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in Grandparent Scam
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CNN
· 2024-02-19
A financial columnist for New York magazine fell victim to an elaborate multi-stage scam in which fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and a CIA investigator convinced her to withdraw $50,000 and hand it to them in cash over the course of a five-hour phone call. The scammers exploited her vulnerability by threatening her family and creating a false sense of urgency, using isolation tactics to prevent her from seeking help or verification. She came forward with her story to highlight that scam victims span all demographics and professions, and that sophisticated scammers are skilled at identifying and exploiting individual vulnerabilities.
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Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF (MyStateline)
· 2024-04-12
The L's Park Police Department held a free educational session warning Illinois seniors about tax refund scams and other fraud schemes, including the grandchild scam where criminals impersonate relatives to extract money. Police emphasized that scammers are particularly active during tax season and encouraged victims to report fraud to local authorities and the Better Business Bureau for current scam alerts in their area.
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Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF (MyStateline)
· 2024-04-12
I cannot provide a summary of elder fraud, scams, or abuse from this text. The provided content is a weather forecast broadcast from WTVO news dated April 12th, 2024, which discusses temperatures, wind conditions, and weather predictions for the Rockford, Illinois area. It does not contain information relevant to the Elderus database's focus on elder fraud or abuse.
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ABC11
· 2024-04-16
An 81-year-old Ohio man, William Brock, was charged with murder after fatally shooting 61-year-old Uber driver Lola Hall in a tragic case involving coordinated scams. Scammers called Brock demanding $112,000 in fake bail money and instructed him a driver would arrive to pick up a package, while simultaneously directing Hall through the Uber app to pick up a package at his home; when Hall arrived unaware of the circumstances, Brock confronted her at gunpoint and shot her three times when she attempted to leave. The incident illustrates how scammers can simultaneously victimize multiple people with fatal consequences.
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CTV News
· 2024-04-18
A Canadian crime syndicate was dismantled following a multi-province investigation, resulting in the arrest of 14 suspects in the Montreal area for conducting grandparent scams that defrauded seniors of at least $2.2 million. The organized criminals contacted seniors via landlines, impersonating police officers, judges, lawyers, and family members to convince victims that grandchildren needed emergency financial help, ultimately victimizing 126 people across Canada, including 15 who were scammed multiple times.
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KCAU-TV Sioux City
· 2024-04-25
Iowa's Attorney General's office reported a rise in grandparent scams targeting older adults in the state, particularly in Western Iowa. Scammers impersonate grandchildren claiming emergency situations—such as bail money, car accidents, or medical bills—and pressure victims to wire money or provide credit/debit card information immediately. Authorities advise grandparents to hang up, independently contact their grandchild or family members to verify the claim, and report suspicious calls to local law enforcement rather than complying with the scammer's demands.
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WENY TV NEWS
· 2024-04-25
This is an educational interview featuring Sheila Brewer-Montero, a scams prevention coordinator from Lifespan of Greater Rochester, discussing fraud schemes targeting older adults. The conversation introduces the top scams affecting seniors in the Southern Tier area, with government impersonator scams (Social Security Administration and IRS) identified as a primary threat, though the full details of prevention strategies and other scam types are cut off in the provided transcript.
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NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-05-07
According to the FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Annual Report, seniors over 60 lost $3.4 billion to fraud and scams in that year, a nearly 11% increase from the previous year, with Ohio seniors alone reporting over $64 million in losses across nearly 3,300 cases. Tech support fraud emerged as the leading scam targeting older Americans, exploiting their increasing use of technology and computers.
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CBS New York
· 2024-05-17
Voice cloning technology powered by artificial intelligence is enabling a growing scam where fraudsters impersonate loved ones—such as a son in jail needing bail money—to trick victims into sending cash. One fraud-experienced attorney nearly fell victim when scammers using a cloned voice of his son convinced him to withdraw $9,000 for bail, though he was warned by his daughter-in-law before losing money. Victims who don't lose funds face challenges in obtaining legal recourse, and law enforcement is working to address this emerging threat as the technology continues to evolve rapidly.
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WFMY News 2
· 2024-06-05
This is an educational segment featuring AARP representatives discussing elder fraud and abuse prevention, with a focus on the Piedmont Triad Area Agency on Aging's Elder Abuse Awareness Day event scheduled for June 15th at Triad Park. The free event will include document shredding, medication disposal, and informational vendors to help seniors and families protect themselves against financial elder abuse and fraudulent activities.
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NBC4 Columbus
· 2024-06-25
According to the FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Complaint Center report, seniors over 60 reported approximately $3.4 billion in losses to fraud and scams in the past year. Common scams targeting older adults include tech support fraud, investment scams, and grandparent scams, which continue to exploit the nation's senior population. The article highlights the ongoing problem of elder financial exploitation and emphasizes the need for awareness and prevention strategies to help protect vulnerable seniors from becoming victims.
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WCBD NEWS 2
· 2024-07-09
The City of Charleston is hosting educational workshops to protect seniors from phone and online scams, which generate $36 billion annually in the United States with older adults as primary targets. The initiative focuses on teaching seniors to recognize common scams—such as lottery/prize winnings requiring upfront payments—and know what steps to take if targeted, as demonstrated by one senior who avoided losing money to a fake lottery scheme promising half a million dollars.
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WCBD NEWS 2
· 2024-07-09
The City of Charleston is working to protect senior citizens from phone and online scams through educational workshops that teach seniors to recognize common fraud tactics and warning signs. Scams targeting elderly people cost the United States $36 billion annually, with seniors being particularly vulnerable due to their trusting nature; the city's initiative focuses on raising awareness about scam types and advising victims on appropriate responses.
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Central Florida Public Media
· 2024-07-19
Volusia County Sheriff's Office partnered with a free community screening of the film "Thelma"—which depicts a 93-year-old grandmother being scammed—to raise awareness about elder fraud, which costs older Americans billions of dollars annually and significantly affects Central Florida seniors. Law enforcement officers provided prevention advice to attendees, emphasizing strategies such as not answering unknown phone numbers, ignoring unfamiliar text messages, and contacting police or trusted neighbors when uncertain.
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WAAY 31 News
· 2024-07-30
The Alabama Regional Council of Governments is hosting an educational event to help senior citizens protect themselves from online scams, which affect thousands of Alabama seniors annually. The event will feature presentations from the Huntsville Police Department, Better Business Bureau, and Alabama Securities Commission discussing current fraud schemes and practical prevention strategies, designed to be accessible to seniors regardless of their technology proficiency level.
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Lawfare
· 2024-08-07
This is a podcast introduction featuring Arun Rao, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Consumer Protection Branch, discussing the growing sophistication of fraud schemes targeting consumers and elders. Rao explains how technological advances such as robocalls, text, email, and social media have enabled fraudsters to refine their tactics and target victims with greater precision. The discussion covers the DOJ's consumer protection work, cybercrime, elder fraud, and data privacy issues.
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WHNT News 19
· 2024-08-08
The Alabama Securities Commission held a Fraud and Scam Summit in Huntsville to educate seniors about common scams targeting older adults, with elder fraud reports rising 14% in 2023. A local woman, Theresa Hazard, shared her experience of losing $700 after clicking on a fraudulent Netflix phishing email and providing her credit card information, though her bank recovered the funds. The summit covered topics including cybersecurity, consumer fraud definitions, and legal implications, emphasizing the importance of seniors reporting scams to law enforcement to help authorities track perpetrators.
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ABC7 News Bay Area
· 2024-08-24
The FBI launched a "Take a Beat" awareness campaign to educate the public about common fraud and scam tactics that exploit people's emotions through urgent phone calls, texts, and emails requesting money or passwords. The campaign highlights scams such as impersonation of bank fraud departments, with one victim losing $950 after a caller claiming to be from her bank convinced her to transfer funds and disclose banking information.
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WGN News
· 2024-08-31
Federal Trade Commission data shows American consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud in 2023, with digital platforms making it easier for scammers to target victims. Common scams include romance/relationship scams on Facebook where perpetrators build trust before requesting money, "pig butchering" investment schemes promising fake returns, and grandparent scams, with reported losses ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Protection strategies include verifying urgent requests by hanging up and calling back the person directly, avoiding quick money transfers, researching websites and investment opportunities, and reporting scams to law enforcement and platforms to help track and recover stolen funds.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-19
Senator Bob Casey led a Senate Aging Committee hearing on fraud targeting older Americans, during which the committee released its annual "Fighting Fraud" resource book. The hearing addressed multiple scam types affecting seniors including grandparent scams, investment fraud, government impostor schemes, lottery scams, and tech support scams, while noting that scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics over recent years. The committee discussed both fraud prevention strategies and how federal law enforcement agencies respond to fraud reports.
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WGN News
· 2024-09-23
AARP Illinois launched "Fraud-Fighting Fraudlettes," a collaborative awareness initiative featuring AARP representatives Theresa Jones and Courtney Herman to educate seniors about prevalent scams. The program aims to increase fraud prevention awareness among older adults, who are identified as particularly susceptible targets for scams.
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CFPBLive
· 2024-10-09
This is an introductory webinar hosted by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on payments industry practices for combating elder financial exploitation. The session provides participants with access to slides, resources, and a discussion platform to explore strategies and tools for preventing elder financial abuse within the payments sector.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted an educational presentation titled "Unmasking Fraud" featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to address senior fraud targeting older adults in Louisiana. The event emphasized that fraud against seniors impacts not only financial security but also causes lasting emotional and psychological harm, and provided practical strategies for protection. AARP directs people to its Fraud Watch Network resource for current scam information and personal data protection guidance.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted a fraud awareness townhall event featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to educate seniors about scams targeting older adults. The event aimed to provide practical protection strategies and highlight how fraud impacts seniors beyond financial loss, including emotional and trust-related consequences. AARP encourages seniors to utilize resources like their FraudWatch Network to stay informed about emerging scams and safeguard personal information.
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WIRED
· 2024-11-05
This WIRED article features "Scammer Payback," a YouTube scam-baiting channel, answering audience questions about common fraud tactics and red flags. The content identifies three major warning signs of scams: scammers pressuring victims to make quick decisions (especially involving gift cards or Cash App transfers), requests for remote access to computers or phones, and demands for untraceable payment methods like Bitcoin or wire transfers. The educational piece emphasizes that time pressure is a deliberate tactic scammers use to prevent victims from consulting family members or others who might intervene.
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moneycontrol
· 2024-11-16
**Cybercrime Risk During Diwali Shopping Season**
India's National Crime Record Bureau reported over 1.1 million cyber fraud cases last year, with incidents rising significantly during high-spending periods like Diwali, particularly targeting elderly individuals. Common scams include customer support fraud (using screen-sharing apps to hijack mobile devices), virtual arrest scams (impersonating law enforcement to extort payments), and Aadhaar-enabled payment system fraud. To protect oneself, stay vigilant during shopping seasons, verify legitimacy of support contacts independently, avoid sharing remote access to devices, and be skeptical of unsolicited law enforcement threats.
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News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2024-11-23
The Pima County Sheriff's Department warns of a "family emergency scam" targeting residents, in which scammers call claiming a family member has been kidnapped or injured and demands money be sent immediately without contacting authorities. Scammers use AI technology to synthesize victims' family members' voices by harvesting audio from social media platforms, and often call at odd hours to catch victims off-guard. Authorities recommend verifying callers by independently contacting family members directly from your phone rather than using the number provided by the caller.
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NBC 7 San Diego
· 2024-11-26
Holiday fraud increases significantly in December, with scammers targeting busy shoppers through identity theft, credit card fraud, package theft, and fake social media ads selling counterfeit goods. Law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau warn that common holiday scams have become more sophisticated and high-tech, including fake toll collection texts and counterfeit items sold online, and advise consumers to remain vigilant during the busy shopping season.
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KVUE
· 2024-12-27
The FBI is warning of an emerging AI-powered "kidnapping scam" where criminals use artificial intelligence to mimic the voices of loved ones—typically claiming they've been in an accident or arrested—to pressure victims into sending money for bail or emergency assistance. A victim named Anthony received a call from what sounded exactly like his son claiming he needed bail money for a drunk driving accident, with a follow-up call from a fake attorney to arrange payment. Law enforcement notes that criminals only need a few seconds of audio from social media to clone someone's voice and create convincing fake conversations, making these scams increasingly difficult to detect.
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ABC11
· 2024-12-28
Federal authorities warn that AI-powered impostor scams are on the rise, with criminals using artificial intelligence to replicate the voices of loved ones claiming to be in emergencies (such as drunk driving accidents requiring bail) to pressure victims into sending money. The scams, also known as "grandparent scams" or "kidnapping scams," require only seconds of audio from social media to generate convincing fake conversations that sound nearly identical to real family members. Experts caution that victims should independently verify emergencies by contacting family members directly rather than responding to urgent calls requesting immediate payment.
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IRSvideos
· 2025-01-06
This is an educational webinar presented by the IRS and FTC during National Tax Security Awareness Week that covers common identity theft and tax-related scams, methods for identifying and reporting fraud, the IRS Identity Protection PIN program, and resources for protecting against identity thieves. The 75-minute presentation includes technical guidance for participants and a live Q&A session to address audience questions about fraud prevention and recovery.
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We Are Iowa Local 5 News
· 2025-03-17
Grandparent scams are impostor fraud schemes where scammers impersonate a grandchild or other trusted person (minister, friend, family member) to convince older adults to send money urgently. The caller typically claims to be in trouble—arrested, injured, or needing bail—and pressures the victim not to contact their parents, exploiting emotional vulnerability and the grandparent's natural desire to help. To avoid these scams, older adults should verify the caller's identity through independent contact with family members and remain skeptical of urgent money requests, particularly those demanding secrecy.
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WHNT News 19
· 2025-03-19
The Colbert County Sheriff's Office reported a recent surge in phone and text scams targeting senior citizens in the area, with reported losses reaching approximately $60,000. Common scams include impersonation of grandchildren claiming emergency money is needed and fraudsters posing as law enforcement demanding payment; the sheriff emphasized that legitimate law enforcement will never call requesting money and advised seniors to use common sense and contact the sheriff's department if uncertain about a call's legitimacy. The office hosted scam prevention presentations at senior centers to educate residents on recognizing and avoiding these schemes.
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CBC News
· 2025-03-19
Police in Montreal arrested 23 people in June operating an elaborate grandparent scam network targeting American seniors, allegedly defrauding them of $21 million USD ($30 million CAD) through coordinated call centers. The scam typically involved one caller impersonating a grandchild in financial distress, followed by another impersonating a police officer directing victims to wire money (usually around $10,000). Montreal has emerged as a major hub for these large-scale grandparent scam operations, which cause significant financial loss to vulnerable elderly victims in the United States.
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CBC News
· 2025-03-21
Three prominent online fraud fighters—Jim Browning, Kitboga, and Pleasant Green—collaborated to infiltrate and disrupt scammer call centers targeting North American victims. Through real-time interception, they successfully prevented multiple fraud attempts including one targeting a woman threatened with legal trouble, coordinating with banks and law enforcement to protect victims from losing thousands of dollars. The operation demonstrated tactics used by scammers and highlighted how these vigilantes have collectively disrupted hundreds of scam centers and prevented hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses over nearly a decade.
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WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY
· 2025-03-20
Scammers steal approximately $23,000 per hour from New Yorkers, with older adults over 60 losing more than $200 million annually to fraud schemes in New York alone. One victim, Torchy Massie, was convinced by an online acquaintance to invest all her savings into a fake investment opportunity. Advocacy groups are pushing for state funding to combat these increasingly sophisticated scams, while noting that many victims remain unreported due to embarrassment.
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60 Minutes
· 2025-03-23
This 60 Minutes segment examines why investment fraud and Ponzi schemes continue to thrive despite public awareness of high-profile cases like Bernie Madoff's multi-billion dollar fraud. The piece features expert Ricky Jay discussing how con artists exploit human psychology—including greed and excessive trust—and identifies key warning signs such as dealings with well-established figures who rely on exclusive affiliations to build credibility. The segment highlights that despite financial disasters and skepticism, investors remain vulnerable to sophisticated scams, a phenomenon regulators refer to as "ponzi-monium."
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WFSU Public Media
· 2025-03-26
Florida residents, particularly seniors, are experiencing widespread scam calls and text messages, including toll balance fraud and unsolicited calls from unknown numbers. According to board-certified elder law attorney Jana McConna, vulnerable seniors—especially those who are isolated, lonely, recently widowed, or experiencing memory issues—are actively being targeted, with scammers exploiting emotional vulnerability and cognitive decline to financially manipulate victims. McConna emphasizes that isolation and loneliness are key risk factors that make seniors susceptible to fraud schemes.
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CBS Philadelphia
· 2025-03-27
Washington Township Police Department in New Jersey partnered with the FBI to host an educational seminar teaching seniors and families how to recognize and avoid scams, prompted by recent major fraud cases in their community. Scammers commonly use fear, urgency, and confusion to target seniors through IRS scams, grandparent scams, tax support scams, online banking scams, and EasyPass billing scams, with recent local cases involving losses of $100,000 or more. Police emphasize that recognizing red flags through education is the most effective way to prevent seniors from losing their savings to fraud.
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CTV News
· 2025-04-14
Police in Ontario are warning of a fake gold investment scheme that has defrauded at least three elderly residents of approximately $1.3 million. Scammers impersonate bank or security officials, claiming victims' bank accounts have been compromised, then convince them to purchase large quantities of gold as a security measure—gold that is never actually picked up. Police emphasize that legitimate banks never ask customers to withdraw funds and buy gold, nor do they request customer participation in investigations.
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CBS Pittsburgh
· 2025-05-09
This educational piece highlights key strategies to protect against increasingly sophisticated scams that target people of all ages. Common scams include grandparent scams, fake tech support, and gift card scams, all designed to steal money or personal information. Experts from law enforcement and the FBI recommend pausing before acting on urgent requests, verifying caller identity through independent family contacts, and remembering that legitimate creditors never demand payment via gift cards.
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therhodeshow
· 2025-05-20
This educational segment discusses common senior scams affecting millions of Americans annually, including identity theft schemes, grandparent scams (falsely claiming a relative needs bail money), tech support scams, and romance scams. Key prevention strategies include educating seniors about scam tactics, maintaining regular involvement in their financial affairs, and reporting suspected fraud to state police or adult services, while noting that many scams go unreported due to victim embarrassment.
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FOX5 Las Vegas
· 2025-07-15
Joe Fitzpatrick, a retired data security professional living in a Las Vegas senior community, created the Silera Community Scam Guide after noticing neighbors were regularly targeted by scammers, with some losing money to tech support and other common fraud schemes. He and fellow residents compile easy-to-read guides identifying various scams to help educate their community about fraud prevention, addressing what Fitzpatrick describes as a daily epidemic affecting seniors in the area.
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CTV News
· 2025-07-17
A Calgary senior lost over $300,000 in a cryptocurrency scam that began in 2022 when a scammer impersonated her grandson claiming he needed bail money for a car crash and drug charges. The fraudster, working with a fake lawyer, instructed the victim to make more than 300 deposits into Bitcoin ATMs over a six-week period before she became suspicious and reported it to police. Calgary police's cybercrime unit identified and arrested 34-year-old Jeremy Ratray of Quebec in connection with the scheme.
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NBC 10 WJAR
· 2025-08-13
This educational piece discusses the growing threat of elder fraud, referencing a recent grandparent scam takedown involving 13 arrests that affected over 400 victims. A banking expert explains that scam volumes have increased exponentially due to technological advances, including AI-powered tactics like voice cloning and deepfake videos that make scams more sophisticated and convincing, particularly in romance and impersonation schemes targeting seniors.
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CBS News
· 2025-08-13
Federal law enforcement dismantled a coordinated grandparent scam ring operating from a call center in the Dominican Republic, charging 13 alleged scammers who stole millions of dollars from hundreds of elderly victims across the country. The operation used runners in the United States, including Massachusetts, to pick up cash from victims' homes and used ride-share services to transport the money, with the investigation initiated after alert Uber drivers reported suspicious activity. The scammers posed as grandchildren in emergencies to manipulate victims into sending money.
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CBS Miami
· 2025-08-13
The FBI dismantled a grandparent scam operation run from a Dominican Republic call center that defrauded over 400 seniors of more than $5 million. Scammers used scripts to convince elderly victims that a grandchild needed urgent money, then deployed local runners using Uber to collect cash payments. Authorities were alerted after Uber's security team flagged suspicious activity, and experts recommend families establish a code word to verify callers' identities and prevent similar schemes.
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wgaltv
· 2025-08-13
Thirteen suspects were arrested in connection with a sophisticated international grandparent scam ring that stole over $5 million from more than 400 seniors, with call centers in the Dominican Republic and money-collection runners across the United States including Massachusetts. The scam involved criminals posing as grandchildren in distress and pressuring elderly victims to withdraw cash from banks, with one victim's family losing $18,000 in the scheme. Authorities recommend families establish a code word that grandchildren must provide when calling, as a protective measure against this type of fraud.
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CBS Chicago
· 2025-08-13
The FBI dismantled a grandparent scam operation run from a Dominican Republic call center that defrauded over 400 seniors of more than $5 million by convincing them their grandchildren needed emergency money, using US-based runners and Uber to collect cash. The scheme was uncovered after Uber's security team flagged suspicious activity to the FBI. To protect against such scams, families are advised to establish code words with relatives, remember that law enforcement never requests money by phone, and watch for warning signs like secretive phone behavior or large cash withdrawals from elderly family members.
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KREM 2 News
· 2025-08-14
The FBI dismantled a grandparent scam operation run from a Dominican Republic call center that defrauded over 400 senior citizens of more than $5 million by convincing them their grandchildren needed emergency money. The scammers used scripted calls to exploit victims' emotional connections to family members, causing not only financial losses but also emotional trauma and loss of trust. To prevent such scams, authorities recommend establishing family code words, verifying caller identity through independent contact, avoiding sending money to unknown recipients, and watching for warning signs like secrecy around calls or unusual cash withdrawals.