request personal information or money, recipients should hang up and independently verify the claim by contacting the supposed organization or person directly. Scammers use tactics such as keeping victims on the phone to prevent critical thinking, leveraging personal information like Social Security numbers, and coaching victims on how to send money discreetly to avoid detection by store employees.
thesfnews.com
· 2025-12-08
On January 30, the San Francisco Police Department released an educational video to raise awareness about blessing scams, which primarily target elderly members of the Chinese community in the San Francisco Bay Area. The scam involves Cantonese-speaking suspects who pose as fortune tellers, convincing victims they are cursed and must surrender valuables (cash and jewelry) to be "blessed," after which victims receive a bag of worthless items and are told not to open it for days or weeks. The video was produced in collaboration with local organizations and features a woman who narrowly escaped such a scam in January, emphasizing the importance of learning to refuse strangers and report these crimes to police.
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
Social Security Administration official Rebecca Rose identified four key warning signs of scams: impersonation of trusted organizations, claims of problems or prizes, pressure for immediate action, and requests for payment via gift cards. Scam survivor Kate Kleinert shared her experience losing $39,000 to a romance scam, while SSA resources provide guidance on recognizing scams and reporting them to the Office of the Inspector General.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Between January 28-29, scammers posing as Suffolk Police officers defrauded at least seven elderly and vulnerable residents by falsely claiming fraudulent activity on their bank accounts and convincing them to withdraw cash for couriers to collect. The fraudsters provided fake names and collar numbers to appear legitimate, and in some cases also requested bank cards be handed over. Police advise victims to hang up and verify any caller's identity by contacting their bank or calling 101, and to never allow unknown individuals into their homes without requesting warrant card identification.
realclearinvestigations.com
· 2025-12-08
Thomas Clasby, former director of the Department of Elder Services in Quincy, Massachusetts, was indicted for embezzlement, mail fraud, and wire fraud for allegedly using city funds as a personal slush fund since 2019, spending over $17,000 on personal items including steak, a self-portrait, and a music recording, while also allegedly funneling a $38,000 consultant contract back to himself. Clasby, who earned $111,971 annually, faces up to 40 years in prison and was fired in May 2024. The case is notable for the brazen nature of the fraud and because it diverted resources from programs intended to help seniors.
financial-planning.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly widow lost approximately $8.4 million over four years when her son, Brett Thomas Graham—a securities industry-barred individual—moved money from her accounts at multiple financial firms (JPMorgan Securities, Schwab, and Francis Financial) without proper detection or intervention. The woman, who had memory loss and was living in assisted care, had invested nearly $9 million from the sale of her Upper East Side townhouse, but the financial institutions failed to implement adequate safeguards such as flagging suspicious large withdrawals, conducting proper due diligence, or contacting trusted family members to verify the transactions. Her family only discovered the fraud after she was evicted from her assiste
pymnts.com
· 2025-12-08
Card-not-present (CNP) fraud and transaction disputes have surged dramatically, with CNP fraud increasing 35% in 2021 alone, and chargebacks projected to reach $37 billion in lost revenue between 2023-2026. Friendly fraud—where customers intentionally dispute legitimate charges—accounts for approximately 28% of global eCommerce fraud losses. To combat these issues, merchants and banks can implement AI-powered fraud prevention systems, real-time transaction verification alerts, enhanced transaction transparency, and third-party dispute resolution services to reduce chargebacks by up to 15%.
tdtnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The Temple Police Department will hold a free senior scam awareness session at 8:30 a.m. today at Sammons Community Center to educate seniors on recognizing and protecting themselves against scams, with officers discussing how to identify fraudulent schemes and prevent victimization. The article also announces upcoming community meetings, including a C.A.R.E. gathering and a Bell County Retired School Employees Association meeting focused on energy bills and community concerns.
ttnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A bipartisan bill called the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act was introduced in Congress to combat fraud in the moving and shipping industry, where scammers charge exorbitant fees and hold consumers' belongings hostage. The legislation would give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration authority to penalize unregistered shippers and allow state agencies to access federal funds to protect household goods and personal possessions. The bill aims to protect consumers—particularly vulnerable populations—from deceptive practices by unscrupulous moving companies that exploit people during relocation.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
O2 created "Daisy," an AI chatbot designed to impersonate an elderly grandmother who wastes scammers' time through confusion, tangential conversations about knitting and scones, and technical incompetence. Over several weeks, the bot successfully detained individual fraudsters for up to 40 minutes each—time they could not spend targeting real victims—by feigning difficulty with computer instructions and repeatedly changing the subject. The project, developed in collaboration with scam baiter Jim Browning, was primarily designed as an awareness campaign rather than a full-scale rollout, demonstrating how AI could be used defensively against fraud.
yourvalley.net
· 2025-12-08
This article announces programming and services at Banner Olive Branch Senior Center in Arizona, including breakfast and lunch meals ($5 each), free food pantry services, and to-go meals available daily. The center is hosting an Attorney General townhall on elder scams and fraud on February 7, along with educational workshops on legal documents and diabetes management.
etvbharat.com
· 2025-12-08
A retired government employee in Andhra Pradesh, Moole Brahma Reddy, was defrauded of Rs 36 lakh (approximately $43,000 USD) after receiving a call from unknown fraudsters who falsely accused him of receiving money from a criminal and threatened him with arrest. The scammers sent fake WhatsApp screenshots and blackmailed Reddy into transferring funds in multiple installments; the fraud was discovered only when his son grew suspicious after being asked for an additional Rs 90,000. Police have seized the scam-linked bank accounts and advised the public not to panic when receiving similar threatening calls, urging immediate reporting to authorities.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A federal jury convicted two Indian nationals, Pranay Kumar Mamidi (27) and Kishan Vinayak Patel (26), of money laundering conspiracy tied to a "phantom hacker scam" that defrauded victims across four states of their life savings between May and November 2023. In this scam, perpetrators impersonated bank employees, FTC agents, and DEA special agents to trick victims—particularly elderly—into withdrawing savings and surrendering cash or gold bars at drop-off locations, with investigators estimating tens of millions of dollars laundered through the U.S.-based operation directed by co-conspirators in India. Six additional co-conspi
sunstar.com.ph
· 2025-12-08
The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-Davao Region intensified awareness campaigns against romance scams, particularly in February when Valentine's Day increases vulnerability. Police reported two romance scam cases in 2024, where scammers use social media and dating apps to build romantic relationships with victims before requesting money and personal information, with potential criminal charges including estafa and violations of anti-violence and cybercrime laws. Authorities advised the public to distrust unsolicited romantic advances from strangers and urged victims to report incidents immediately.
dallasobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
In May 2024, an 86-year-old man nearly fell victim to an impersonation scam requesting a fraudulent electronic funds transfer, an experience that inspired his 15-year-old granddaughter, Tejasvi Manoj, to develop Shield Seniors—a web application designed to protect senior citizens from cyber fraud. The platform features educational content, an AI chatbot, email/text analysis tools, and scam reporting resources, all with senior-friendly design elements, and earned an honorable mention in the Congressional App Challenge in November 2024. Cyber fraud cost elderly Americans over $3.4 billion in 2023, with romance scams alone accounting for $
bucksherald.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
The Thames Valley region reported 1,401 online dating scams over five years, with victims losing an average of over £10,000 each, according to Action Fraud data. Reports increased from 274 in 2020 to a peak of 313 in 2022, with victims spanning all age groups but concentrated among those aged 50-59, and nearly evenly split between men (49%) and women (51%). Action Fraud warns residents to exercise caution on dating apps, particularly around Valentine's Day, and notes that romance fraud carries significant psychological impacts beyond financial loss.