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states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational announcement for a three-part fraud prevention workshop series offered by AARP NJ at the Senior Resource Center in Chester, New Jersey, scheduled for May and June. The sessions cover fraud landscape awareness and prevention tools, government imposter scams with identity protection checklists, and cybercrime safety across various settings including social media and online banking.
losalamosreporter.com
· 2025-12-08
Jacci Gruninger, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO), was selected to present the organization's S.A.F.E. (Scam Awareness for Elders) program at the National Council on Aging's Age+Action Conference in Washington, DC. The S.A.F.E. initiative educates seniors about common scams and provides them with tools to protect themselves and their families from fraud. Gruninger's presentation will showcase LARSO's collaborative community efforts and success stories in helping vulnerable older adults recognize and avoid increasingly sophisticated scams.
prnewswire.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers target Medicare beneficiaries by offering free genetic testing (for conditions like cancer, dementia, and autoimmune diseases) without doctor orders, then bill Medicare for unnecessary tests or use stolen Medicare information for medical identity theft. Seniors should verify any genetic testing with their primary care doctor before proceeding, review their Medicare Summary Notices and Explanations of Benefits for unauthorized charges, and report suspected fraud to the New York Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-333-4374, as these scams can result in costs of $9,000 to $11,000 per test.
cbs6albany.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, elder financial fraud cost New York State over $200 million, with 4,300 residents aged 60 and older losing an average of $47,000 each, ranking the state fourth nationally in such losses. Governor Hochul and AARP New York are urging state legislators to pass budget measures that would train bank employees to identify financial exploitation and allow financial institutions to place holds on suspicious transactions. The proposed legislation aims to empower the financial sector to prevent fraud and protect older New Yorkers' accumulated savings from scammers.
states.aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, over 4,300 New Yorkers age 60 and older lost more than $203 million to financial scams, averaging $47,000 per victim, prompting AARP New York and state legislators to call for enhanced consumer protections including bank teller training to identify exploitation signs. Common scams targeting seniors include the "grandparent scam," where fraudsters pose as relatives requesting emergency money via untraceable payment methods like cash or gift cards. Governor Hochul's proposed budget includes measures to equip financial institutions to recognize and prevent elder financial fraud through employee training and transaction monitoring.
daily-tribune.com
· 2025-12-08
Data breaches and financial scams targeting seniors have reached all-time highs, with scammers exploiting seniors' perceived wealth, politeness from older generations, and limited technological skills to commit fraud. The article recommends protective measures including regularly reviewing credit reports from all three bureaus, placing credit freezes, seeking technology safety education, and screening phone calls from unknown numbers to reduce vulnerability to scams.
tasteofcountry.com
· 2025-12-08
A Texas woman in her 30s was catfished by a Morgan Wallen impersonator who posed as the country singer on Instagram, eventually convincing her to apply for a fake job with his charity where she provided sensitive personal information including her social security number and bank account details. The scammer then used her credentials to have her purchase high-dollar gift cards, resulting in over $18,000 in debt and fears of bankruptcy. The scam involved deepfake video technology and a fake staffing agency, demonstrating that romance scams targeting celebrities can affect people of all ages and technical backgrounds.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers exploit psychological vulnerabilities and human behavior to deceive victims, using tactics like "spray and pray" messaging to catch people when distracted, tired, or stressed. The FTC received 2.6 million fraud reports in 2024 resulting in $12.5 billion in losses, with research showing that nine in ten Americans have been targeted by fraud attempts, and cognitive impairment—whether temporary or chronic—significantly increases susceptibility to scams. Key protective insights include recognizing that truth bias makes people inherently inclined to believe what others tell them, and that remaining alert and verifying requests independently are essential defenses against fraud.
cruiseradio.net
· 2025-12-08
A UK couple in their 60s fell victim to SIM-jacking fraud while on a P&O cruise in October 2024, losing control of their mobile phone numbers and facing unauthorized bank withdrawals, overdrafts, and a £25,000 fraudulent loan from HSBC. Fraudsters used stolen personal data to impersonate them to their mobile provider, transferring their phone numbers to new SIM cards and then bypassing two-step verification security to access their accounts. The couple's quick action in alerting their bank and mobile provider iD Mobile prevented further losses, with the fraudulent transactions canceled and charges reversed.
e.vnexpress.net
· 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old woman named Ngoc in Phan Thiet, Vietnam lost her entire life savings of VND3 billion (approximately US$117,000) to an elaborate prize-drawing scam between June 2023 and January 2024. Scammers posing as employees of a non-existent "Perfect Southeast Asia Joint Venture Shopping Center" convinced her to purchase hundreds of items at inflated prices (4-10 times their actual value) by promising high-value prizes and lucky draw codes, instructing her not to open packages; when she requested pickup of the goods in January 2024, the scammers took 36 items an
cbs12.com
· 2025-12-08
A 28-year-old woman named Sarah Work was arrested in St. Lucie County, Florida following a SWAT team raid as part of an elder fraud investigation conducted by the Sheriff's Office. The article does not provide specific details about the fraud scheme, dollar amounts, or victims affected in the excerpt provided.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Patricia Hutchins, 53, of Brockport, NY, was charged with bank fraud and making false statements after being caught in multiple wire fraud schemes, including elder fraud totaling at least $25,100 to an elderly victim. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May 2024 and facing sentencing, Hutchins claimed she gave her home sale proceeds to someone she believed was Kenny Chesney for investment purposes, then spent approximately $23,500 on gift cards instead of paying court-ordered restitution, leading to new charges in December 2024.
newsbreak.com
· 2025-12-08
AARP New York is advocating for stronger anti-fraud protections after over 4,300 older New Yorkers lost more than $200 million to scams in 2023, making New York the fourth-highest state for elder fraud losses. Governor Hochul's executive budget proposes training bank employees to identify and halt suspicious transactions to combat this growing problem affecting seniors' quality of life.
cbs12.com
· 2025-12-08
Sarah Works, a 28-year-old Port St. Lucie woman, was arrested following a SWAT raid after an investigation revealed she had fraudulently gained the trust of an elderly victim by posing as a caregiver, then exploited that position to access the victim's bank accounts, credit cards, and personal identification. The fraud was discovered when a family member living out of state noticed suspicious bank activity and alerted authorities; Works also fraudulently obtained power of attorney documents that the victim unknowingly signed. Works is being held without bond on charges including scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of credit cards, and criminal use of personal identification, and this represents her third arrest in two
fingerlakes1.com
· 2025-12-08
Governor Hochul's budget proposal includes training for bank employees to detect and report financial scams targeting older New Yorkers, with State Police support citing $203 million in losses to seniors in 2023. The measure aims to enable early law enforcement intervention before scammers access victims' funds, though it was initially excluded from Senate and Assembly budgets, possibly due to financial industry concerns. Advocates stress the urgency given New York's growing senior population and increasing financial exploitation.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Phillip Priolo, a 61-year-old from Florida, was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud for operating a mass mailing scheme from March 2015 to December 2016 that defrauded thousands of elderly victims. The scheme involved sending millions of personalized-appearing notices falsely claiming recipients had won a cash prize and requesting an upfront fee to collect it; victims who paid never received the promised prize. Priolo faces up to 20 years in prison per count, with sentencing to be scheduled later in 2022.
montgomery.crimewatchpa.com
· 2025-12-08
Upper Merion Township Police Department held a fraud prevention and awareness presentation at the local Senior Center, educating 25 senior citizens on protecting themselves and their families from scams. Detective Staquet provided valuable information on fraud prevention strategies, and the department emphasized the importance of community collaboration in safeguarding residents. The presentation will be available on UMGA-TV (Comcast channel 22 and Verizon channel 33) for broader community access.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Police in Montreal have dismantled multiple international grandparent scam networks that defrauded hundreds of American seniors out of over $21 million USD. The scams involved organized call centres where operators posed as grandchildren requesting emergency funds from elderly victims in the United States, with two major operations—led by Anthony David Di Rienzo (2019-2021) and Gareth West (2021-2024)—operating with similar structures, victim-targeting methods, and U.S.-based collection teams, suggesting connections to organized crime.
niagara-gazette.com
· 2025-12-08
A "grandparent scam" is targeting senior citizens in Niagara County, where scammers impersonate a grandchild in distress (claiming a car accident or jail situation) and demand immediate payment via gift cards or cash. One Niagara County resident lost $25,000 after being told to purchase four $600 Green Dot gift cards, while Canadian perpetrators have defrauded victims across Vermont and 30+ other states using AI-cloned voices. Sheriff Michael Filicetti and local authorities advise hanging up and confirming directly with family members, as legitimate law enforcement would never request gift cards or cash for bail or damages.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Grandparent scams targeting seniors in Niagara County involve fraudsters posing as family members in distress and requesting money via gift cards or cash to avoid legal consequences; one local victim lost $24,000 after being told a family member was in jail. According to law enforcement, these scams are widespread across multiple states and increasingly use artificial intelligence to clone victims' voices, with perpetrators often operating from outside the region and employing local accomplices to collect payments. Sheriff officials recommend hanging up to verify claims directly with family members and note that legitimate law enforcement never requests gift cards or cash over the phone.
yourpickenscounty.com
· 2025-12-08
The article reports that data breaches and financial scams targeting seniors have reached all-time high levels, representing a worsening trend from previous years. It identifies that scammers deliberately target seniors based on perceptions that they have accumulated significant wealth from their working years, among other factors.
spectrumlocalnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Senior citizens in the United States lost $3.4 billion to scams in 2023, representing a 10% increase from 2022, according to FBI data. Advocates are pushing for state budget inclusion of an initiative to train bank employees to recognize scam indicators, a proposal already included in Governor Hochul's budget. The New York State Office for the Aging recommends verifying contact independently before sharing personal information or money, and directs victims to report fraud through 911 or the NYS Office of Victim Services.
wistv.com
· 2025-12-08
A Forest Acres resident lost nearly $400 in a Facebook Marketplace scam where a seller used emotional manipulation (claiming his son had died) to pressure her into paying shipping and handling fees for a phone she never received. According to the Better Business Bureau, 40% of online purchase scams originate from social media platforms like Facebook, with victims increasingly spanning younger age groups (35-44) rather than seniors alone, and experts recommend meeting sellers in person and avoiding social media purchases altogether.
triblive.com
· 2025-12-08
This is not an article about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It is a privacy notice from TribLIVE.com informing California users of their data privacy rights and offering options to either restrict data collection or enable full site features. This content falls outside the scope of Elderus, which focuses on fraud and elder abuse research.
buckscountyherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers target seniors of all financial means, exploiting their politeness and vulnerability through schemes like grandparent scams, credit card theft, investment fraud, and romance scams. National fraud losses reached $12.5 billion last year, with Pennsylvania ranking sixth in fraud reports; AARP's Consumer Issues Task Force, staffed by 15 volunteers including former postal inspector Tony Wolchasty, educates seniors about common scams and advises victims to report to local police and contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.
bucks.crimewatchpa.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece from a Bucks County Sheriff addresses the rising threat of fraud targeting seniors, particularly grandparent scams, government impersonation schemes, tech support fraud, romance scams, and phishing attacks. The article emphasizes that seniors are vulnerable targets and provides concrete prevention strategies including verifying contacts independently, protecting personal information, resisting pressure tactics, and reporting suspected fraud to local police. The key message is that protecting seniors from fraud is a community-wide responsibility requiring awareness and vigilance.
timesdaily.com
· 2025-12-08
Colbert County Sheriff's Office conducted educational presentations for senior citizens about recognizing and avoiding scams, noting they receive approximately five scam-related calls daily. The sheriff's department shared examples of common scams targeting seniors of all ages, including impersonation schemes (claiming to be authorities with arrest warrants), fake prize notifications, bogus package delivery claims, and fraudulent Medicare offers, with reported losses reaching $40,000 locally. Authorities advised seniors never to provide personal information, click suspicious links, or send money to unknown parties, and to contact the Sheriff's Department with questions.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
A Montreal-based grandparent scam network targeted thousands of American seniors between 2019 and March 2021, defrauding victims like Madeline, an 80-year-old former nurse, of their life savings by impersonating grandchildren in legal trouble and manipulating them into wire transfers. The alleged leaders, including David Anthony Di Rienzo, lived lavishly with luxury vehicles while victims suffered lasting emotional and financial devastation, with one judge noting the scammers "took their peace of mind." Multiple similar networks operated from Montreal during this period, employing emotional manipulation scripts to exploit vulnerable seniors' trust and sense of responsibility for family members.
news.wfsu.org
· 2025-12-08
While scams affect all ages, elderly individuals are particularly vulnerable due to isolation, memory issues, and embarrassment that often prevents reporting and recovery efforts. Florida attorneys report multiple active cases among their clients, with victims—especially recently widowed or cognitively declining seniors—often spending significant time and emotional energy shutting down fraudulent accounts and hiding their exploitation from family. The article highlights common scams targeting seniors including grandparent schemes, arrest warrant threats, romance scams, and toll violations, while noting that proposed Florida legislation aims to make it easier to prosecute scammers through the communication channels they use.
iecn.com
· 2025-12-08
A 73-year-old Redlands man was scammed out of $25,000 by Quan Lin, 53, who impersonated an FBI agent and threatened the victim with arrest for alleged child pornography possession. Lin returned the next day attempting to collect an additional $35,000, but was arrested before completing the second transaction when police intervened. Lin faces charges including elder abuse, grand theft, and theft by false pretenses, and has been linked to similar scams in other communities.
oag.ca.gov
· 2025-12-08
California's Attorney General filed felony charges against the owner and facility manager of Granite Bay Residential Care Home for defrauding Medi-Cal of over $500,000 between January 2020 and September 2022. The defendants billed for services not provided, misappropriated funds for personal luxury purchases, and stole electronics purchased with program money. The charges include false claims, conspiracy, and grand theft by embezzlement.
whec.com
· 2025-12-08
Patricia Hutchins, a 53-year-old Brockport woman, faces additional charges of making a false statement and bank fraud after allegedly lying to the court about her financial inability to pay restitution to fraud victims. Hutchins had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy involving unemployment insurance fraud, PPP loan fraud, and elder fraud, and agreed to pay $45,000 in restitution ($20,000 to a financial institution and $25,000 to an elderly victim), but concealed significant assets including home sale proceeds and falsely claimed to have given money to Kenny Chesney for investment. The new charges carry a maximum 30-year prison penalty, and prosecutors documented that she
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Amy Elizabeth Curry, an office manager and bookkeeper at Silver Bluff senior living facility in North Carolina, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for embezzling at least $1.5 million from the facility between December 2022 and April 2023. Curry made over 154 unauthorized bank transfers to accounts she controlled, deleted wire transfer records to avoid detection, and used the stolen funds for personal expenses including a truck purchase and over $700,000 in casino gambling. She was ordered to pay $1,469,407.24 in restitution to the facility.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Marvin Upton, a 58-year-old pastor in Crofton, Kentucky, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison for defrauding an elderly parishioner with dementia between 2013 and 2016, along with filing false tax returns to conceal the scheme. Upton was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to the victim's estate and $222,037 to the IRS, and the case was prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force's efforts to combat financial exploitation of older adults.
nbclosangeles.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old El Monte man, Quan Lin, was arrested in Redlands for posing as an FBI agent and defrauding a 73-year-old resident of $25,000 while attempting to extract an additional $35,000 by threatening the victim with arrest for child pornography. The victim became suspicious on the second day of the scam and alerted police, who intercepted Lin at the residence; he is being held on $250,000 bail and faces charges including elder fraud, grand theft, and theft by false pretenses. Investigators suspect Lin may be connected to similar scams in other communities.
northernvirginiamag.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Connecticut residents were arrested for a year-long prize scam that defrauded a Woodbridge elderly woman of $130,000, during which they convinced her she had won a car and money but needed to pay fees to claim the prizes. Local authorities are warning residents of rising phishing text scams falsely claiming toll debt and fraudulent document shredding events, advising people to avoid urgency-driven communications, verify unexpected contacts through established channels, and never provide financial information or click links from unidentified sources.
pymnts.com
· 2025-12-08
A PYMNTS and Featurespace study reveals that scammers are increasingly personalizing financial scams based on individual consumer vulnerabilities rather than using generic approaches, with 3 in 10 U.S. consumers (approximately 77 million people) reporting financial losses to scams over the past five years, typically exceeding $500 per victim. While scams affect all demographics, specific groups face higher risks from tailored schemes—younger consumers are three times more likely to fall victim to job search scams, while older adults are over three times more frequently targeted by fake eCommerce schemes. The research underscores the need for financial institutions to implement advanced analytics, behavioral monitoring, and consumer
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
An Ontario senior was nearly scammed in what may have been the first known AI voice-cloning case in Canada, when fraudsters impersonated her grandson and demanded $9,000 claiming he had been arrested. The "grandparent scam" uses AI-generated deepfake voices harvested from social media to impersonate family members in crisis situations, with Canadians reporting nearly $3 million in losses to this scheme in 2024. Experts recommend establishing code words with family members to verify callers' identities, as scammers only need three to five seconds of voice samples to create convincing AI replicas.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
CBC's Marketplace partnered with three prominent "scambusters" (combined 10 million social media followers) to create a fraud-fighting centre that infiltrated criminal networks overseas, rerouted 62 active scam call centres, and intercepted fraudulent calls to protect Canadian victims. The article also highlighted a grandparent/emergency scam targeting an Ontario senior who lost $9,000 after receiving a call mimicking her grandson's voice (possibly using AI voice cloning) claiming he was arrested and needed bail money; Canadians reported losing nearly $3 million to this scam type in 2024.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Over four years, Montreal police arrested at least 50 people involved in three elaborate grandparent scam networks that defrauded elderly victims out of millions of dollars, with investigations requiring hundreds of hours of surveillance, wiretaps, and stakeouts. Major operations like Project Sharp in 2024 led to 14 arrests of suspects accused of defrauding Canadian seniors of over $1.2 million, and police report that increased enforcement action is beginning to reduce scam cases, with reported losses to Canadian victims dropping from $11.6 million in 2023 to $3.2 million in 2024. However, prosecuting these cases takes years due to court delays
messagemedia.co
· 2025-12-08
The Senior LinkAge Line offered a free virtual presentation on April 9 covering health care fraud, waste, and abuse prevention for older adults, featuring information from the Senior Medicare Patrol federal education program. The presentation provided guidance on detecting, preventing, and reporting fraud and scams to protect personal information and safety.
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Over the past four years, Montreal police have arrested at least 50 people involved in three elaborate grandparent scam networks that defrauded elderly victims out of millions of dollars. Law enforcement built cases through hundreds of hours of surveillance, stakeouts, and wiretaps, with major operations like Project Sharp resulting in 14 arrests in 2024 for defrauding Canadian seniors of over $1.2 million. Police report that increased enforcement and arrests are beginning to reduce grandparent scam incidents, with reported losses to Canadian victims dropping from $11.6 million in 2023 to $3.2 million in 2024.
wvnews.com
· 2025-12-08
The Pleasant Community Education Outreach Service (CEOS) in Point Pleasant, West Virginia held a meeting on March 13 where member Elaine Matheny presented an educational lesson on scams targeting senior citizens, covering ten types of fraud including telephone scams, IRS scams, romance scams, tech support scams, and lottery scams, along with prevention tips. The lesson, written by Gina Taylor and Carter Taylor, was designed to educate the community on how to recognize and avoid common elder fraud schemes.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old widow and other senior victims who lost their retirement savings to online scams impersonating federal investigators now face significant tax bills from the IRS, compounding their financial losses. Mary Ellen Strange, for example, owes an estimated $100,000 in taxes for 2025 after being defrauded into draining her retirement accounts. The article highlights how scam victims experience compounding hardship—initial financial devastation followed by unexpected tax liability on the stolen funds they were forced to withdraw.
longisland.com
· 2025-12-08
Older New Yorkers lost over $203 million to scams in 2023, with more than 4,300 victims age 60 and older experiencing an average loss of $47,000 each, prompting AARP New York and state legislators to call for consumer protection measures in the state budget. Governor Hochul's proposed safeguards include training bank employees to identify signs of financial exploitation and place holds on suspicious transactions, with the "grandparent scam" identified as one of the most common schemes targeting seniors. The coalition is urging financial institutions to work with state leadership to implement fraud prevention measures that would help protect older New Yorkers' retirement savings from increasingly sophisticated sc
jdsupra.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article uses a cautionary legal case (Dowling v. Uriostegui) to illustrate estate plan fraud targeting elderly individuals. A woman systematically befriended an elderly man, isolated him from family, and exerted undue influence to redirect his $1.8 million estate to herself and her gambling-addicted son (a lawyer) instead of his biological son, while the scammer's son flaunted ill-gotten assets including a Corvette and 12 racehorses. The article advises families to protect vulnerable elderly relatives through regular communication and vigilance against potential scammers seeking to manipulate estate planning documents.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A 52-year-old Federal Way, Washington woman was indicted on wire and bank fraud charges for operating a fake investment scheme targeting elderly members of the Korean community, defrauding at least 28 victims of over $3 million by falsely claiming to be an investment advisor while funneling funds into personal accounts and shell companies. Lee allegedly spent nearly $1 million of investor funds at casinos and operated the scheme in a Ponzi-style fashion, with approximately $2.2 million in net losses after some payments were returned to victims. The case carries potential sentences of up to 30 years in prison and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for
kentuckytoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Former Crofton Pentecostal Church pastor Marvin Upton, 58, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for defrauding an elderly congregation member with dementia between 2013 and 2016 through a bank fraud scheme, and for filing false tax returns to conceal the illicit income. Upton was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to the victim's estate and $222,037 to the IRS.
westkentuckystar.com
· 2025-12-08
Marvin Upton, a former pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church in Kentucky, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for defrauding an elderly congregation member with dementia between 2013 and 2016, along with filing false tax returns to conceal the fraudulent income. Upton was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to the victim's estate and $222,037 to the IRS.
news18.com
· 2025-12-08
Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle warned the public about WhatsApp hijacking scams after his relative became a victim when she shared a verification code with someone posing as a friend, resulting in account takeover and the scammer impersonating her to contacts. The scammer further compromised the account by changing group settings and backup email information, though Meta eventually helped restore access. Bhogle shared educational resources emphasizing that people should never share verification codes or OTPs and should remain vigilant about protecting their WhatsApp accounts.