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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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

I cannot provide a summary of this content because the text provided appears to be only a website navigation menu and header structure from a local news station (KFYR-TV), not the actual article content about Medicare enrollment scams. To summarize the article for the Elderus database, please provide the full body text of the "ND Today - Medicare Enrollment Scams" article that is referenced in the title dated November 29, 2024.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hundreds of older adults attended Fraud Fest, an AARP-hosted event in Fargo designed to educate seniors on protecting themselves from scams. The program featured a former prosecutor with experience on over 750 elder fraud cases and highlighted emerging threats like AI-generated deepfakes impersonating family members, emphasizing that recognizing red flags is key to prevention. Additional Fraud Fest events were scheduled for Moorhead and Grand Forks to reach more seniors and veterans.