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in Robocalls / Phone Scams
startribune.com
· 2025-12-08
Dodzi K. Kordorwu, 38, of Brooklyn Park was sentenced to 5¼ years in prison for his role in a nationwide romance fraud scheme that defrauded dozens of primarily older victims of more than $2.1 million over four years. Operating under fake personas like "Dr. Carmen Williams," Kordorwu built false romantic relationships with victims to convince them to send money, exploiting their emotional vulnerability and isolation. He was ordered to make full restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
wgal.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission's "Protecting Older Consumers" report found that older adults reported losing over $1.9 billion to fraud in 2023, though the true total is estimated at $61.5 billion when accounting for unreported cases. Seniors are reluctant to report fraud due to embarrassment and fear of losing independence, and they suffer significantly higher average losses ($918) compared to younger victims ($432). The three most common scams targeting older people are tech support scams, lottery/sweepstakes scams, and romance scams, with payments typically made through Bitcoin or gift cards.
montgomery.crimewatchpa.com
· 2025-12-08
**QUISHING Summary:**
Quishing is a phishing scam using fake QR codes to steal personal information and commit identity fraud, typically delivered through unsolicited text messages, emails, or social media posts that promise discounts or gifts. When scanned, these codes redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to collect sensitive data like names, addresses, banking details, and passwords. Protection strategies include avoiding scanning unknown codes, verifying sources directly through official channels, blocking spam messages, updating smartphone software, and being skeptical of unsolicited offers.
makeuseof.com
· 2025-12-08
Social media scammers use four primary tactics to defraud users: phishing attacks that mimic trusted sources to steal personal information, fake profiles impersonating friends or family to request money or sensitive data, fraudulent giveaways and job offers designed to capture credentials or personal information, and romance scams involving lengthy deception to build trust before financial exploitation. Users can protect themselves by avoiding unsolicited messages and suspicious links, verifying suspicious contacts through alternate communication methods, checking for warning signs like poor grammar and unverified accounts, and researching companies before responding to job offers.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2025-12-08
A 75-year-old North Adams man lost over $400,000 in a tech support scam that operated from June to September, in which a caller posing as a federal agent convinced the victim to withdraw cash and hand it to couriers, claiming he was implicated in money laundering. Boston resident Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel, 21, was arrested after an FBI sting operation at the victim's home and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; he claimed he was hired to pick up packages and deliver them for a cut. The FBI advises that legitimate federal agencies never request money by phone or send couriers to collect funds
newportdispatch.com
· 2025-12-08
A 48-year-old New York resident, Wenhua Zhuo, was indicted on felony charges of attempted theft by deception for allegedly serving as a courier in a scheme targeting a 77-year-old Richmond, New Hampshire man. The scam involved a fraudulent call claiming to be from the victim's bank, instructing him to withdraw $20,000; Zhuo allegedly traveled to the victim's home to collect money, with over $1,500 in currency present at the time of the attempted pickup. The case was investigated by the Attorney General's Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, with Zhuo's arraignment scheduled for November 7.
atlantafed.org
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans over 60 lost more than $3.4 billion to fraud—an 11 percent increase from 2022—with investment, tech support, email, and romance scams being the most common schemes. The author emphasizes that decline in financial judgment is an early sign of dementia, and recommends that families maintain regular voice contact with elderly relatives, monitor credit reports, apply credit freezes, and stay informed about legal and financial documents to prevent scams and elder fraud. Early intervention through personal relationships and periodic check-ins can help stop scammers before victims suffer financial loss.
observertoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Assemblyman Clyde Vanel introduced legislation in New York that would elevate theft and fraud crimes targeting seniors over 60 to felony status, responding to an estimated $1.5 billion in annual elder financial exploitation in the state and $28.3 billion nationally. The bill aims to address the prevalence of scams targeting elderly victims, who lose an average of $33,915 per incident, by allowing prosecutors to treat age-targeted crimes more severely than similar offenses against younger victims.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are impersonating popular podcasters like Fearne Cotton and Tony Robbins, inviting people to appear as guests and promising payment of up to $3,000. The scheme typically involves requesting a "tech check" before the alleged live-streamed episode, during which scammers trick victims into providing login credentials or changing account settings, gaining access to personal photos and sensitive information for extortion purposes. If victims refuse to pay, scammers threaten to publicly release compromising images, and may also target linked financial accounts.
wisbusiness.com
· 2025-12-08
Extortion, particularly sextortion scams, ranked among the top five internet crimes in the FBI's 2023 report with over 48,000 cases, according to a Better Business Bureau warning. Sextortion scams operate through two primary methods: phishing (claiming to have hacked victims' devices and recorded compromising material) and romance schemes (building trust through fake relationships before blackmailing victims for money). Victims have reported losses ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, with the scams exploiting fear of public embarrassment and loneliness to pressure victims into paying via bitcoin, gift cards, or wire transfers.
coinmarketcap.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong police dismantled a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam network on October 9, detailing 27 suspects (aged 21-34) who used AI-generated deepfakes and fake online personas to defraud victims of approximately $46 million through romance schemes. The operation, discovered in a 4,000-square-foot facility in Hung Hom, employed university graduates as technical experts and featured detailed training manuals in multiple languages to manipulate victims into fraudulent crypto investments, with suspects linked to China, Taiwan, India, and Singapore.
metro.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Megan Clarke discovered that her fiancé of 18 months, who presented himself as aristocratic watch-seller "Lord Bertie Underwood," was actually serial con artist Robert Madejski using a fabricated identity, fake accent, and false backstory to manipulate her into an engagement. After finding mail addressed to other names and conducting online searches, she uncovered his previous fraud convictions and learned that virtually everything about their relationship—including her Cartier ring—was fraudulent, prompting him to disappear before their planned wedding. The case exemplifies the growing prevalence of romance scams in the UK, where Citizens Advice found nine million people fell victim to scams in the
intelligencer.ca
· 2025-12-08
A NOSI (notice of security interest) scam targeted vulnerable older adults in Ontario, where home service companies pressured homeowners to sign contracts for inflated equipment costs while falsely claiming government rebates covered the expenses, resulting in homeowners unknowingly borrowing tens of thousands of dollars with liens placed on their homes. The Homeowner Protection Act, effective June 2024, now bans companies from placing NOSIs on homes for equipment rentals or financing, and existing NOSIs have expired, though homeowners may need legal assistance to formally remove them when selling or refinancing their homes.
indiatoday.in
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are exploiting Flipkart's Pay Later service during India's festive season sales by impersonating customer service representatives and requesting OTPs from users, claiming to prevent fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Flipkart confirmed this scam and emphasized it never requests sensitive information like OTPs via phone calls; users are advised to never share OTPs, hang up on suspicious calls, avoid falling for artificial urgency tactics, and report incidents to Flipkart or police immediately.
newswire.lk
· 2025-12-08
A new financial scam in Sri Lanka targets SLTB depot employees and their relatives, with scammers calling to claim an accident occurred and demanding Rs. 10,000 be transferred via eZ Cash for vehicle repairs. The scammers impersonate senior officials, managers, garage owners, or police officers, with investigations revealing the phone numbers belong to deceased individuals or foreigners associated with drug trafficking. Police advise the public to verify such claims directly with relatives before transferring money.
pentictonherald.ca
· 2025-12-08
The Palmyra Women's Institute is hosting a scam prevention education session featuring Chatham-Kent Police Special Constable Brenda Koldyk to address rising fraud losses in the community, including grandparent scams, romance scams (one victim lost $250,000), and various other schemes targeting seniors and vulnerable individuals. The November 7 session will cover warning signs, prevention strategies, and common scam types such as tax fraud, home renovation fraud, and impersonation scams, with Koldyk advising victims to verify requests with family members before sending money or gift cards.
news.trendmicro.com
· 2025-12-08
Cybercriminals are conducting multiple scams this week involving deceptive texts and emails impersonating FasTrak, Apple, U.S. and Canadian customs services, and NY Toll Services to steal personal and financial data. These scams use urgent messaging and malicious links to harvest credentials and information, which scammers then use for identity theft, financial fraud, or sell on the dark web. To protect yourself, remain skeptical of unexpected communications, avoid clicking unfamiliar links, verify sources directly with institutions, and use security tools like Trend Micro ScamCheck.
about.fb.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta announced the expansion of facial recognition technology across its platforms (Facebook, Instagram) in the EU, UK, and South Korea to detect and remove celebrity-impersonation scams ("celeb bait"), where scammers use public figures' images to lure users to fraudulent websites requesting money or personal information. Since deploying these anti-scam measures, user reports of celebrity-bait ad scams dropped 22% globally in the first half of 2025, with facial recognition technology more than doubling the detection rate of such scams; the technology now protects nearly 500,000 public figures while remaining optional for users.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A widow named "Beatrice" fell victim to a romance scam during the COVID-19 pandemic after matching with someone posing as a Spanish lumberjack on a senior dating site; after four months of building trust, the scammer requested money. According to the FTC and DHS, over 70,000 people reported romance scam losses in 2022, with older adults losing $240 million that year, as scammers use fake identities and emotional manipulation to extract savings from vulnerable individuals, often operating from West African countries. The article identifies warning signs including claims of living abroad, poor grammar despite English proficiency, excuses to avoid video calls, and requests to move conversations to
onmanorama.com
· 2025-12-08
**Digital Arrests Scam in India**
Scammers in India are conducting "digital arrest" fraud, impersonating law enforcement officers via video calls to falsely accuse victims of crimes and extort money while confining them to their homes. High-profile victims include Malayalam actor Maala Parvathi (who avoided loss) and former church leader Dr. Geevarghese Mor Coorilos (who lost Rs 15 lakh), while an atomic energy institute employee was defrauded of Rs 71.33 lakh; Kerala Police advise victims to use common sense, noting that India has no law permitting arrests over phone or
au.finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
An Australian couple lost $1,000 from their Centrelink payments after scammers impersonating a charity deceived them into providing sensitive information including their driver's license and myGov details. The National Anti-Scam Centre warns that criminals are increasingly targeting financially vulnerable Australians by posing as legitimate charities and government assistance programs to steal personal information and divert payments. People should independently verify organizations offering financial assistance and never share personal identifying information through social media or unsolicited contacts.
wccftech.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly California man lost $25,000 to a sophisticated grandparent scam that used AI voice generators to impersonate his son claiming he was in an accident. The scammer, posing as the son and then as multiple lawyers, convinced Anthony he needed to pay bail money through escalating demands, ultimately requesting between $15,800 and $25,000 after claiming the accident victim died. Law enforcement notes that AI-powered voice synthesis makes these fraud schemes increasingly convincing and dangerous, particularly when victims cannot verify the caller's identity through other means.
wboc.com
· 2025-12-08
Worcester County Sheriff's Office warns of an active phone scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers, using real deputies' names and demanding payment for missed jury duty or arrest warrants. The sheriff's office emphasizes that legitimate law enforcement and government agencies never demand payment over the phone, and advises victims to hang up immediately and avoid sharing personal information or making payments.
startribune.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
October's Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the increasing sophistication of scams, including phishing emails, text spoofing, and caller ID spoofing. Security experts advise consumers to remain vigilant by remembering the "three S's"—stay suspicious, stop and think, and stay protected—as scammers use tactics based on fear, urgency, and money to trick victims into sharing personal information or sending funds through romance scams, job scams, and impersonation schemes.
thebatt.com
· 2025-12-08
**Type:** Sports Ticket Scam (Educational/Advisory)
Online ticket scams targeting Texas A&M students are increasing ahead of high-demand football games, with fraudsters using fake student IDs and platforms like GroupMe and Facebook to pose as legitimate sellers, either delivering fake tickets or taking payment without providing passes. Campus police recommend purchasing tickets only through official sources like the 12th Man Foundation or SeatGeek, meeting sellers in person at safe locations like the ticket window, and reporting suspicious activity with screenshots and digital evidence of usernames and payment handles to help identify perpetrators.
nbcphiladelphia.com
· 2025-12-08
**October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and experts emphasize protecting yourself from increasingly sophisticated scams using three key tactics: stay suspicious, stop to think, and stay protected.** Common scam methods exploit fear, urgency, and money incentives—such as fake tax return errors, impersonation of authority figures, and romance scams that can last years and target vulnerable individuals including seniors. Defensive measures include avoiding robocalls and suspicious texts, verifying contacts through official numbers, and using reverse-image searches to identify stolen photos used in romance scams.
thesun.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Megan Clarke, 20, fell victim to a romance scam perpetrated by a man claiming to be "Lord Bertie Underwood," whom she met in 2017 and became engaged to within six months. Upon discovering his true identity through online research approximately one year into the relationship, she learned he was a serial fraudster using multiple aliases with a criminal history, and that he had secretly opened credit cards and loans in her name, leaving her £30,000 in debt before fleeing. Though Megan reported the incident to police and Action Fraud, authorities were unable to recover her losses.
azcentral.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost an estimated $12.5 billion to online scams in the past year, with artificial intelligence-generated "deepfake" videos making investment frauds increasingly difficult to detect—the FBI estimates 39% of victims fell for deepfake-based schemes involving fabricated videos of business leaders, celebrities, or romantic interests. Scammers exploit AI to duplicate voices, crack passwords, and process large volumes of data, while most stolen money goes unrecovered, particularly when criminals demand payment in cryptocurrency and operate from overseas. Common defenses include using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and scrutinizing videos for unnatural movements, inconsistent lighting, and mismatched lip movements
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A text message scam is targeting vulnerable UK residents by impersonating the "UK Government Living Allowance Office" and falsely claiming recipients can receive a winter heating subsidy, with fraudulent links directing victims to fake government websites designed to steal personal information. The scam exploits recent government cuts to Winter Fuel Payments that reduced eligible recipients from 11.4 million to 1.5 million pensioners, creating confusion and urgency that scammers weaponize to pressure victims into acting quickly. Security experts advise recipients to verify messages independently and avoid clicking unsolicited links, especially those claiming to be from government bodies.
lamilano.it
· 2025-12-08
**Operation "Game Over" Scam Bust** — Italian Carabinieri arrested three men (a 40-year-old and two 20-year-old sons from Caserta) who operated an organized "Carabiniere scam" targeting elderly victims aged 75-81. The gang stole approximately €70,000 in cash and jewelry between January and June 2024 by posing as police or lawyers in phone calls claiming a family member had been arrested, then collecting payment in person; much of the stolen property was recovered and returned to victims.
gnlm.com.mm
· 2025-12-08
Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the UN addressed international efforts to combat online scams at the UNTOC conference in Vienna (October 14-18), emphasizing the country's commitment to existing protocols and acknowledging the growing problem of online scams and gambling in the region. The Myanmar government called for strengthened international cooperation, public awareness campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, and advanced technology support to counter transnational organized crime, reaffirming its willingness to collaborate with the UNODC and global partners.
impactpub.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre warned of increasing bank impersonation scams where fraudsters pose as bank employees via calls, emails, or messages, using tactics like fabricated account compromises or system outages to create urgency, and employing technology to spoof legitimate bank numbers and message threads. The ACCC advises consumers never to share banking credentials, click unsolicited links, or transfer funds based on phone requests, and instead to independently verify communications by calling their bank directly using trusted contact information.
globalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and security experts outline key scam prevention strategies as sophisticated fraud tactics continue to evolve. Scammers commonly exploit fear, urgency, and money as bait through phishing emails, spoofed caller IDs, robocalls, romance scams, and impersonation schemes targeting vulnerable populations including seniors and isolated individuals. The article recommends staying suspicious, stopping to think before acting, and staying protected by verifying requests through official channels and using tools like reverse image searches to identify potential fraud.
ironmountaindailynews.com
· 2025-12-08
Computer scams continue to evolve with increasing sophistication, affecting even experienced and intelligent computer users. This educational piece outlines eight prevalent scam types: imposter/impersonation scams, pig butchering scams (fake investment schemes), romance scams, payment app scams, online shopping scams, delivery scams, lottery scams, charity scams, and robocalls—each employing psychological tactics like creating false urgency, building trust, or exploiting guilt to manipulate victims into surrendering money or personal information. The article advises readers to remain vigilant and informed about these tactics regardless of their computer experience level.
highcountryshopper.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines four common scams affecting individuals today: work-from-home scams that exploit job seekers through fake employment offers and requests for upfront payments or personal account access; tech support scams initiated by unsolicited pop-ups or calls impersonating companies like Microsoft or Apple to steal data or demand payment; romance scams where fraudsters build trust online before fabricating emergencies to solicit money; and grandparent scams targeting vulnerable individuals with urgent requests for untraceable payments. The article advises readers to verify unsolicited job offers and tech support contacts, be cautious with online contacts requesting money, and report suspected fraud to law enforcement, the FTC, FBI's Internet Crime Complaint
abc17news.com
· 2025-12-08
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and experts advise consumers to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams by remembering the "three S's": stay suspicious, stop and think, and stay protected. Common scam tactics exploit fear, urgency, and money; frequent targets include seniors and vulnerable populations through robocalls, phishing emails, impersonation of authorities, and romance scams—with one 70-year-old woman losing tens of thousands over several months to a romance scammer. Experts recommend hanging up on unsolicited calls and texts, calling official numbers to verify requests, and asking trusted younger relatives to reverse-image search suspicious photos.
rollingout.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old grandmother from Washington D.C. lost her entire life savings of $109,000 to a phone scammer posing as a Social Security Administration agent who convinced her that her personal information had been compromised and instructed her to transfer funds to secure her accounts. Despite red flags including grammatical errors in a fake Supreme Court certificate and the scammer's requests for unusual payment methods, Baxley made multiple transfers totaling $109,000 before her son discovered the fraud. This case reflects a broader trend in which scams targeting seniors aged 60 and older resulted in over $3.4 billion in losses last year, with experts advising that legitimate government agencies communicate
710keel.com
· 2025-12-08
Louisiana residents over age 50 are nearly six times more likely to be targeted by scams, with older Americans losing approximately $3 billion to fraud between 2019-2020. Scammers exploit this demographic because they hold 85% of the nation's wealth, have higher credit limits, and tend to be more trusting, with nearly 60% of elder financial exploitation cases perpetrated by their own adult children. The article recommends that family members and friends educate older relatives about current scams, encourage reporting of attempted fraud, and advise contacting local law enforcement if victimized.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
An NHS consultant lost £39,000 in a sophisticated scam where fraudsters impersonated his credit card and bank, convincing him to transfer savings to his Revolut account and then delete the app, allowing them to make unauthorized purchases. Dr. Ravi Kumar is one of over 100 customers who contacted the BBC with complaints about poor treatment by Revolut following scams, with the fintech firm named in more fraud reports than any other major UK bank. Revolut initially refused to refund Dr. Kumar despite his authorization being fraudulently obtained, leading him to pursue a claim with the Financial Ombudsman Service.
abc7chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are advertising fake "appointment setter" work-from-home jobs on social media, claiming applicants can earn substantial income scheduling appointments for executives and sales teams. The scheme requires victims to pay upfront fees for job training, a hallmark of employment fraud since legitimate employers never charge for training. The Better Business Bureau advises job seekers to research companies thoroughly by searching online for associated scam reports or complaints.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost $5.6 billion to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, a 45% increase from 2022, with over 69,000 complaints filed to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. People aged 60 and older were disproportionately affected, reporting over $1.6 billion in losses across 16,806 complaints, primarily through investment fraud schemes and relationship-building scams that use fake websites and recovery schemes. Common tactics include scammers promising unrealistic returns via unsolicited contact, building trust through dating apps and social media before pushing crypto investment, and impersonating recovery specialists to steal additional funds from victims.
ktvq.com
· 2025-12-08
A Billings business, Colima de Mis Amores, unknowingly facilitated an AI voice scam when a customer transferred several hundred dollars after being deceived into believing her daughter was being held hostage. The store owners later learned they were named in a public warning about the incident and filed a police report; they noted that scammers likely targeted the business after finding it through an online search for money transfer services. The store owners revealed they frequently receive fraudulent calls themselves, highlighting how businesses are common targets for multilingual scams using AI-generated voices, with the Better Business Bureau reporting a median business scam loss of $523 in 2023.
sbs.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Bank impersonation scams, where criminals pose as bank representatives via phone, email, or message to solicit personal information or funds, are rising across Australia and caused $11 million in losses between January and September 2023, with over-55s accounting for 56 percent of impersonation scam losses. To protect yourself, independently verify any banking communication by contacting your bank directly using details from official statements or websites, and remember that legitimate banks never request passwords, security codes, PINs, or ask customers to transfer money for safekeeping over the phone.
bbc.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
An NHS consultant lost £39,000 in May 2024 when scammers impersonated his bank, convinced him to transfer savings to his Revolut account for "safekeeping," then gained access and made unauthorized purchases. Dr. Ravi Kumar is one of over 100 customers who contacted the BBC regarding poor fraud response from Revolut, which refused his refund claim despite the scam. Revolut, a major UK e-money firm with nine million customers, was named in more fraud reports than any other major UK bank according to Action Fraud data.
atlantablackstar.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old Washington grandmother lost $109,000 to a phone scammer who impersonated a Social Security Administration agent and used a fake Supreme Court document to create urgency about bank fraud. The victim transferred funds to shell companies (Yongri Trading Inc. and Shengya WS Inc.) and mailed $15,000 in cash based on the scammer's instructions, while her bank stated it followed proper protocols during the fraudulent transactions.
shinemycrown.com
· 2025-12-08
An 81-year-old Maryland woman, Gladys Baxley, lost nearly $100,000 to a social security impersonation scam in which fraudsters posed as the Social Security Administration and sent a fake Supreme Court certificate to convince her to transfer funds to shell companies. Over several transactions, Baxley transferred $36,000 to Yongri Trading Inc., $58,000 to Shengya WS Inc., and $15,000 in cash before her son discovered the scam contained numerous grammatical errors. The fraud has left Baxley unable to afford her 30-year family home, though her bank is attempting recovery efforts.
ici.radio-canada.ca
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are exploiting high demand for Taylor Swift's sold-out Eras Tour tickets in Canada by hacking social media accounts and posing as friends to sell fake tickets, defrauding victims of thousands of dollars each. One Toronto woman's hacked Facebook account was used to scam at least four people out of up to $1,600 each, and despite numerous reports to Facebook and police, the fraudulent account remained active. Experts recommend verifying seller identity by contacting the person directly, as police note recovered funds are rare due to the volume of fraud reports.
timesnownews.com
· 2025-12-08
A 48-year-old Bengaluru software engineer lost Rs 50 lakh after meeting a woman named "Shruthi Menon" on a dating app who lured him into a romance while convincing him to invest in fake stock trading schemes. The scammer used promises of marriage and fabricated investment returns to manipulate the victim into depositing money across multiple accounts, then demanded additional fees when he attempted to withdraw his supposed profits. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, with investigation ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
chroniclelive.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are placing fake QR codes on UK car park parking machines to redirect drivers to fraudulent websites where they steal credit card details—a phishing tactic known as "quishing." To avoid falling victim, drivers should inspect QR codes for signs of tampering, verify URLs before clicking them, check for website security features and legitimate design, avoid sites requesting excessive personal information, and use official parking apps instead of scanning codes. The article provides five protective measures as QR code scams become an increasingly common threat at parking facilities across the UK.
news.sky.com
· 2025-12-08
A Thai teenager named Poom-Jai was lured to Cambodia under false employment promises and forced to work in a "fraud factory" conducting "pig butcher" romance scams, where he manipulated lonely victims into investing money in fraudulent schemes before stealing it all. Across Southeast Asia, an estimated 300,000 scammers operating in heavily guarded compounds controlled by Chinese mafia have stolen at least £34 billion worldwide, with workers often trafficked, tortured, and imprisoned when they fail to meet targets or attempt escape. Poom-Jai eventually suffered beatings with electric batons when accused of theft and attempted a desperate escape from the compound.