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in Robocall / Phone Scam
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
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A 21-year-old Syrian refugee in Dubai provided firsthand testimony about working in a sophisticated mass scamming operation that employed over 1,000 workers across multiple desert facilities to conduct "pig butchering" romance scams targeting victims globally. After being hired under false pretenses for what he believed was an advertising job, the worker was forced to impersonate women and manipulate people into investing in cryptocurrency, working 12-hour shifts for minimal pay while his passport was threatened and movement restricted. The operation, run by Chinese managers and staffed primarily by desperate foreign migrants, is part of a transnational scamming industry estimated to have generated $1.03 trillion globally last year.
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.
freepressjournal.in
· 2025-12-08
A 42-year-old woman from Mumbai lost ₹8.17 lakh in a WhatsApp task scam that began in January when she was contacted via Telegram and asked to share her mobile and UPI details. After receiving small initial payments and joining a WhatsApp group where she completed tasks for commissions, the fraudsters gradually convinced her to invest larger amounts, eventually claiming her "low credit score" prevented withdrawal and demanding an additional ₹4.5 lakh. The Andheri Police registered a fraud case and launched an investigation after she realized the scam and refused to send more money.
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.
wflx.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers in Martin County spoofed the sheriff's office phone number to call residents claiming they had outstanding arrest warrants requiring immediate bitcoin payment to resolve. Two men lost a combined $20,000 in the scam last week before law enforcement intervened. The Martin County Sheriff's Office warns residents that legitimate agencies never request money over the phone and advises potential victims to stay calm and verify calls with trusted contacts or the sheriff's office directly, as bitcoin transactions are virtually impossible to recover.
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.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission reported that fraud losses exceeded $10 billion nationally in 2023, with 2024 showing alarming trends in scam types including online job scams, government impersonation, gift card fraud, and business investment schemes. Student loan scams have proliferated due to confusion over federal loan forgiveness programs, with criminals using phishing, upfront fee schemes, and identity theft tactics to prey on borrowers seeking debt relief. The FTC warns that legitimate assistance is available free through student loan servicers and the Department of Education, and that private companies cannot deliver forgiveness benefits that aren't already available through government programs.
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.
wkow.com
· 2025-12-08
Dane County Sheriff's Office detectives stopped an elderly woman from losing $25,000 in a tech support scam that began with a fake Microsoft pop-up alert directing her to withdraw funds and deposit them into a cryptocurrency ATM. The scammers later attempted to contact her again by spoofing the sheriff's office phone line, but she avoided the calls after being warned by the detective. In a similar case, Summit Credit Union staff also used the sheriff's office Scam Alert flyer to prevent another victim from losing $88,000 to a fraudulent lawyer impersonator.
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.
bbc.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Safer Internet Day 2025 (February 11) focuses on protecting people from online scams, which are tricks designed to steal money or personal information through methods like fake giveaways, misleading products, and phishing links. The UK Safer Internet Centre advises people to spot red flags such as offers that seem too good to be true, avoid sharing personal information online, and refrain from clicking links in unexpected messages, with children especially encouraged to speak to trusted adults if concerned. Educational activities including a BBC Teach live lesson and "Scam Smashers" game will help participants identify and defend against scams.
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-08
National Grid is alerting customers to scams in which fraudsters impersonate utility company representatives and demand immediate payment via prepaid debit card, threatening service disconnection. The company clarified that it never requests direct payment by debit card or wire transfer and does not threaten immediate disconnection, urging victims to contact local law enforcement.
wvtm13.com
· 2025-12-08
Two text message scams are currently circulating: one falsely claims to be from the IRS offering a $1,400 economic impact payment and directs recipients to click malicious links and provide personal information, while the other impersonates toll agencies threatening license suspension for unpaid road tolls. Authorities warn recipients not to reply to or click links in these messages, noting that the IRS only contacts people by mail and will never request personal information or payment via text or email.
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.
cw34.com
· 2025-12-08
Computer programmers in England developed "Daisy," an AI-powered elderly woman chatbot designed to waste scammers' time by engaging them in lengthy conversations—averaging seven minutes per call, with one interaction lasting 40 minutes. The prototype, created by Virgin Media O2, uses four layers of AI technology to generate realistic voice responses based on a detailed backstory (a 78-year-old widow who enjoys baking), and developers are now working to scale the technology into thousands of personas that can be installed on personal phones to combat both voice scams and phishing attempts.
energized.edison.com
· 2025-12-08
Nearly 100 Southern California Edison customers fell victim to impersonation scams in just the first month of 2025, with fraudsters posing as SCE representatives to extract payments through various methods including urgency tactics, fake websites, prepaid cards, and barcode schemes. SCE advises customers to verify any calls by asking for a callback number, never provide credit card information over the phone, and report suspected scams to sce.com/scamalert, emphasizing that legitimate SCE representatives do not demand immediate payment or accept prepaid cards, Bitcoin, or Zelle transfers.
local3news.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warns of romance scams targeting Valentine's Day, particularly affecting people in their 50s and 60s on dating apps. Scammers use fake photos to catfish victims and eventually request money or personal information under the guise of a romantic relationship. The BBB recommends researching potential dates, asking specific questions, and being skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.
aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
Criminals are impersonating Elon Musk using fake advertisements and deepfake videos to perpetrate three main scams: selling ineffective energy-saving devices (with victims reporting losses of $152+ per unit), promoting a fraudulent Quantum AI investment platform using fabricated celebrity endorsements, and running giveaway schemes that extract fees or personal information from victims (with one person losing $6,000). These scams exploit AI deepfake technology to create convincing but entirely fictitious endorsements designed to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting targets.
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.
kjzz.org
· 2025-12-08
Scammers impersonating bank representatives targeted at least four Yavapai County, Arizona residents, instructing them to withdraw funds and deposit them into new accounts under the false premise that their accounts were compromised. Victims who fell for the scheme lost an average of $25,000 each, though one woman was prevented from becoming a victim when an alert bank teller recognized the scam while the caller was still on the phone. Authorities recommend that anyone receiving such calls contact their bank directly to verify whether their account has actually been compromised.
home.barclays
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, fraud and scams reached unprecedented levels, with 18 percent of consumers victimized and 34 percent knowing a scam victim, particularly targeting parents and grandparents. Investment scams emerged as the costliest threat, accounting for one-third of all scam losses with an average claim of £15,564, while 75 percent of scams originated on social media and tech platforms, including sophisticated AI voice-cloning schemes that remain underrecognized by consumers. The article emphasizes that while awareness campaigns have successfully educated the public about traditional scams like fake delivery and HMRC fraud, newer technological scams and recruitment fraud require increased education and cross-industry collaboration
nationthailand.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai national police met with ambassadors from 15 countries to strengthen international cooperation against call-centre scams that deceive foreign nationals into working for fraudulent operations in Southeast Asia, often transiting through Thailand. The initiative includes enhanced border screening at high-risk areas like Mae Sot district and 24/7 coordination between countries to identify and prevent potential victims. Reports indicate call-centre scam operations are declining in some areas but relocating across borders, requiring ongoing multinational enforcement efforts.
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.
kfyrtv.com
· 2025-12-08
An 84-year-old South Hadley woman lost $20,000 in July 2024 after being tricked by a scammer impersonating a Bank of America fraud representative who extracted her banking information during a five-hour call. Bank of America initially reimbursed only $6,055 of smaller fraudulent charges, denying the $20,000 wire transfer claim by arguing it fit her banking behavior, despite the victim having never previously made wire transfers. The case highlights a legal loophole in the Electronic Fund Transfer Act that does not require banks to reimburse customers who authorize payments while being deceived, though new legislation (the Protecting Consumers from Payment Sc
levittownnow.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday issued a consumer alert warning residents about Super Bowl LIX ticket and merchandise scams, advising buyers to use official ticket platforms, verify URLs to avoid spoofing, avoid third-party sellers, and never pay via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. The warning recommends conducting transactions in safe locations, reviewing charges before checkout, and using credit cards for fraud protection. Victims can file complaints with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling 800-441-2555.
mininggazette.com
· 2025-12-08
Michigan State Police are warning businesses across the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula about a fraud scheme involving stolen credit cards and lottery scratch-off tickets, with related cases also reported in Wisconsin and Nebraska. Scammers purchase large quantities of lottery tickets using stolen credit cards by requesting manual entry of card information, then quickly cash in winning tickets before the fraud is discovered. Businesses are advised to refuse manual credit card processing, limit lottery ticket purchases, and verify card legitimacy when transactions seem suspicious.
usatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office warned fans attending Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans to be vigilant against ticket, merchandise, and credit card scams targeting eager consumers. The advisory recommends using reputable websites, avoiding purchases from strangers or sellers requesting gift cards or cryptocurrency, and contacting the state's Bureau of Consumer Protection if victimized. The guidance emphasizes common-sense precautions such as reviewing purchases carefully and trusting instincts when offers seem too good to be true.
tnsi.com
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational resource rather than a news article about a specific fraud incident. The eBook offers guidance on spoofing protection solutions and best practices to secure telephone numbers and outbound call operations against spoofing threats.
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Virginia is warning the public about a resurgent snail-mail scam in which fraudsters send letters posing as legitimate businesses with checks, asking recipients to pose as "secret surveyors" by purchasing multiple gift cards worth hundreds of dollars each in exchange for promised reimbursement. The scammers claim the check is on hold until the survey is completed, but authorities clarify this is false and victims will not be reimbursed. Law enforcement urges residents to discard suspicious mail and remain skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true, noting that scammers are typically not local and difficult to prosecute.
local3news.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau warns of scams falsely claiming the government offers free grants that require an upfront application fee to access. Both individuals and businesses have fallen victim to these schemes, which often impersonate friends and guarantee free money before requesting payment or financial information. Legitimate government grants never require processing fees, and people should never provide banking details to unsolicited callers.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
A widowed pensioner fell victim to a romance scam, sending thousands of pounds to a woman he had never met in person, whose photos were stolen from social media and used across multiple scam accounts. Santander's "Break the Spell" team, a specialized fraud prevention unit, worked to convince him he was being defrauded, though he initially resisted accepting the reality despite blocked transactions and a failed in-person meeting. The article highlights the growing prevalence of scams in the UK—with £213m lost across the banking sector in the first half of 2024—and notes that Santander's Break the Spell initiative has prevented £17.6m from reaching
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece presents five foundational "set it and forget it" scam defense resolutions: establish credit freezes with the three major bureaus, use a password manager, secure your Social Security card, register with the Do Not Call list, and create strong passwords for personal Wi-Fi networks. AARP Vermont Fraud Watch volunteers additionally recommend examining email origins for suspicious countries, allowing unknown calls to voicemail, avoiding public Wi-Fi for financial transactions, being skeptical of unsolicited bank calls, and steering clear of social media shopping deals.
wave3.com
· 2025-12-08
Experts are warning the public about romance scams, particularly ahead of Valentine's Day, where scammers impersonate celebrities or create fake personas to build relationships and request money from victims. Red flags include quick declarations of love, requests for money, reluctance to meet in person, and insistence on communication only through dating platforms. According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams were Kentucky's most common fraud type in 2024, with scammers stealing $2.7 billion nationally in that year; financial experts recommend consulting trusted friends or bank representatives when uncertain about suspicious requests.
brainerddispatch.com
· 2025-12-08
As tax season approaches, fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics—including artificial intelligence—to target taxpayers, with the FBI reporting 880,418 cybercrime complaints in 2023 resulting in losses exceeding $12.5 billion. Common tax scams include phishing emails impersonating IRS officials, unqualified tax preparers misusing client information, tax identity theft, and AI-enabled fraud schemes. Taxpayers should protect themselves by verifying preparer credentials, recognizing that the IRS initiates contact via mail rather than unsolicited phone calls or emails, avoiding suspicious links, and safeguarding personal information.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are exploiting Elon Musk's reputation by promoting fake "energy-saving" devices through unsolicited emails, social media ads, and pop-ups, claiming the products can reduce electricity bills by 50% or more. These fraudulent websites use fake celebrity endorsements, doctored photos, pseudo-scientific language, and fake customer reviews to appear legitimate, but deliver either non-functional plastic devices or nothing at all after collecting upfront payment via credit card or PayPal. No legitimate plug-in device can actually reduce home electricity usage, and consumers should be wary of unsolicited offers making exaggerated claims about bill reduction.
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
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
This AARP article provides educational guidance on protecting oneself from common fraud schemes affecting adults. It recommends three key protective steps: placing security freezes on credit accounts, monitoring financial accounts regularly, and using strong unique passwords. The article also warns about three specific scams—romance scams involving cryptocurrency, fake gift card balance-checking websites, and identity fraud from data breaches—and advises checking official sources like the SEC's investor.gov before making investments and using phone numbers or addresses on the back of gift cards rather than search results. For victims, AARP offers the Fraud Watch Network Helpline (1-877-908-3360) available weekdays 8 a.m.–
bangkokpost.com
· 2025-12-08
The Royal Thai Police established an international coordination centre in collaboration with 16 countries' embassies to prevent foreign nationals from being recruited into call centre scam operations in Myanmar, particularly through the Mae Sot border crossing in Thailand. The centre will enable real-time data sharing and communication between Thai police and foreign embassies to identify at-risk citizens arriving without clear travel plans and warn them against illegal border crossings and criminal employment. Many foreigners have been deceived into joining scam gangs or online gambling operations in Myanmar under false promises of high earnings, making prevention through international cooperation critical since Thai authorities cannot conduct direct operations in Myanmar.
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.
mb.com.ph
· 2025-12-08
In the Philippines, over 8,000 people lost more than PHP 155 million to online scams in the first eight months of 2023, prompting Senator Mark Villar to champion the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act—legislation designed to address emerging digital fraud threats including phishing, smishing, vishing, and quishing. The proposed law creates specific penalties for financial account fraud and money muling schemes while empowering the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to investigate suspicious transactions more swiftly and without traditional banking secrecy constraints.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 42-year-old man in Bengaluru lost ₹70,000 after downloading a malicious APK file disguised as the "Vahan Parivahan" app, which he accessed through a WhatsApp message falsely claiming he had a traffic violation. The malware compromised his phone, enabling unauthorized credit card transactions, though his wife's linked accounts were protected before fraudsters could access them. Police registered charges under the Information Technology Act and cheating statutes, and authorities advised the public to avoid downloading APK files from unknown sources.
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Stonington Police Department issued a warning about increasingly sophisticated scam attempts affecting both residents and businesses in the area, which involve callers or emailers requesting personal information, remote computer access, or threatening to shut off services. The scams often impersonate family members in distress or claim urgent situations, demanding payment via money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, and typically involve scammers building rapport with victims before making requests. Police advise residents to verify phone numbers independently online, remain skeptical of unsolicited contacts, and consult family members or law enforcement if situations seem suspicious.
kclyradio.com
· 2025-12-08
The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Kansas Legal Services launched a free "Scam Scan" seminar series beginning January 24th to educate older Kansans about recognizing and avoiding common scams involving theft, fraud, and financial exploitation. The educational seminars, presented by managing attorney Corinne Petrik, provide prevention tips to help attendees protect themselves, their money, and personal information from email, phone, and text-based scams, with sessions continuing through April due to high demand.
cbs58.com
· 2025-12-08
The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau warned of a phone scam in which callers impersonate loan processing company representatives and request personal information such as income by claiming they need to verify details to finalize a loan application, often using fake application IDs to appear credible. The BBB received more than 100 reports of this scam in January 2025, and officials advised consumers to verify a company's legitimacy before sharing personal information and to report suspicious calls to BBB Scam Tracker.