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abc11.com
· 2025-12-08
An Orange County, North Carolina woman lost over $17,000 in a sophisticated scam involving fake bank and PayPal fraud alerts, remote computer access, fraudulent letters printed from her own printer, and an in-person cash collection at her home. The scammers manipulated her through a four-hour phone call, convincing her to withdraw cash from her bank after transferring funds from her savings to checking and creating the false appearance of an $18,000 deposit. Investigators indicate this was part of a larger operation targeting multiple victims across several counties in the Triangle area.
fox6now.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisconsin officials warn of two scams targeting Amazon users: text messages falsely claiming product recalls and offering refunds that direct victims to fake Amazon sites to steal personal and financial information, and a cryptocurrency investment scam where a fraudster impersonated an online course instructor and convinced a victim to invest $40,000, ultimately resulting in a total loss of $140,000 when fake fees and taxes were demanded before withdrawal. Consumers are advised to never click unsolicited links, be wary of cryptocurrency investment offers on social media, and report suspected scams to Amazon or state authorities.
governor.ny.gov
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are using fake text messages and spoofed websites impersonating the New York DMV and toll collection agencies to pressure victims into providing personal information by claiming traffic fines or E-ZPass fees are due with urgent deadlines. These phishing schemes particularly target older adults and vulnerable New Yorkers, with the stolen data used for identity theft and fraud. Governor Hochul advised residents to verify suspicious communications directly with official agencies, monitor credit reports, and avoid clicking links or sharing personal information via unsolicited messages.
wsbtv.com
· 2025-12-08
A Texas woman, Audrey Michelle Townsend, pleaded guilty to scamming a Buford senior couple, Gloria and Gary Moss, out of $49,000 through an elaborate phishing scheme in February 2024. Townsend received a 20-year sentence (5 years in prison, remainder on probation) after being convicted of theft over $25,000 and four counts of elder abuse and exploitation; she tricked the couple into providing banking information via a fake Chase Bank text message. Chase Bank eventually returned the full amount to the couple in July 2024 after initial refusal and media attention.
jdsupra.com
· 2025-12-08
This article examines how white-collar crime has evolved in the digital age, with global losses from business email compromise exceeding $2.9 billion annually and cryptocurrency money laundering surpassing $3 billion. The piece discusses emerging investigation techniques including digital forensics, blockchain analysis, and machine learning, while highlighting the human impact—including a tragic case where an elderly fraud victim shot a ride-share driver under scammer threat, and noting that elderly victims lose an average of $35,000 per incident with over 88,000 reported cases in 2022.
wral.com
· 2025-12-08
A Durham County caregiver bonded out on charges of exploiting her client through check fraud, exemplifying a broader trend of financial abuse by caregivers targeting vulnerable adults. The article documents multiple cases including a nurse who stole a patient's identity, a caregiver who used an elderly woman's financial information to make thousands in unauthorized transactions, and a healthcare company operator sentenced to 17 years for a $500,000 Medicare fraud scheme. The AARP reports over 369,000 annual incidents of financial abuse against older adults in the U.S., with experts recommending background checks, financial monitoring, secure document storage, and requiring receipts to protect vulnerable individuals in care.
witn.com
· 2025-12-08
Five people in Craven County, North Carolina were formally charged with a total of 139 felonies in connection with a financial exploitation scheme targeting an elderly couple that began in November 2023, with two of the suspects serving as in-home caregivers to the victims. The charges include identity theft, forgery, larceny, fraud, and elder exploitation, with lead suspect Ashley Berry facing 90 felony counts. Police urge family members and caregivers to monitor for financial exploitation involving in-home caregivers and contact Adult Protective Services with any suspicious activity.
gantnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania State Police issued a warning about increased scams, con artist schemes, and home invasions targeting residents, particularly the elderly. Common tactics include home improvement fraud (offering low-quality services like diluted driveway sealant at below-market prices), paired home invasions where one person distracts the homeowner while the other searches for valuables (often posing as utility workers), and phone scams that lead to identity theft. Police recommend verifying identification and employment, checking contractor references, and being skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.
nbcboston.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are creating convincing fake websites and phishing emails that impersonate legitimate companies like Spotify to steal personal information, payment details, and credentials for fraudulent purposes. Warning signs include urgent calls to action, sender email inconsistencies, spelling errors, and unusual characters in URLs, which can be verified using tools like Google's Safe Browsing. If compromised, users should reset passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and contact their bank immediately.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
A North Carolina woman lost over $17,000 in a sophisticated scam that began when she was redirected from her bank's website to fraudsters who gained remote access to her computer. The scammers manipulated her into believing her account was compromised by a PayPal charge and an IRS tax issue, then used her printer to forge official-looking bank and PayPal letters instructing her to withdraw cash; a man later arrived at her home to collect the money in person. The incident is part of a larger scam operation affecting multiple victims across several North Carolina counties.
nbcpalmsprings.com
· 2025-12-08
A senior scam awareness seminar was held in Palm Desert to educate older adults about fraud prevention amid increasing fraud losses in the community. The event, featuring speaker Greg Wallace, covered topics including Medicare fraud, identity theft prevention, and general elder fraud awareness. The seminar aimed to help seniors in the Coachella Valley recognize and avoid common scams targeting their age group.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article provides guidance from the Better Business Bureau on recovering from scams and protecting yourself if you fall victim to fraud. Key recovery steps include placing fraud alerts on credit reports, freezing credit, monitoring accounts weekly, disputing unauthorized charges with financial institutions, and reporting scams to the BBB and relevant agencies like the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov. The article also offers prevention advice such as ceasing contact with scammers, deleting unfamiliar emails, contacting businesses directly to verify requests, and reporting phishing attempts to ic3.gov.
thv11.com
· 2025-12-08
The Arkansas Department of Commerce is warning of phishing scams targeting former unemployment insurance claimants, in which scammers impersonate the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services via email to steal personal information like Social Security numbers and dates of birth through fake Wix websites. To avoid the scam, residents should verify that emails come from official @arkansas.gov addresses, avoid clicking suspicious links, and only enter information on official government websites including ezarc.arkansas.gov, arknet.arkansas.gov, login.gov, and launch.arkansas.gov.
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, Australians lost A$2.03 billion to scams, a decline from A$3.1 billion in 2022, though actual losses are likely higher due to underreporting caused by victim shame and embarrassment. Investment scams were the costliest category at A$945 million, often featuring fake trading platforms and impersonated businesses, while remote access scams and other common schemes like romance and phishing scams continue to evolve. Scammers increasingly use artificial intelligence, data from breaches, and organized criminal syndicates to create convincing impersonations, making it essential for consumers to verify investment opportunities independently rather than clicking on
nature.com
· 2025-12-08
Vietnamese victims, particularly educated professionals, were lured to Cambodia through fraudulent job postings by Chinese-led criminal syndicates operating "pig-butchering" scams between 2018-2023, where they were trafficked, confined, and coerced into committing cyber fraud against others. This mixed-methods study of 10 cases and interviews with 12 Vietnamese police officers reveals complex multi-layered networks targeting skilled workers with promises of IT, programming, and customer service positions, creating "victim-offender overlaps" where trafficked individuals are simultaneously victimized and forced to victimize others. The research highlights the need for greater focus on the intersection of human trafficking, cyber
pcmag.com
· 2025-12-08
Match Group agreed to pay $14 million to settle FTC allegations of deceptive advertising practices, including tolerating romance scammers to attract paying users to its dating apps OkCupid and Match.com. The settlement requires the company to simplify subscription cancellation, stop retaliating against users filing billing disputes, and cease misrepresenting its money-back guarantee, with FTC compensation to injured consumers pending judge approval.
rfdtv.com
· 2025-12-08
Social Security impersonation scams are increasing as criminals pose as SSA officials via calls, texts, emails, and social media to steal Social Security numbers, with scammers now using AI to create more convincing and personalized communications including fake credentials and spoofed official letterhead. Experts warn that recipients may be particularly vulnerable during periods of system changes, such as 2024's new login requirements for My Social Security accounts, and advise people to be suspicious of unsolicited contact offering to help with credential changes since the SSA rarely initiates contact with the public.
idyllwildtowncrier.com
· 2025-12-08
In response to rising scams targeting older adults in California, Assemblymember Greg Wallis and the Desert Recreation District are hosting a free Senior Scam Awareness Seminar at the Palm Desert Community Center on August 13, 2025. Older adults reported approximately $700 million in combined losses nationally in 2024, prompting the event to feature law enforcement and consumer protection experts discussing scam identification, reporting procedures, and protective measures against identity theft, Medicare fraud, and financial exploitation.
nature.com
· 2025-12-08
This research study compared video-based versus text-based anti-fraud educational materials for older adults aged 60 and above, finding that video interventions significantly outperformed text-only materials in improving comprehension, emotional engagement, and fraud prevention intentions. Text-based materials provided more detailed information but generated lower emotional engagement, while the study validated a combined multimodal approach integrating both formats to better address older adults' cognitive and emotional needs in protecting themselves against sophisticated fraud schemes.
ainvest.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece examines the financial vulnerabilities facing aging populations, noting that 7.2 million Americans aged 65+ currently live with Alzheimer's dementia (projected to triple by 2060), with dementia-related costs reaching $384 billion annually and expected to surge to $1.6 trillion by 2050. Financial literacy among U.S. seniors aged 55+ has declined to 49.2%, increasing susceptibility to fraud—global elder fraud losses exceed $36 billion annually—while cognitive decline leads to poor financial decisions regarding Social Security, Medicare, and long-term care planning. The article highlights emerging solutions including AI-driven fintech platforms that reduce
whec.com
· 2025-12-08
Deep fake scams using AI voice cloning and synthetic media have increased by 3,000% in 2023, with scammers impersonating relatives, celebrities, and customer service representatives to defraud victims. A News10NBC anchor recently received a call from someone impersonating her daughter using voice cloning technology, a scam that works because AI tools are widely available with minimal regulation. To protect themselves, consumers should establish family code words for identity verification, avoid posting vacation plans on social media, use automated voicemail messages, and watch for telltale signs of deep fakes such as unnatural facial expressions, body movements, and skin tone inconsistencies.
dos.ny.gov
· 2025-12-08
The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection issued scam prevention guidance for college students as the academic year begins, highlighting six common threats: fake scholarship and loan schemes (which often guarantee pre-approvals), unpaid tuition phone scams, fraudulent job/internship offers requesting personal information, counterfeit textbook websites, rental property scams, and fake social media stores selling discounted products. The advisory warns students to verify information directly with official sources, avoid upfront fees, research sellers carefully, and protect personal information like Social Security numbers during financial transactions.
hackread.com
· 2025-12-08
Three Ghanaian men—Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, and Derrick Van Yeboah—were extradited to the United States in August 2025 to face charges for their roles in a $100 million fraud scheme involving romance scams targeting vulnerable elderly individuals and business email compromise attacks on companies. The criminals created fake online identities to gain victims' trust and convince them to send money, while also impersonating business executives to trick employees into wiring funds to fraudulent accounts; the stolen money was then laundered through West Africa. A fourth suspect, Patrick Kwame Asare, remains at large, and the defendants face multiple charges including wire frau
commbank.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Truyu, a digital identity protection app backed by CommBank, has launched a free AI-powered "Scam Checker" tool that analyzes suspicious text messages to help Australians identify potential SMS scams. The app also alerts users in real-time when their identity is misused at major merchants or exposed in data breaches, while CommBank simultaneously introduced in-app verification for online card transactions to reduce reliance on text-based codes and protect against impersonation scams. These features aim to help people protect themselves and provide clearer security guidance than traditional SMS-based authentication methods.
fortbendstar.com
· 2025-12-08
Fort Bend County Libraries hosted an educational program titled "The Truth About Scams" on August 15 at their University Branch Library in Sugar Land, designed to educate seniors and family members about fraud prevention. A panel of experts moderated by senior real-estate specialist Liz McNeel covered common scams targeting seniors, psychological manipulation tactics, red flags in communications, identity protection strategies, and reporting procedures.
deccanherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Deepfake technology, powered by AI, poses a growing fraud threat to financial institutions and individuals, with estimates suggesting potential losses of Rs 70,000 crore in India in 2025. Fraudsters use hyper-realistic synthetic videos and cloned voices to impersonate executives or loved ones to authorize fraudulent transactions, with an average loss of $450,000 per business incident globally in 2024. Financial institutions are implementing advanced AI detection, blockchain-based identity verification, and employee training programs to counter deepfake fraud, as traditional KYC and facial recognition methods have become vulnerable to these sophisticated attacks.
leadertelegram.com
· 2025-12-08
A Wisconsin man nearly fell victim to a sophisticated pop-up scam impersonating Target's account suspension process, which directed him to call a fraudulent number and provide financial information. The incident illustrates the increasing sophistication of fraud schemes; the FTC reported over 6.47 million fraud complaints in 2024 (a 25% increase from 2023), with Americans losing over $12.5 billion, and seniors over 70 experiencing median losses of $1,600. Law enforcement and organizations like AARP warn that scams are becoming more professionally organized—with an estimated 80% originating from crime syndicates outside the United States—and recommend protective measures including credit monitoring
whio.com
· 2025-12-08
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office warned residents of two scams: fraudulent text messages impersonating jail staff requesting bail money (directing victims to retail stores to deposit cash via barcode), and fake Mastercards mailed falsely claiming to be issued by the county jail. Both schemes aim to steal money or personal information, and residents are advised to verify communications directly with official sources rather than responding to unsolicited requests.
theguardian.com
· 2025-12-08
A 48-year-old NHS healthcare worker nearly fell victim to a romance scam in 2021 when an imposter posing as an army medic asked her to send gift cards, which she refused. After sharing her experience online and helping others identify similar scams, she built a large social media following (@staysafewithmjules) dedicated to warning people about fraud, but subsequently became a victim of identity theft when she sent copies of her passport and driving license to a fraudulent HMRC email. Her stolen identity was used to open a fake business for money laundering, leading to dozens of rejected loan applications, damaged credit, and a £16,000 fraudulent loan in her name
jdsupra.com
· 2025-12-08
Job scams involve fraudsters posing as employers or recruiters to trick job seekers into paying upfront fees or revealing personal information under the guise of hiring processes. These scams often target vulnerable individuals actively seeking employment and can result in financial loss or identity theft, as illustrated by the example of Sophie, a graduate who lost £100 to a fake recruiter offering a remote position. The article provides five protective measures including researching employers thoroughly, refusing to pay any advance fees, verifying job offers independently, protecting personal information, and trusting instincts when something seems suspicious.
edhat.com
· 2025-12-08
Caihong Lei, 34, was charged in Santa Barbara County Superior Court with multiple felonies including conspiracy to commit theft from an elder, attempted theft from an elder, and attempted theft by false pretenses, along with misdemeanor charges of elder abuse, petty theft, and prowling. Lei is accused of perpetrating a fraudulent scheme targeting an elderly victim and is being held on $500,000 bail pending her August 8, 2025 arraignment.
fema.gov
· 2025-12-08
After natural disasters, criminals pose as disaster workers or FEMA representatives to steal personal information and commit identity theft and fraud. The advisory provides protective measures including: never give money or personal information to unsolicited callers, verify FEMA contacts through official channels (1-800-621-3362), always request official ID badges, and report suspicious activity to the Disaster Fraud Hotline (1-866-720-5721) or local authorities.
ftc.gov
· 2025-12-08
FTC reports document a surge in imposter scams targeting retirees, with scammers posing as trusted government agencies and businesses to drain bank accounts and retirement funds through fake security alerts and false criminal accusations. From 2020 to 2024, reports of older adults losing $10,000 or more increased fourfold, while reports of losses exceeding $100,000 increased nearly sevenfold. These scams exploit older adults' vigilance about financial security by creating false urgency through phone calls and fabricated crises, instructing victims to transfer funds, use Bitcoin ATMs, or hand cash to couriers—tactics the real FTC and legitimate companies never use.
spectrumnews1.com
· 2025-12-08
Governor Andy Beshear announced the launch of StopScams.ky.gov, a new website designed to help Kentuckians report scams, learn prevention strategies, and access recovery resources. According to a 2024 FBI report, Kentuckians lose over $74 million annually to online scammers, prompting the state to partner with the Better Business Bureau and AARP to equip residents with tools to identify and avoid fraud. The site emphasizes a "pause, check, and protect" approach and offers scam alerts via email or text, along with free educational "Scam Jam" events throughout the state.
boredpanda.com
· 2025-12-08
This article discusses various scams and questionable spending habits that millennials fall victim to, including multilevel marketing schemes, online sports betting, rage bait engagement, fake detox products, and premium food delivery services. The piece compiles Reddit comments from millennials admitting to these scams, though commenters debate whether some items (like detox products and food delivery) are actual scams or simply poor financial decisions and that similar issues affected previous generations.
jcsentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
Elderly fraud in the U.S. resulted in nearly $5 billion in losses during 2024, representing a 46% increase in complaints and 43% increase in financial losses compared to 2023, according to FBI data showing 147,127 complaints. TARCOG's Senior Medicare Patrol is hosting a free Fraud & Scam Summit on August 20, 2025, to educate seniors, families, and caregivers on recognizing common scams, identity theft prevention, detecting financial abuse, and reporting resources. The event at Athens State University will feature local experts and community organizations providing educational information and support.
broadbandbreakfast.com
· 2025-12-08
Senators Budd and Welch introduced the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, which would direct the FCC to establish a task force combining federal agencies and private sector experts to combat international robocalls targeting Americans. The task force must deliver a report within 360 days with recommendations on identifying source countries, quantifying identity theft losses, encouraging foreign adoption of caller ID authentication, and evaluating stronger criminal penalties. The bill has support from AARP and USTelecom, with AARP noting that older Americans are disproportionately targeted by robocall scams resulting in financial loss and identity theft.
budd.senate.gov
· 2025-12-08
U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the bipartisan Foreign Robocall Elimination Act to combat unlawful robocalls originating from overseas, which victimize tens of millions of Americans and steal billions of dollars annually. The bill would establish an interagency task force with federal agencies (FCC, FTC, DOJ) and private sector experts to develop strategies for eliminating foreign robocalls and increase international cooperation and law enforcement prosecution efforts. The legislation has been endorsed by AARP and USTelecom, with advocates noting that older Americans are disproportionately targeted by
mynbc15.com
· 2025-12-08
According to a Pew Research Center report, nearly three-quarters of Americans have experienced some form of online scam or attack, with 21% reporting actual financial losses. Common attacks include stolen credit card information (nearly 50%), hacked personal accounts (30%), fraudulent emails or texts leading to information disclosure (25%), and ransomware incidents (10%), with fraudsters increasingly exploiting untraceable payment methods like gift cards and payment apps. The FBI reported $16 billion in losses from cyber-enabled crime in the past year, a 33% increase, though experts note that many scams go unreported due to shame or awareness gaps.
myeasternshoremd.com
· 2025-12-08
Queen Anne's County Sheriff Gary Hofmann presented a seminar to the Chamber of Commerce outlining common scams targeting businesses and individuals, including phishing emails, stolen credit card fraud, fake invoices, prepaid gift card demands, check washing, and tech support impersonation. He recommended protective measures such as verifying charitable organizations before donating, implementing multi-factor authentication, monitoring accounts with alerts, requiring dual signatures on checks, and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement. Hofmann emphasized that scammers exploit fear and urgency, so slowing down and validating requests is essential to prevention.
newsday.com
· 2025-12-08
Job scams have surged significantly in recent years, with victims losing over $220 million in the first half of 2024 as scammers impersonate recruiters via text, email, and fake postings on legitimate job sites to steal money and personal information. Experts advise job-seekers to avoid unsolicited offers, never provide sensitive personal data or payment upfront, and be particularly cautious of remote work opportunities promising high pay for minimal effort. The rise of remote work and AI technologies have made these scams easier to execute and harder to trace.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are exploiting the summer holiday season in the UK through sophisticated scams including AI-generated fake travel websites, bogus delivery notifications (parcel scam searches up 400%), and fraudulent accommodation bookings, with victims losing hundreds to thousands of pounds and risking identity theft and account compromise. August is identified as a peak fraud month when people's guards are lowered by holiday distractions, and sharing travel details online—such as boarding passes on social media—further exposes victims to targeted attacks and personal data theft.
wvua23.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau reports a rise in work-from-home scams where fraudsters pose as employers on job sites, luring victims to messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to request personal information and banking details under the guise of hiring and payroll setup. Scammers then send fake checks for office supplies and ask victims to return "leftover" money, which results in thousands of dollars in losses and puts victims at risk of identity theft when checks bounce. The BBB advises job seekers to research companies thoroughly, avoid sharing personal information with unverified employers, and be cautious of any requests to send money before employment begins.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
Identity theft and financial scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with AI-generated emails, deepfakes, and voice-cloning technologies making fraudulent communications difficult to distinguish from legitimate ones. In 2024, consumers lost $27.2 billion to identity fraud (a 19% increase from 2023), with older adults suffering median losses of $1,000 compared to $417 for people in their 20s, despite younger people reporting fraud at higher rates. The article advises protecting sensitive personal information and recognizing common scam tactics, particularly impersonation scams, which were the most reported fraud category with losses reaching $789 million in government impersonation schemes alone.
buzzfeed.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes a phishing and extortion scam in which victims receive emails containing their home address and photos sourced from Google Maps, along with threats to release alleged compromising videos unless they pay in Bitcoin. The scam exploits personal information obtained from prior data breaches and uses intimidating language to pressure victims into sending money, though scammers typically do not possess actual compromising footage. The article provides protective measures including verifying images against Google Maps, checking email sender legitimacy and authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoiding unfamiliar links, and recognizing that scammers often spoof email addresses rather than actually hacking accounts.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational guide presents 12 tips for recognizing and preventing fraud and scams, which evolve constantly and target both finances and personal data. Key recommendations include verifying unexpected bank contacts through official channels, questioning urgent messages, staying alert to scams tied to current events, regularly monitoring account activity, setting up transaction alerts, using strong passwords, and enabling multifactor authentication. The advice emphasizes that while fraud is prevalent—ranging from phishing calls to credit card theft—proactive vigilance can help individuals sidestep many scams and quickly identify compromised accounts to minimize damage.
ujs.sd.gov
· 2025-12-08
Court scams involve fraudsters impersonating judicial officials or law enforcement via phone calls, texts, or emails to demand money or personal information by threatening arrest for missed jury duty, court appearances, or unpaid traffic tickets. Courts and law enforcement never demand immediate payment via cryptocurrency or apps, threaten people over the phone, or request sensitive information through electronic communication. Victims should refuse requests, avoid engaging with scammers, verify claims directly with local court offices, and report incidents to local law enforcement, the South Dakota Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, or the Federal Trade Commission.
wvua23.com
· 2025-12-08
A mother and daughter from Alabama were sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to defrauding an elderly victim of over $500,000 between December 2020 and February 2022. While working as in-home caretakers with access to the victim's financial information, Mykia L. Henderson (32) and Cynthia H. Mixon (50) created fraudulent payment accounts through Square and Stripe to charge the victim's credit cards, wrote unauthorized checks, and deposited stolen funds into their own accounts. Henderson received 87 months in prison and Mixon received 57 months for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
ainvest.com
· 2025-12-08
Steven Ware of Yonkers, New York pleaded guilty to bank fraud and identity theft for submitting false IRS tax refund claims under a Connecticut investment executive's identity, obtaining $810,337 in unauthorized refunds through fraudulently opened bank accounts. The article also references a separate elder fraud case in which scammers collected over $200,000 from elderly victims through identity theft and wire fraud. These cases illustrate broader vulnerabilities in identity verification systems and the increasing use of stolen identities to defraud government agencies and vulnerable populations.
manchesterjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece explains why intelligent people fall victim to scams, attributing victimization not to lack of intelligence but to social engineering tactics that exploit basic human emotions like fear, love, greed, and trust. The author emphasizes that criminals are skilled professionals who succeed by targeting the right person at the right time and that self-defense requires self-awareness, emotional control, and a team approach rather than going it alone. The piece concludes by urging readers not to shame victims and notes that fraud awareness presentations are available through AARP Vermont.