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This article does not contain information about elder fraud, scams, or fraudulent activities. It discusses AARP's advocacy summit on issues affecting older North Dakotans (including prescription costs and housing), hunting season safety warnings about blue-green algae, and student loan statistics for North Dakota. As it contains no fraud-related content, no summary can be provided for an elder fraud database.

Americans over age 60 filed more than 201,000 internet-crime complaints in 2025 with losses exceeding $7.7 billion, representing a 37% increase in complaints and 59% increase in losses compared to 2024, with average losses of $38,000 per victim. Scammers target seniors through various schemes including grandparent scams, fake law enforcement calls, technical support fraud, and romance scams, often manipulating caller ID and using urgency to prevent victims from verifying requests. North Dakota residents and authorities have reported increasing incidents of these fraud schemes, and law enforcement urges families to establish safeguards and teach seniors that legitimate government agencies will never demand immediate

Approximately 80% of North Dakota veterans and military personnel are targeted by scammers, with roughly 40% losing money, according to AARP data. Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics including fake government postcards, AI-generated voices, deepfake videos, and phishing texts to steal veterans' benefits, direct deposit information, and banking details. AARP is hosting free educational "Lunch and Learn" events in Grand Forks and Minot on September 29-30 to help veterans and military families recognize and avoid these evolving scams.

The House of Representatives passed the GUARD Act (H.R. 2978), legislation designed to combat financial scams targeting seniors by providing state, local, and Tribal law enforcement with federal grant funding to investigate elder fraud schemes, including "pig butchering" scams where fraudsters gradually convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency investments before stealing their funds. The bill aims to strengthen coordination between law enforcement agencies and support the use of blockchain tracing tools to recover stolen assets, with lawmakers citing examples such as North Dakota's $14.4 million in reported fraud losses in 2024 affecting vulnerable seniors.

In 2024, the FTC documented over 6 million fraud and consumer complaints across the United States, with Americans losing a record $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025—a 25% increase from the prior year. Florida, Georgia, and Delaware reported the highest fraud rates per capita, while South Dakota and North Dakota had the lowest, with imposter scams being the most commonly reported fraud type nationwide, accounting for over $3.5 billion in losses. Younger adults report more frequent fraud victimization, though older adults typically lose larger amounts per incident as scammers target their retirement savings.

An 80-year-old woman from North Dakota was tricked by scammers posing as her granddaughter and lawyer who claimed the granddaughter needed bail money after a car accident; she mailed $8,500 in cash, but authorities in Suffolk County intercepted the package before the scammers could retrieve it and returned the money. This "grandchild bail" scam specifically targets senior citizens by creating urgency and requesting secrecy to prevent victims from consulting family members. If you receive a similar call, authorities advise hanging up, verifying the caller's identity independently, and reporting the incident to local law enforcement rather than sending money via mail or wire transfer.

An 80-year-old grandmother from North Dakota was nearly scammed out of $8,500 after receiving a phone call from someone impersonating her granddaughter, claiming she had been arrested in Suffolk County and needed bail money. Law enforcement officials intercepted the cash before scammers could access it and arrested those responsible, with authorities emphasizing their commitment to protecting seniors from such predatory schemes. To protect yourself, be suspicious of urgent requests for money from family members, never send cash through the mail for bail or legal fees, and always verify claims by calling your family member directly at a known number or contacting local police.

An 80-year-old North Dakota grandmother lost $8,500 to scammers who called pretending to be her granddaughter claiming she needed bail money for a traffic accident, then posed as a lawyer to collect cash sent through the mail. Suffolk County prosecutors and postal inspectors tracked the mailed package to a Shirley address and successfully intercepted and returned the money within two hours of its arrival. To protect yourself, be skeptical of urgent calls from relatives asking for money, never send cash through the mail, and always verify claims by contacting family members directly through known phone numbers.

An 80-year-old North Dakota woman lost $8,500 to a "grandparent scam" where callers impersonated her granddaughter and a fake attorney, demanding bail money be sent by mail, but authorities in New York intercepted the package and recovered the funds. The scam typically preys on seniors through tactics like creating urgency, demanding secrecy, and pressuring victims to send cash or gift cards by mail. To protect yourself, verify the identity of callers through official channels, be suspicious of requests for secrecy or immediate payment, and contact your bank or police directly if you suspect a scam.

North Dakota residents experienced the highest per-capita losses from romance scams and confidence fraud in the nation between 2021 and 2024, totaling over $16 million. Authorities attribute the vulnerability to limited fraud awareness, particularly among residents in isolated areas.

Kenosha, Wisconsin residents are falling victim to a rising cryptocurrency ATM scam where scammers trick victims into depositing cash into bitcoin machines, with three victims losing a combined $60,000 in untraceable funds. Scammers pose as police, banks, or tech support and pressure victims with urgent demands for payment, sometimes instructing them to deposit specific amounts like $9,500 into crypto ATMs. The Kenosha Police Department advises residents to hang up on suspicious calls, refuse urgent money demands, never use crypto ATMs, and is calling for state regulations similar to Minnesota and North Dakota that limit daily crypto ATM deposits to $2,000.

A scammer in Cass County, North Dakota impersonated a sheriff's deputy to defraud victims by claiming their incarcerated family members qualified for an ankle bracelet monitoring program and requesting electronic payment. The Cass County Sheriff's Office clarified that while they do operate legitimate monitoring programs, payments are only accepted in cash or money order made in person at the county jail, never electronically.

Cryptocurrency ATM scams are rising, with criminals exploiting poorly regulated "crypto kiosks" to steal hundreds of millions of dollars annually by tricking victims into depositing cash via fraudulent QR codes. In 2023, the FBI recorded over 5,500 crypto kiosk complaints totaling $189 million in losses, with North Dakota alone losing more than $6 million. North Dakota House Bill 1447, which passed both chambers and awaits the governor's signature, would establish consumer protections including operator licensing, daily transaction limits, fraud warnings, fee disclosures, and transaction receipts to help prevent these crimes and aid law enforcement investigations.

Two Maryland men were sentenced for operating a romance fraud scheme targeting elderly women on social media, where they impersonated U.S. military members deployed overseas to convince victims to send money for fabricated emergencies. Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor received 25 months in prison and was ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution, while Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru received 10 months time served and $50,000 in restitution; one North Dakota victim lost $200,000 across two transfers to the co-conspirators. A third defendant faces trial for similar wire fraud charges involving an $800,000 loss to another North Dakota

On December 17, 2024, Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution for his role as a U.S.-based middleman in a romance fraud scheme targeting elderly women, while his codefendant Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru received approximately 10 months imprisonment and $50,000 in restitution. The scheme involved foreign actors posing as U.S. military members on fake social media profiles who built romantic relationships with elderly victims and convinced them to send money for fabricated emergencies, with victims including a New Town, North Dakota resident who

An elderly woman in New Town, North Dakota lost $200,000 in a romance fraud scheme where perpetrators posed as high-ranking U.S. military members on fake social media profiles to build false romantic relationships. Two men were sentenced in December 2024: Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor received 25 months in federal prison and must pay $180,000 in restitution for organizing the scheme, while Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru received time served (approximately 10 months) and must pay $50,000 in restitution for receiving victim payments; a third defendant's trial is scheduled for July 2025.

Two Maryland men were sentenced for operating a romance fraud scheme targeting elderly women on social media, where they posed as U.S. military members deployed overseas and convinced victims to send money for fake emergencies. Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor received 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution, while Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru received 10 months time served and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution; one North Dakota victim alone lost $200,000 ($150,000 and $50,000 in separate incidents), and another victim from Tioga lost $800,000. A third defendant

A North Dakota woman, Ina Thea Kenoyer, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for poisoning her boyfriend Steven Riley Jr. with ethylene glycol after she mistakenly believed he had inherited $30 million and feared he would leave her. The tragic irony is that the inheritance was never real—Riley and Kenoyer had unwittingly fallen victim to an online scam—making the murder based entirely on a false premise.

At least 150 insurance fraud cases involving out-of-state addiction treatment centers are under FBI investigation in North Dakota, with an estimated $8 million in insurance losses occurring in the past year—a significant increase from $1.5 million five years ago. "Body brokers" lure vulnerable individuals, often from tribal communities, with offers of free flights to California treatment facilities, then use fraudulent insurance billing to generate profits while providing inadequate or dangerous care, resulting in overdose deaths including Benjamin Barragan and Kalisha Thomas. Red flags include unsolicited free flights and rapid processing by out-of-state insurance representatives, and authorities warn that while some facilities appear legitimate with proper licensing,

Former Heartland Tri-State Bank CEO Shan Hanes was sentenced to 24 years in prison for illegally wiring $47.1 million from the bank in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam, ultimately causing the bank's collapse. The scheme harmed multiple victims including church funds, investment clubs, and children's college savings, resulting in $9 million in losses for bank investors and forcing the FDIC to absorb the $47 million loss. Hanes faces an additional 28 charges in North Dakota with a potential 86-month sentence scheduled for trial in October.

The Medora Musical in North Dakota has experienced a surge in fraudulent ticket reseller scams, with victims losing hundreds of dollars through fake tickets or drastically inflated prices (legitimate tickets range from $23.95–$74.95, while one victim paid $500). North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley warns consumers to purchase tickets only from authorized platforms and advises victims to file police reports and dispute charges with their credit card companies.

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week (held in June) raises awareness about preventing Medicare fraud, which costs the program an estimated $60 billion annually and affects beneficiaries through identity theft, stress, and health risks. The North Dakota Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) educates beneficiaries, caregivers, families, and healthcare providers on how to detect and prevent fraud, including monitoring insurance statements, refusing unsolicited medical equipment shipments, protecting Medicare numbers, and reporting suspicious activity. Prevention strategies emphasize year-round vigilance, including reviewing Medicare.gov accounts, registering on do-not-call lists, and community members watching for suspicious purchasing patterns among older adults.

AARP of North Dakota is conducting statewide educational events led by former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to help seniors recognize and avoid scams and fraud. The campaign addresses common threats including caregiver exploitation and impersonation scams, with a major forum scheduled for September 25 at the Fargodome expected to draw over 450 attendees.

Florida residents lost $243.1 million to romance scams and confidence fraud between 2021-2024, ranking ninth nationally in per-capita losses at $11 per person, with 2021 being the worst year at $70.5 million in reported losses. Romance scams involve criminals using fake online profiles and emotional manipulation to build trust with victims before fabricating crises and requesting money, often isolating victims from their support networks. North Dakota experienced the highest per-capita losses at $21 per person despite its smaller population, while California had the largest total losses at $555.1 million.

An AARP North Dakota volunteer discusses romance scams and their warning signs, noting that while romance scams affect people of all ages, older adults—particularly those over 70—suffer the largest monetary losses because they typically have greater savings accumulated over their working years. The primary red flag for romance scams is when an unknown person quickly asks for money, such as requesting payment for gift cards or other financial transfers.