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in Money Mule / Laundering
cbsnews.com
· 2026-02-06
Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared and a ransom note demanding bitcoin payment with deadlines of Thursday 5 p.m. or Monday emerged. Despite bitcoin's semi-anonymous reputation, law enforcement experts confirm that all blockchain transactions are publicly recorded and traceable, with the ability to track wallet addresses, identify exchanges used for cashing out, and subpoena customer information from regulated U.S. crypto exchanges—providing potentially better investigative leads than traditional ransom payment methods like cash or valuables.
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Tamron Hall Show
· 2024-02-21
Charlotte Kohls, a financial advice columnist for New York Magazine, fell victim to an elaborate scam that began with a fake Amazon call claiming $8,000 in fraudulent charges on a non-existent business account. The scammer then posed as an FTC agent investigating her for money laundering and financial crimes, ultimately convincing her to withdraw and hand over $50,000 in cash to a stranger. Kohls's experience serves as a warning that even financially knowledgeable individuals are vulnerable to sophisticated social engineering scams.
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The Deshbhakt
· 2024-04-02
This video essay discusses political corruption allegations in India, focusing on how the BJP appears to avoid corruption charges while opposition parties face various scams and legal actions. The video then explains the 2G spectrum scam of 2008, where the Indian government allocated mobile spectrum to companies at artificially low prices through administrative allocation rather than auction, resulting in an estimated loss of 1.76 lakh crore to the national treasury—a controversy that contributed to the fall of the UPA government and led the Supreme Court to cancel 112 spectrum licenses in 2012.
**Note:** This is a political commentary/educational piece rather than a scam affecting individual elders, so it falls outside the typical scope of
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CTV News
· 2024-04-12
An Ontario woman lost $86,000 in a CRA impersonation scam after receiving a call from someone claiming to be a government investigator who said her bank accounts were being used in a money laundering operation. The scammer convinced her she needed to cooperate with an RCMP investigation and directed her to withdraw cash from two banks and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine, falsely promising it would be returned once the investigation concluded. This scam is particularly sophisticated as it uses the victim's personal information and creates urgency through claims of government authority and potential financial loss.
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CBS News
· 2024-04-24
An Illinois woman, Laura Coall, lost $1.5 million in a romance scam and was later found dead in the Mississippi River; her daughter discovered that Laura had been coerced into becoming a "money mule" for the scammers, laundering stolen funds through her accounts. This tactic has become increasingly common among romance scam perpetrators, who manipulate victims so deeply that they unwillingly participate in money laundering and other crimes, often without initially realizing they are committing felonies. Federal agents have issued warnings about this evolution in romance scams, where victims are exploited beyond financial loss to become unwitting accomplices in criminal activity.
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CBS News
· 2024-05-01
A CBS News investigation explored romance scams targeting vulnerable adults on dating platforms. The report featured the case of Laura Coal, a 57-year-old retired hospital executive who fell victim to a scammer posing as "Frank," a Swedish businessman with a fake profile photo on Match.com; within days of initial contact, she professed deep emotional attachment to someone she had never met in person. The story illustrates how lonely individuals seeking companionship can be manipulated by sophisticated scammers who exploit emotional vulnerabilities through online dating platforms.
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NBC10 Philadelphia
· 2024-05-02
Tracy Davidson was contacted via social media in late February by a man posing as "James Williams," a military orthopedic surgeon working for the United Nations in Syria, who quickly professed romantic feelings and attempted to build trust by sharing personal details and photos. This case exemplifies a classic romance scam romance scams follow predictable scripts designed to earn victims' trust before eventually requesting money. The Secret Service investigative analyst confirms these scams are prevalent and typically escalate from relationship-building to financial exploitation.
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FOX NASHVILLE
· 2024-05-11
In Tennessee, 1,577 seniors over age 60 lost a combined $43 million to fraud in one year, according to the FBI. A retired insurance salesman fell victim to a sophisticated impersonation scam where fraudsters posing as Amazon and Social Security Administration officials convinced him his identity had been compromised and involved in money laundering. Remarkably, this victim recovered his stolen money—an extremely rare outcome in elder fraud cases.
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KRQE
· 2024-07-17
This New Mexico news podcast episode features an educational discussion on avoiding financial scams, hosted by Gabrielle Burkhart with guest Brian Watson, a former federal law enforcement officer who spent 28 years investigating financial crimes, including work as an IRS criminal investigator. The segment addresses how scams—particularly phishing and online fraud—affect people across demographics, including older adults, and aims to help listeners and their families recognize red flags and protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams.
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CNBC
· 2024-08-18
A growing "pig butchering" scam scheme targets victims through dating apps and text messages, with scammers spending weeks building trust before directing them to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms designed to mimic legitimate exchanges. One victim lost $152,000 after being lured through Bumble; the FBI reported $4.5 billion in investment fraud losses in 2023, with 86% involving cryptocurrencies. These scams employ sophisticated social engineering tactics and fake investment apps that have prompted tech companies like Google to take legal action against developers distributing fraudulent apps on their platforms.
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The Project
· 2024-08-25
Scammers are targeting Australian home buyers by impersonating solicitors, conveyancers, and PEXA (the national property settlement clearing house), sending fraudulent emails or texts 2-3 days before settlement to redirect home deposits to criminal accounts. These scams cost over $1 million annually and are growing, with attackers exploiting weak security protections and sometimes compromising legitimate conveyancer accounts to access the PEXA system and steal settlement funds destined for property purchases.
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This Morning
· 2024-08-27
Marisha Wallace, a Broadway actress who relocated to London in 2018, was scammed out of £60,000 by a romantic partner she met on a dating app. The scammer posed as a potential romantic match while Wallace was in a vulnerable state—having recently moved to the UK alone, taken on a demanding theatrical role, and going through a divorce. The segment featured fraud expert Lisa offering advice on how to recognize and avoid such romance scams.
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Dare County
· 2024-09-09
The Dare County Sheriff's Office presented an educational overview of common scams affecting their community, including an explanation of "pig butchering" scams that operate through dating apps. In this scam type, perpetrators use VPNs to hide their location, create fake glamorous personas, and systematically contact potential victims through dating platforms with the goal of manipulating them into financial schemes. The presentation aims to help community members recognize and avoid falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-18
The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on romance confidence scams (also called "pig butchering"), examining this multi-billion dollar fraud scheme that targets everyday Americans. The scam operates by building trust with victims over weeks or months before exploiting that confidence to extract money, with text-based contact attempts increasing dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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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CBS Evening News
· 2024-09-27
A U.S. man lost $700,000 in an elaborate romance scam orchestrated by criminal syndicates operating from underground "boiler rooms" in Ghana. The scammers pose as romantic partners to gain the trust of elderly Americans and convince them to send money, devastating victims both emotionally and financially. The investigation revealed that unemployed youth in Ghana are recruited into these operations, viewing the scams as an alternative to other forms of theft or crime.
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CBS News
· 2024-10-04
Overseas scammers defrauded a 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles of her life savings by impersonating IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scammers instructed the victim to keep the scheme secret, and despite her daughter's attempts to alert her bank (Charles Schwab) to the suspicious large transactions and wire transfers, the funds were lost. This case exemplifies a widespread epidemic affecting tens of thousands of Americans who fall victim to similar overseas fraud schemes operating through impersonation and deception tactics.
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FTCvideos
· 2024-10-08
Impersonation scams involve fraudsters contacting victims via phone, email, text, mail, or social media while pretending to represent legitimate companies (PayPal, Amazon, Microsoft, government agencies) or trusted contacts. Scammers create urgency by falsely claiming account problems to pressure victims into providing personal information or money, exploiting panic to bypass critical thinking.
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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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CBS Evening News
· 2024-10-11
A 92-year-old woman in Los Angeles lost her life savings to overseas scammers who impersonated IT experts and government officials, convincing her that her computer had been hacked and pressuring her to withdraw funds to purchase gold as a "safer investment." The scam involved large wire transfers from her Charles Schwab investment account, and the perpetrators instructed her to keep the scheme secret from her family. This case exemplifies a broader epidemic of multi-million-dollar fraud targeting Americans by overseas criminals operating tech support and investment scams.
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Atlanta News First
· 2024-10-10
Investigator Brendan Keefe uncovered a romance scam operation that uses AI-generated photographs of fake military personnel to target victims on social media platforms like Facebook. The scammers create convincing but flawed fake images (such as veterans with anatomical impossibilities) of patriotic military figures to build false romantic relationships and extract money from victims.
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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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WUSA9
· 2024-10-17
An 81-year-old woman lost her life savings after receiving a phone call from a scammer impersonating a Social Security Administration representative who claimed her Social security number was being used fraudulently. The scammer sent a fake U.S. Supreme Court certificate as proof and convinced her to move her money to "secure" it, resulting in the loss of her life savings. She is sharing her story to warn other seniors about this type of fraud.
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6abc Philadelphia
· 2024-10-25
Criminal networks are exploiting romance scams to recruit victims as unwitting money mules who move illegal funds on their behalf. A 70-year-old man was targeted on LinkedIn in August 2022 by a scammer posing as a romantic interest who gradually built trust, then gained access to his phone accounts and bank information to facilitate cryptocurrency and wire transfers, leaving him thousands of dollars in debt despite never willingly sending money himself. The FBI warns this scheme is becoming increasingly common as scammers leverage emotional manipulation to turn hopeful romantics into unknowing participants in money laundering operations.
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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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WREG News Channel 3
· 2024-11-13
Three Nigerian men in their 40s were sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating romance and investment scams that targeted victims across America from 2017 to 2021, including a Western Tennessee resident who lost $400,000. The perpetrators used fake identities on social media and dating sites, posing as romantic partners and repeatedly requesting emergency financial assistance from victims. Law enforcement urges scam victims to report incidents to police, as victims of romance scams often face additional risks including identity theft when they unknowingly share personal information with fraudsters.
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CNN-News18
· 2024-12-26
Cyber crimes in India surged dramatically in 2024, with the tech-driven region of Hyderabad experiencing a 64% rise in overall crime and an 882% increase in digital arrest scams, reaching losses of 80 crores compared to 6.2 crores the previous year. Cyber fraud cases accounted for 11,900 incidents (23% of all crimes in the region), with citizens losing over 700 crores to fraudsters through job scams, trading frauds, and SMS phishing schemes. The segment emphasizes the importance of avoiding calls from unidentified numbers and highlights ongoing efforts to combat the escalating digital crime problem across the nation.
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Arizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5)
· 2025-01-04
Backpage.com owners were convicted and sentenced to federal prison for operating a website that generated over $500 million from advertisements for sex work, including those posted by trafficked individuals, some as young as children; a federal court in Arizona is now determining restitution amounts from $25 million in seized assets to compensate nearly a dozen victims and families, including two women murdered by clients who found them on the site. The case represents a rare legal victory for victims of sex trafficking who were exploited on the platform that prosecutors described as "the world's largest online brothel."
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Irish Independent
· 2025-01-14
Romance scams (also called "pig butchering") are surging in Ireland, primarily targeting middle-aged women through dating apps where scammers build emotional relationships over time before requesting money for bills, fees, and expenses. Detective Superintendent Michael Crry of Ireland's National Economic Crime Bureau explains that these online fraud schemes rely on social engineering, manipulation, and exploitation, with recent arrests highlighting law enforcement efforts to combat the crime, which is particularly prevalent during vulnerable winter months when people seek connection.
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CTV News
· 2025-02-08
Two healthcare workers employed in Richmond Hill—a registered nurse and a personal support worker—were arrested and charged with fraud after allegedly stealing nearly $1 million from an elderly patient they were hired to care for by gaining unauthorized access to the victim's banking information. Police believe there may be additional victims and have charged both suspects with fraud, theft over $5,000, and money laundering.
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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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News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2025-05-08
A Glendale man, 40-year-old Kinsley Ibodori, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role as a money launderer in a romance scam operation that defrauded victims of nearly $4 million. Ibodori, a Nigerian citizen and lawful US resident, opened 24 bank accounts using fake names and personally withdrew over $500,000 in stolen funds as part of the sophisticated scheme.
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NewsX Live
· 2025-06-19
Two Indian nationals studying in the United States were sentenced to federal prison for phishing scams impersonating US government officials to defraud elderly Americans. Kishan Rajkumar Patel, age 20, targeted at least 25 elderly victims and caused $94,156 in losses, while another Indian student named Muhammad was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a similar scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of nearly $6 million.
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Newsmax
· 2025-06-30
Scam artists, including foreign nationals living in the country illegally, are impersonating federal agents to defraud senior citizens by threatening them with false fraud investigations. In Spanish Fort, Alabama, a Chinese national posing as a federal agent swindled a retired educator out of over $400,000 through weeks of coercion involving cash withdrawals, gold purchases, and psychological intimidation about wire fraud cases. Law enforcement reports this is an organized, deliberate scheme targeting retirees' life savings and extends beyond Alabama.
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Hindustan Times
· 2025-07-10
A U.S. Senate hearing examined cryptocurrency industry practices and potential scams, with lawmakers expressing concern that weaker crypto regulations compared to traditional financial rules may enable fraud. The testimony highlighted that retail investors have lost money on certain cryptocurrency projects while industry leaders and associates profited significantly, underscoring the need for stronger consumer protections and securities oversight in the crypto sector.
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KCRA 3
· 2025-08-28
A Sacramento woman lost $28,000 of her life savings in a sophisticated scam that began with a fraudulent PayPal email. After calling what she believed was PayPal customer service, a scammer convinced her that her identity had been used to open 22 accounts linked to money laundering, then pressured her to withdraw cash and hand it to someone posing as a Social Security official. Thompson's surveillance camera captured her handing over the box of cash, and she is now sharing her story as a warning to other seniors, while Sacramento police investigate the case.
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FOX 35 Orlando
· 2025-09-03
Carol West lost $60,000 in a romance scam conducted by Cory Woodall, a North Carolina resident who was extradited to Volusia County to face charges of organized fraud scheme and grand theft over $20,000. West sent money through traditional transfers and Bitcoin, which detectives tracked being moved multiple times, and while she may not recover her funds, Woodall now faces criminal prosecution.
lafocusnews.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FTC reported nationwide fraud losses reached an all-time high of $10 billion—14% more than 2022—driven primarily by larger per-victim losses rather than increased report volume, with a median loss of $500 per consumer. The top scam categories were imposter schemes (particularly business and government imposters), online shopping fraud, prizes/lotteries, investment fraud, and job opportunities, with investment scams generating the highest total losses at $4.6 billion despite being ranked fourth in frequency. The FTC warned that scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence for voice cloning and deepfakes to impersonate trusted contacts, and advised consumers to be
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
A financial advice columnist for New York Magazine was scammed out of $50,000 in October by a con artist posing as a CIA agent who claimed her identity had been stolen and she faced arrest warrants for money laundering and drug trafficking. The scammer, who obtained personal information including her Social Security number and family details, instructed her not to contact authorities and directed her to place $50,000 cash in a shoe box and hand it to a courier in a white Mercedes SUV. After the handoff, Cowles realized the scam when attempts to follow up on promised government checks and Social Security assistance went nowhere.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial columnist Charlotte Cowles lost $50,000 to an elaborate scam that began with a fake Amazon customer service call in October 2023, escalating through impersonation of FTC and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and she faced arrest warrants. The scammers persuaded her to withdraw cash from her savings account and hand it to an undercover "agent" by creating an increasingly elaborate false narrative with fabricated evidence. Cowles' experience serves as a cautionary tale that fraud targets people across all demographics and education levels, countering the stereotype that only vulnerable populations fall victim to such schemes.
thecut.com
· 2025-12-08
In October, the author—a financially literate journalist and New York Times columnist—fell victim to an elaborate impersonation scam that cost her $50,000 in savings. After an initial fraudulent Amazon customer service call, she was transferred to a scammer posing as a federal agent who claimed her identity had been compromised and her home was being monitored, pressuring her to withdraw cash and leave it on the street in a shoebox without telling anyone. The article challenges common stereotypes about scam victims, noting that younger adults are actually 34% more likely to report fraud losses than seniors, and that intelligence, education, and financial literacy provide no protection against sophisticated psychological manipulation tactics.
ksl.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven people were indicted on federal charges for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $8 million between March 2018 and June 2019. The scheme, primarily operated by a Nigerian group known as the "Yahoo boys," involved creating fake online personas to build trust with victims—many of them elderly—before requesting money under false pretenses; the defendants in the U.S. (located in Texas, Canada, and Nigeria) and a group of "Utah Money Transmitters" facilitated money laundering by opening financial institution accounts to collect victim funds and distribute proceeds to the scammers overseas. Many victims lost their life savings and retirement funds in the scheme.
gazettengr.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven defendants across the United States and Nigeria were indicted for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $8 million between March 2018 and June 2019. The scheme involved Nigerian operators creating fake online personas to build trust with victims before requesting money under false pretenses, with many elderly victims losing their life savings and retirement funds. The defendants facilitated money laundering by establishing U.S. bank accounts to collect and distribute fraud proceeds while concealing the funds' destination and the scammers' identities.
menafn.com
· 2025-12-08
Singapore recorded over 46,000 scam cases in 2023, resulting in losses of 651.8 million Singapore dollars (approximately 484 million U.S. dollars), a slight decrease from 2022. The most prevalent scam types were job scams, e-commerce scams, fake friend call scams, phishing scams, and investment scams. Police conducted 24 enforcement activities that led to the investigation of more than 9,600 money mules and scam suspects.
seattletimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a finance advice columnist at New York Magazine, fell victim to a $50,000 scam involving fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and the CIA who convinced her to withdraw money for "safekeeping" due to alleged identity theft and fraudulent accounts. The article debunks the scammers' tactics by confirming that Amazon never transfers customers to the FTC, the FTC never provides badge numbers or asks for financial information, and the CIA does not conduct domestic fraud investigations. The piece serves as an educational guide highlighting red flags and advising consumers to hang up on suspicious calls and contact companies directly through official channels.
marketrealist.com
· 2025-12-08
In October 2023, Charlotte Cowles, a New York Times financial columnist, was scammed out of $50,000 by perpetrators posing as Amazon customer service, FTC, and CIA officials who convinced her that her identity had been stolen and used to purchase vehicles and properties, with warrants allegedly issued for her arrest. The scammers used social engineering tactics including spoofed government phone numbers, fake badge numbers, and threats of home raids to build credibility and pressure her into withdrawing cash. Cowles ultimately handed over $50,000 in a shoe box to a stranger, despite her professional expertise in personal finance and skepticism about the claims.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
On February 1, a federal grand jury indicted Monique C. Clarke, 28, a Jamaican national, and Jon-Michael Hudson, 33, for conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of a lottery scam targeting 51 elderly victims across the United States, resulting in losses exceeding $6.6 million. From October 2020 through January 2021, the defendants allegedly called elderly victims claiming they had won lottery prizes and solicited fees for taxes, shipping, and processing; the funds were then deposited by money mules into accounts controlled by Clarke and Hudson, with Clarke receiving over $500,000 from five victims' losses before allegedly wiring $150
baltictimes.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Approximately 350 romance scam cases were recorded in Lithuania in 2023, with victims attempting to transfer over 1 million euros to fraudsters, though banks were able to stop some transactions. Vulnerable victims included lonely individuals and those with poor digital hygiene skills, particularly elderly women seeking relationships online who were targeted by scammers impersonating military personnel. Banks report that recovery is difficult because victims often delay reporting due to shame and embarrassment, and experts recommend vigilance against money transfer requests from online contacts as a key prevention measure.
foxnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a financial columnist for New York Magazine's The Cut, lost $50,000 in a sophisticated phone scam that began with a fraudulent Amazon customer service call on October 31, 2023. The scammers used personal details about her family and threats of surveillance to manipulate her over five hours, employing the tactic of "blocking the exits" to prevent her from reaching out to trusted contacts. Cowles publicly defended her story by emphasizing that scam victims come from all walks of life—including financial professionals, doctors, and lawyers—and advised others to identify trusted people to contact and create exit strategies when feeling pressured.