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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Milan Art Institute
· 2024-02-21
This is an introduction to a free educational workshop on art scams, hosted by artists who aim to share their personal experiences and knowledge of common scams targeting artists. The workshop covers various types of scams that artists encounter regularly, with plans for a live Q&A session to address participant questions and concerns. No specific scam details or victim information is provided in this excerpt.
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CTV News
· 2024-02-28
A Toronto woman lost $340,000 to a cryptocurrency investment scam after seeing a YouTube advertisement promising fast returns. The scammer built trust by showing fake account growth and sending her $5,000 to purchase diamond earrings, convincing her to invest progressively larger amounts ($250, then $100,000, then $240,000), but when she attempted to withdraw funds, she discovered the account was fraudulent and lost her entire investment.
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LastWeekTonight
· 2024-02-29
**Pig Butchering Scams Overview**
"Pig Butchering" is a romance/investment scam that typically begins with unsolicited text messages appearing to be sent to the wrong person, establishing false familiarity and trust. Scammers then gradually build relationships with victims and persuade them to invest money in fraudulent cryptocurrency or trading schemes, often resulting in significant financial losses. The scam gets its name from the process of cultivating ("fattening") victims before extracting ("butchering") their money.
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CityNews
· 2024-03-05
Fraudulent activity in Canada increased 133% in 2023, with common scams including Interac e-Transfer fraud, job scams, fake credit card transaction calls, and fraudulent Canada Post delivery messages that are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Those aged 18-24 are more vulnerable to online scams, while people over 45 are more susceptible to email and phone call fraud, with women reporting scams more frequently than men. The scams vary seasonally, with fraudsters adapting their tactics throughout the year.
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WION
· 2024-03-10
**Pig Butchering Scam Overview**
Pig butchering scams are a type of cryptocurrency investment fraud that targets victims globally through emotional manipulation and deceptive investment schemes. Scammers pose as romantic interests or long-lost friends on dating platforms to build trust, then convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency trading platforms controlled by the fraudsters, resulting in significant financial losses such as the $450,000 stolen from victim Shrea through an imposter posing as a French wine trader.
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ABC News (Australia)
· 2024-03-13
A retired police officer in Brisbane nearly lost $20,000 to a sophisticated Facebook Marketplace scam advertising a discounted shipping container. The UK's Financial Services Minister warned Meta that tech platforms are responsible for over 75% of social media scam losses, calling for stronger action despite Meta's claim to have removed 700 million fake accounts in three months. While some scam types showed declines (investment scams down 38%, cryptocurrency down 74%), total fraud losses still reached nearly half a billion dollars last year, prompting government and consumer advocates to demand more aggressive platform accountability.
Cryptocurrency
Bank Transfer
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ABC11
· 2024-04-04
The FBI in Raleigh warned of a sharp rise in cryptocurrency investment scams across North Carolina, with losses increasing more than 50% year-over-year and totaling nearly $4 billion nationally. Scammers target victims through social media and job networking sites, building trust through shared interests before convincing them to invest and displaying fake profits to encourage continued investment, after which they disappear with the funds. North Carolina residents have lost tens of millions to these schemes, with individual victims losing amounts ranging from $40,000 to over $53,000.
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ABC News
· 2024-04-05
Officials in New York seized nearly two dozen web domains from IP addresses in China used to conduct "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams, which operate across multiple states including California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Scammers use dating apps and group chats to build trust with victims before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes that appear to generate returns, then steal their money; reported losses include $16,000 and $118,000 from individual victims in Brooklyn.
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6abc Philadelphia
· 2024-04-19
A retired man in Middletown Township, Delaware County lost tens of thousands of dollars in a cryptocurrency investment scam after being referred by a friend to what appeared to be a legitimate trading platform. The scammer allowed the victim to make small successful withdrawals of $100 to build trust, but when he attempted to withdraw a large sum, he was asked to pay a $278,000 "capital verification fee" before receiving his funds. Delaware State Police are investigating at least two cases in the area and believe there may be additional victims.
Cryptocurrency
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13News Now
· 2024-04-27
The Norfolk FBI has issued a warning about the rising trend of cryptocurrency scams in the Hampton Roads region, where victims are tricked into sending thousands of dollars to purchase cryptocurrency or fake crypto investments. The FBI characterizes these schemes as "old tricks with a new look"—traditional fraud methods now facilitated through digital currency—with three common types including ransomware attacks, investment scams, and romance/advance-fee schemes. Victims can lose their life savings to these frauds, which are being reported with increasing frequency in the area.
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A Current Affair
· 2024-05-08
A retiree named Gary lost his entire life savings of $411,000 to a deep-fake Facebook scam that used AI-generated advertisements featuring celebrity faces including Elon Musk and Australian political figures to promote fraudulent investment schemes. After seeing the fake ad and responding, Gary was contacted by a scammer posing as "Raymond" who convinced him to invest with promises of easy wealth and financial freedom. The scam exploited Gary's trust in the legitimate-appearing endorsements and left him financially devastated with all his retirement plans destroyed.
Cryptocurrency
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CBC News
· 2024-05-24
Job offer scams are being distributed via text message to numerous recipients, with scammers posing as recruiters offering high-paying or flexible work-from-home positions and directing victims to messaging apps like WhatsApp. Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd investigated these scams by responding to multiple unsolicited job offers to understand what scammers gain from the interaction and how the scheme operates. The article highlights this as a widespread fraud targeting mobile phone users who receive these deceptive recruitment messages.
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NBC News
· 2024-05-24
Debbie Casey lost $2,000 after receiving a fake Geek Squad refund email, calling the scammer's number, and granting remote computer access. According to FTC data, Americans reported over $660 million in losses from impersonation scams last year, with scammers most frequently impersonating Best Buy, Geek Squad, Amazon, PayPal, Microsoft, and Publishers Clearing House. Experts advise never responding to phone numbers, email addresses, or links in unsolicited messages and instead contacting companies directly through official channels.
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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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12 News
· 2024-07-08
Americans lost over $1 billion to romance scams last year, with many Arizona residents targeted. The three most prevalent romance scam tactics involve deepfake video calls using face-swapping technology (employed by Nigerian crime groups), cryptocurrency investment schemes that promise high returns once trust is established, and celebrity deepfakes using artificial intelligence. Victims can protect themselves by watching for unnatural video call indicators like inconsistent blinking, mismatched skin tones, and words not synchronizing with mouth movements.
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Entertainment Tonight
· 2024-07-25
This article features an exclusive interview with Michael from the reality TV show "90 Day Fiancé," addressing allegations from viewers that he scammed cast member Angela by obtaining a green card and then leaving the relationship. Michael denies intentionally planning the situation, characterizing it as something that "just happened" and claiming the public narrative about him is inaccurate, though he acknowledges making difficult decisions in his life.
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VICE
· 2024-08-05
A Northern Irish digital marketing entrepreneur discovered that scammers had created dozens of fake profiles impersonating him across multiple social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bumble, Tinder, and others) using his photos and personal information to deceive people. After investigating the fraudulent accounts, he uncovered a larger criminal enterprise operating the identity theft and catfishing scheme, which involved fabricating romantic relationships and divorce scenarios to manipulate victims.
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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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KCENNews
· 2024-08-13
The Better Business Bureau reports that three major scams are currently prevalent and have stolen millions of dollars since the start of the year: employment scams that promise work-from-home jobs with easy money but steal personal information or demand upfront payments; online purchase and rental scams involving unreliable merchants who access credit card data; and cryptocurrency/investment scams that exploit people seeking quick wealth. The BBB offers a Scam Tracker tool to report fraudulent businesses and scams affecting specific areas.
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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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News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2024-08-20
Arizona Attorney General Chris Mayes issued a warning to senior citizens about cryptocurrency scams that commonly target vulnerable populations through social media, dating apps, and fake investment advisor schemes promising unrealistic returns. Scammers typically pose as trusted contacts or investment professionals and pressure victims to send Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency as payment. The Attorney General advises seniors to verify claims with independent sources, avoid using scammer-provided contact information, and report suspicious activity, noting that legitimate businesses never demand cryptocurrency-only payments.
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-08-22
Bait-and-switch scams on social media exploit emotional posts about missing children or lost pets by using localized Facebook groups with minimal oversight. Scammers edit these posts to redirect users to sales listings, rental scams, job opportunities, or donation requests, then manipulate victims' social networks when they share the content. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to watch for red flags including urgent emotional language, disabled comments, missing contact information, and newly created profiles, and to report suspected scams to both the BBB Scam Tracker and Facebook directly.
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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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60 Minutes Australia
· 2024-08-25
This 60 Minutes Australia segment exposes a large-scale scam operation headquartered in Myanmar where transnational crime bosses traffic approximately 120,000 people and force them to conduct romance scams, phishing schemes, and investment fraud against Western victims. The scammers employ sophisticated AI-powered deepfake technology and brainwashing techniques to deceive victims, while the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has shut down over 7,300 fraudulent websites but scammers continue generating billions in illegal revenue.
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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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WION
· 2024-09-02
Contrary to common assumptions, Gen Z (ages 18-24) loses the most money to online scams, averaging $155 per person in 2022, primarily through employment, online shopping, and investment/cryptocurrency scams. A Better Business Bureau report found that scammers are increasingly targeting even younger children (ages 7-18), with 16% of surveyed parents reporting their kids were targeted in the past year, up from 11% in 2022, while adults 55-64 lost the least at an average of $91.
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CBS TEXAS
· 2024-09-05
A 72-year-old North Texas woman lost $250,000 in bitcoin and her paid-off home to a romance scam after a man posing as a petroleum engineer on Facebook convinced her over five to six months that he needed financial help, eventually claiming he was in a car crash and needed money for medical evacuation to Turkey. The victim is now living in a motel with only her social security income after selling her house to pay the scammer. Detective John Haker reports that scammers use increasingly sophisticated tactics, from long-term romance schemes to urgent bank impersonation scams, making victims vulnerable to devastating financial losses.
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ABC11
· 2024-09-05
"Pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams involve fraudsters grooming victims over months through social media to build trust before directing them into fake investment schemes promising high returns. Victims reported losing substantial sums—including Pamela Magnum who lost $70,000 and Jim Wilkerson who lost $790,000—after scammers disappeared when victims attempted to withdraw their supposed profits. The FBI has identified this as a widespread scheme stealing billions of dollars from Americans.
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WYFF News 4
· 2024-09-09
This segment from WYFF News Four's "For the Record" series features Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride discussing the growing scam problem affecting community members of all ages, though elderly victims are particularly targeted. The sheriff highlights multiple prevalent scam types including Facebook Marketplace deposit schemes (where sellers request $250-$1,000 deposits for vehicles that don't exist), fake jury duty calls falsely claiming to be from law enforcement demanding payment or gift cards, and other phone and internet-based fraud tactics that exploit personal information obtained from legitimate people-search websites.
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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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WJZ
· 2024-09-12
Cryptocurrency scams cost Maryland residents nearly $94 million in 2023, according to an FBI report, with romance-based schemes being particularly prevalent. Though representing only 10% of financial fraud complaints to the FBI, cryptocurrency scams account for 50% of total money stolen, with approximately 1,400 Maryland complaints among nearly 58,000 nationwide. The scams exploit emotional manipulation and leverage the online nature of cryptocurrency to easily access victims' financial and personal information.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-09-12
Senator Elizabeth Warren held a hearing examining online dating scams targeting seniors, specifically highlighting romance scams combined with cryptocurrency investment fraud. The typical scheme involves a scammer building trust with an older adult over weeks or months through a dating app, then gradually introducing investment opportunities and encouraging the victim to set up their own trading account—creating a false sense of security and control while the scammer provides "tips" on investments.
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Which?
· 2024-09-15
I cannot provide an accurate summary of this article. The text appears to be a garbled or poorly OCR-scanned transcript of a consumer advice program introduction that repeatedly duplicates phrases and lacks coherent content about specific scams or fraud prevention tips. While it mentions that scams are becoming more sophisticated and references a discussion about ticket scams, the actual substantive advice or details about scams are not clearly present in the provided text. A proper summary would require a clearer, complete version of the source material.
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NBC10 Boston
· 2024-09-17
Bitcoin ATM scams are increasing at an alarming rate, with fraud losses exceeding $65 million in the first half of 2024 according to the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers use government impersonation, business impersonation, and tech support tactics to trick consumers into depositing cash into Bitcoin ATMs by claiming it will protect their money or resolve fake security problems, with one victim losing $34,000. Consumers should hang up suspicious calls, verify contacts independently, and be cautious of these sophisticated schemes.
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News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV
· 2024-09-19
The FBI launched a "Take a Beat" awareness campaign in response to a sharp increase in scams, reporting a 25% rise in fraud cases and $300 million in additional victim losses compared to the previous year. The campaign targets various schemes including romance scams, phishing calls, and cryptocurrency fraud, with particular concern for retirees and fixed-income individuals in the Tucson and Phoenix areas who suffer severe financial harm from losses ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
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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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WQAD News 8
· 2024-09-19
Federal investigators are raising alerts about "pig butchering" scams, which have reached crisis levels, with victims often losing their life savings. Scammers use dating apps and text messages to build trust with victims over months before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes, with $4 billion lost to these scams last year alone. Law enforcement is calling on Congress for increased funding to disrupt these operations, as victims typically cannot recover their money once locked out of fraudulent investment accounts.
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We Are Iowa Local 5 News
· 2024-09-19
"Pig butchering" scams have reached crisis levels nationwide, with victims losing their life savings after fraudsters build trust through dating apps or text messages before directing them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes. Law enforcement and Congress are pushing for increased funding and action to combat these scams, which cost victims $4 billion in the past year alone, as fake investment accounts lock victims out when they attempt to withdraw funds.
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WTVC NewsChannel 9
· 2024-09-22
"Pig-butchering" scams have reached crisis levels in the United States, with victims often losing their entire life savings after scammers build trust through dating apps or text messages before directing them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Law enforcement reports $4 billion was lost to these scams last year alone, with victims unable to recover funds when they attempt to withdraw from fake investment accounts that appear legitimate initially but lock them out once money is deposited.
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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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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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WFSB 3
· 2024-10-13
Detective Matthew Hogan of the Connecticut State Police discusses internet scams and their increasing sophistication, with a particular focus on cryptocurrency fraud. While crypto is often perceived as untraceable, it is actually traceable through blockchain technology; scammers favor it because wallet ownership is pseudo-anonymous, transactions move quickly, and assets can be easily co-mingled. The discussion emphasizes recognizing red flags to help people avoid falling victim to these evolving online schemes.
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NBC4 Washington
· 2024-10-17
"Pig butchering" is a cryptocurrency confidence scam where fraudsters build trust with victims over months through social media or dating apps before introducing fake cryptocurrency investment opportunities. Scammers send victims links to fraudulent trading websites and convince them to send hundreds or thousands of dollars, which actually goes directly into the scammers' pockets; the fake friend, website, and investment returns are all fabricated.
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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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Arizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5)
· 2024-10-30
Impostor scams are intensifying as the holiday season approaches, with scammers posing as trusted entities like banks to steal money through deceptive tactics. A common scheme involves fraudsters calling or texting victims claiming fraudulent card activity, then convincing them to hand over debit cards to supposed bank representatives or mail cards to fraudulent addresses. Scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to enhance their deception tactics, making these scams more sophisticated and harder to detect.
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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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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-11-07
**Summary:**
Scammers target veterans by impersonating government representatives and fraudulently offering loan forgiveness, mortgage aid, or grants in exchange for upfront processing fees. Veterans and their spouses experience higher median losses to scams than average consumers, particularly through employment scams that exploit frequent military relocations. The BBB advises veterans to never pay upfront for loans or grants, never share personal information with unsolicited callers, and remember that the government communicates via mail only—never by phone, email, or social media.
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WION
· 2024-11-25
Pig-butchering scams, which have stolen over $75 billion globally, are long-term confidence schemes that combine romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency deception. Scammers initiate contact through unsolicited text messages, pose as old friends or romantic interests to build trust, and then convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency platforms controlled by the fraudsters before disappearing with the money. To protect yourself, never share personal information with online-only contacts and avoid sending money or cryptocurrency to anyone you have not met in person.
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12NewsNow
· 2024-12-03
The FBI warned the public about an increase in holiday season scams, including cryptocurrency investment schemes, tech support fraud, social media scams with fake contests, and charity scams targeting older adults. According to FBI official Connor Hagen, seniors are particularly vulnerable during the holidays when they are more likely to give gifts and donate to charities, though scammers also target younger people through social media ads and fake contests. Victims are advised to contact local law enforcement if they believe they have been defrauded.
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Inside Edition
· 2024-12-11
A Miami doctor's photos were stolen and used in a "pig butchering" romance scam to fraudulently lure wealthy single men on dating sites, resulting in victims losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The doctor discovered the identity theft when strangers began sending flowers to her workplace and showing up in person, prompting her to publicly warn others on social media about the sophisticated scheme.
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KTVB
· 2024-12-16
"Don't Click December" is an awareness campaign aimed at protecting consumers from online fraud during the holiday shopping season, when scammers exploit increased internet usage for gift purchases and charitable donations. U.S. Attorney Josh Hert advises consumers to be cautious of suspicious emails, text messages, and popups that use fear tactics to trick people into clicking malicious links or providing personal information.
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TV360 Nigeria
· 2024-12-17
In a major enforcement operation in Lagos, Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested 792 suspects involved in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams, including 148 Chinese nationals and citizens from the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. The foreign perpetrators operated from a facility disguised as a corporate office, where they trained Nigerian accomplices using scripts to conduct romance and investment fraud schemes while using the Nigerians' identities to carry out the crimes.
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WION
· 2024-12-17
Nigerian authorities arrested 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, in a raid on a luxury office building in Lagos operating as a cryptocurrency romance scam hub. The operation targeted victims primarily from America and Europe through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, using fake romantic relationships to lure people into fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes. The EFCC seized computers, phones, and vehicles during the raid and is collaborating with international partners to investigate further links to organized crime.
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KHON2 News
· 2024-12-18
The Better Business Bureau identified 12 common holiday scams, with misleading social media ads and imposter websites being the most prevalent. The list includes phishing emails, fake charities, puppy scams, unsafe holiday apps, and counterfeit product sales. To protect themselves, consumers should avoid interacting with unsolicited messages, only shop from trusted businesses, verify website authenticity, report scams to the BBB and financial institutions, and contact local law enforcement if money is lost.
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PBS NewsHour
· 2025-01-04
Pig-butchering investment scams have cost victims worldwide an estimated $75 billion over the past four years, with Americans alone losing $4.6 billion in 2023, through fake romantic relationships that manipulate targets into investing in cryptocurrency on fraudulent platforms. The scams typically begin with a wrong-number text leading to conversation with a fake attractive persona who builds trust over 90 days before pressuring victims to invest increasingly large sums until they lose their life savings. Beyond the financial victims, the scammers themselves are often human trafficking victims forced by Asian organized crime syndicates (primarily Chinese, but including Yakuza and Korean groups) operating from compound cities built specifically to run these
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WGN News
· 2025-01-07
The Better Business Bureau released its top 10 local scams of 2024, with online purchases through fake websites ranking as the #1 threat, followed by phishing scams, employment scams, debt collection scams, and social media shopping scams involving counterfeit products. Consumers are advised to verify companies through the BBB before providing personal or financial information, avoid clicking suspicious links in emails or social media ads, be wary of unsolicited urgent requests, and recognize that legitimate debt collectors must notify in writing before taking action.
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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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Denver7
· 2025-01-20
The City and County of Denver issued a warning about a text message scam falsely claiming recipients had unpaid parking invoices. The scam messages, which appeared official with Denver logos and branding, attempted to collect personal and financial information from residents; Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed it only notifies residents of unpaid parking tickets by mail, never by text.
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FOX 7 Austin
· 2025-01-27
According to a 2024 Better Business Bureau report, Texans lost over $10 million to scams, with the top five being: cryptocurrency investment scams (averaging $4,600 loss, primarily affecting ages 55-64), employment scams ($1.6 million total loss to ages 25-34), online purchase scams ($1.5 million in losses), phishing scams ($550,000 in losses), and additional unreported scams on social media. The report highlights that different age groups face different fraud risks, with older adults targeted for investment schemes while younger adults are more vulnerable to employment-related fraud.
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2025-02-06
Romance scams are prevalent and increasingly sophisticated, with the Better Business Bureau reporting a median loss of $6,000 per victim. Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and social media to build trust over weeks or months before requesting money or pushing cryptocurrency investment schemes, and they now use AI to generate realistic photos and communicate with multiple victims simultaneously. To protect yourself, verify profile photos using reverse image search, trust your instincts if something seems too good to be true, independently research any investment opportunities, and avoid clicking links or sharing financial information provided by potential romantic contacts.
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Eyewitness News ABC7NY
· 2025-02-07
Romance scammers are targeting people seeking relationships online, with the FTC reporting these scams cost Americans $1.3 billion annually. Scammers employ "love bombing" tactics, building emotional connections over months or even a year before requesting money, increasingly through cryptocurrency to remain untraceable. One Connecticut woman lost nearly $1 million to this type of fraud.
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WFMY News 2
· 2025-02-08
Romance scams cost victims over one billion dollars last year according to the FTC, with scammers typically requesting money from online dating prospects around Valentine's Day. The Better Business Bureau notes that victims lose money and experience emotional harm, as scammers are skilled manipulators who build trust before revealing their deceptive intentions. The key to protection is awareness that online romantic interests may not be who they claim to be and vigilance against requests for money from people you have not met in person.
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KFOR Oklahoma's News 4
· 2025-02-15
**Summary:**
Romance scams increase around Valentine's Day, with scammers creating fake online identities on dating apps to build trust and manipulate victims into sending money via gift cards or cryptocurrency or stealing personal information. The Better Business Bureau warns that older adults and lonely individuals are particularly vulnerable targets, and advises people to be suspicious of quick relationship progression, requests for financial help, and unusual payment methods, while encouraging people to check on vulnerable loved ones.
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PBS NewsHour
· 2025-02-16
Online romance scams target victims across all demographics through psychological manipulation, with perpetrators using fake profiles to convince people to invest money, often via cryptocurrency. Investigative reporter Cezary Podkul notes that victims have lost billions of dollars annually, with some individuals losing over $1 million, and that many scam operations are run by Chinese cybercriminal gangs that recruit trafficked individuals. To protect oneself, people should watch for red flags like unsolicited contact offering investments, seek second opinions from trusted friends, and report suspected scams immediately to local police, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the U.S. Secret Service to aid law enforcement in tracing funds and identifying additional
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WTRF
· 2025-02-16
Scammers are targeting dating app users by building romantic relationships and requesting money or personal information to invest in cryptocurrency, with the Better Business Bureau reporting approximately $500 million lost to romance scams last year alone. Red flags include requests to convert cash, checks, or gifts into Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, and scammers typically delete their accounts and block victims once money is obtained. Experts recommend immediately stopping contact with suspicious individuals and reviewing personal finances for any unauthorized transactions.
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KOBI-TV NBC5
· 2025-02-20
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has reported a rise in Bitcoin scams targeting local residents, with scammers impersonating financial institutions, individuals in need, or law enforcement to trick victims into purchasing cryptocurrency at ATMs located in convenience stores. Scammers obtain personal information online and use it to pressure victims into transactions with digital currency that is difficult to trace. The Sheriff's Office urges anyone suspecting fraudulent activity to report it to the Federal Trade Commission and to hang up on suspected scammers.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto ATM
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FOX 13 Seattle
· 2025-02-21
Tax scammers become increasingly sophisticated during tax season, using social media, texts, and emails to target taxpayers with false promises of faster refunds, claims of missed payments, or guarantees of larger refunds. To protect yourself, avoid clicking unrecognized websites, be wary of emails, texts, or calls claiming to be from the IRS (the real IRS does not demand urgent action with tight deadlines), and recognize that most tax-related offers on social media are scams.
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CBS TEXAS
· 2025-02-26
U.S. senators introduced legislation to combat Bitcoin ATM scams targeting older Americans, following investigations into the use of these machines by scammers. An 80-year-old victim lost $55,000 after falling for a "jailed son" imposter scam directing him to send cryptocurrency through a Bitcoin ATM; once the transaction completed, the funds could not be recovered. With over 4,000 Bitcoin ATMs operating in Texas alone, the proposed bill aims to establish safeguards and accountability measures to protect consumers from these increasingly common schemes.
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NBC Chicago
· 2025-03-01
Naperville police warned residents of scams targeting the community, reporting that residents lost $5.5 million to scammers in one year, with victims ranging in age from 15 to 91 years old. Common scams included cryptocurrency fraud, fake warrant phone calls, tech support scams, online retail scams, and phishing, with scammers often impersonating the IRS, Medicare, tech companies, or financial institutions and pressuring immediate payment via gift cards or wire transfers. Police advised residents to block unwanted calls, resist pressure to act immediately, consult trusted contacts before responding to strangers, and contact their bank and credit bureaus if they believe they've been scammed.
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National Geographic
· 2025-03-02
Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller explores cryptocurrency "rug pull" scams, where fraudsters create fake crypto tokens to steal investor money—a scheme that victimized people of nearly $3 billion in 2021 alone. The episode follows Van Zeller's investigation into young, wealthy scammers who exploit cryptocurrency's unregulated decentralized finance space, and features interviews with victims like Xavier, who lost money across multiple rug pull schemes with no recourse in the largely lawless crypto market.
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wgaltv
· 2025-03-06
The Better Business Bureau's 2024 Risk Scam Report identifies investment/cryptocurrency scams, employment scams, and romance scams as the top three riskiest scams based on exposure, susceptibility, and monetary loss. While the likelihood of experiencing a scam loss decreased 15% year-over-year, the median loss per victim increased 30% to $130, with seniors age 65 and older and young adults age 18-24 reporting the highest median dollar losses, and Publisher's Clearing House impersonation being the most common scam tactic.
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WBNS 10TV
· 2025-03-09
A Central Ohio man lost over $42,000 in a romance scam involving cryptocurrency investments after meeting a woman on Facebook who convinced him to invest in her crypto business. The scammer used fake investment screenshots showing growth to encourage continued payments before disappearing with his money, personal information, and Social Security number. The Better Business Bureau reports that crypto investment scams facilitated through online relationships are increasingly common in the Central Ohio area.
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19 News
· 2025-03-13
According to a 2024 Better Business Bureau report, cryptocurrency and investment scams ranked as the leading consumer fraud scheme, with victims losing anywhere from $5,000 to over $1.3 million in individual cases. Scammers exploit people's desire for easy money by posing as investment advisors and falsely promising tenfold returns on deposited funds. The BBB advises consumers to be cautious of anyone offering seemingly easy investment processes and recommends reporting suspected scams.
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FOX23 News Tulsa
· 2025-03-17
The Better Business Bureau's 2024 Scam Tracker Risk Report identifies the five riskiest scams targeting consumers. Cryptocurrency investment scams rank first, with 80% of victims losing an average of $5,000 through pressure to trade or store funds on fake exchanges; other high-risk scams include employment fraud (fake job offers requesting personal information and payment for training), romance scams (where victims send money to fabricated relationships), and scams using fake checks or overpayment schemes. Scammers continually adapt traditional fraud methods with new twists to exploit victims.
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WWLP-22News
· 2025-03-21
Beverly police recovered $21,000 for three senior residents (ages 80, 83, and 90) who were victims of Bitcoin ATM scams, after obtaining warrants to seize the machines used in the fraud. Police Chief John Leecher emphasized that quick reporting was critical to the recovery, as these machines are typically emptied daily, and noted that another officer recently prevented an elderly man from losing $4,000 in a similar scheme.
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CNBC Television
· 2025-03-25
Tax season is a prime time for fraud, with Americans losing $9.1 billion to tax fraud and financial crimes in 2024 according to the IRS. Scammers target individuals filing taxes to steal identities, usernames, passwords, and access to financial accounts and tax prep software. To protect yourself, the IRS recommends setting up an identity protection PIN, using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly monitoring or freezing your credit.
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WIRED
· 2025-03-28
A WIRED article examines romance scams through the story of a victim who lost $300,000 after meeting someone on the dating app Hinge who posed as a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and convinced her to invest her savings and IRA funds. The piece explores how scammers use dating platforms to build trust over weeks or months before exploiting victims financially, and notes that romance scams are among the most personally and financially damaging online fraud schemes, with perpetrators constantly evolving their tactics.
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Eyewitness News ABC7NY
· 2025-03-28
**Cryptocurrency Scam Awareness**
Scammers stole approximately $9.9-$10 billion in cryptocurrency in 2024, exploiting the 72 million American crypto users through low-tech methods including phishing (impersonating trusted firms), romance scams (building fake relationships to encourage crypto investment), and rugpulls (fraudsters promoting fake tokens then disappearing with funds). Understanding these common scam tactics helps protect investors from becoming victims.
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ABC15 Arizona
· 2025-04-01
During tax season, scammers employ three main tactics: fraudulent text messages falsely claiming stimulus check eligibility and requesting personal information through fake links; misleading social media posts offering illegal tax advice to "beat the system" using W-2 forms; and imposter "offer in compromise" schemes that charge fees to help people avoid tax debt, when the IRS program is actually free. Consumers should be aware that the IRS never initiates contact via text, all stimulus payments have been issued, and legitimate tax relief assistance does not require upfront fees.
Cryptocurrency
Gift Cards
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KETV NewsWatch 7
· 2025-04-04
Two brothers in their 70s in Lancaster County lost $1.3 million in a cryptocurrency online trading scam, while another victim lost nearly $50,000 over six months in a similar scheme. Law enforcement reports multiple cryptocurrency scams in the area this year resulting in substantial losses, with funds often transferred overseas, making recovery unlikely. Officials recommend exercising caution when investing online, particularly with unfamiliar people or platforms, and suggest consulting the FBI's website for more information.
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WLWT
· 2025-04-11
A 73-year-old Delhi woman lost $41,000 in a cryptocurrency scam that began with a pop-up warning claiming her computer was hacked. The victim called what she believed was Microsoft support but was actually a scammer who convinced her to withdraw cash and convert it to Bitcoin at an ATM. After she reported the fraud, investigators were able to freeze the transfers and recover $35,000 of the stolen funds.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto ATM
Cash
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KPAX-TV
· 2025-04-11
A Helena, Montana resident nearly fell victim to an impersonation scam when a caller posing as a sheriff's office representative threatened arrest for missed jury duty and demanded $5,000 payment. The victim avoided losing money by contacting his bank, Opportunity Bank of Montana, whose employees verified the scam and confirmed the fraudster had spoofed the sheriff's department's phone number. The transcript emphasizes common tactics scammers use—fear and urgency—and recommends pausing to verify information before responding to suspicious communications.
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Al Jazeera English
· 2025-04-18
Romance scams are rising significantly, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting that approximately 70,000 people across the US fell victim to fake virtual romances in 2022 alone, resulting in $1.3 billion in losses. Scammers use fake profiles with AI-generated images to pose as attractive individuals on social media platforms like Facebook, targeting victims emotionally before requesting money. Gen Z is among the biggest targets of these scams, yet victims are often blamed and reluctant to speak openly about their experiences.
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CNA Insider
· 2025-04-19
Chinese exchange students studying abroad have become targets of a "cyber kidnapping" scam in which scammers send fake images of tied-up or injured victims to families and demand ransom payments—sometimes exceeding $1 million—while threatening to harm or sell the student's organs. The scam uses internet-based psychological manipulation rather than physical abduction, and has affected multiple Chinese international students globally, including cases like 17-year-old Kai Chuang who went missing in Utah in December 2023. Law enforcement warns that these crimes are difficult to prevent or resolve, as scammers operate with little accountability and families face impossible decisions when unable to verify their loved one's actual location or safety
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NBC New York
· 2025-04-29
A Queens man lost more than $123,000 in a cryptocurrency romance scam after being contacted by someone posing as "Angela" who built a romantic relationship with him via text over two weeks. The scammer convinced him to invest in cryptocurrency through a fake trading website that falsely showed growing returns, gradually persuading him to wire transfer increasing amounts ($500, $20,000, $38,000, $46,800, and $18,000) before he became suspicious. Cryptocurrency romance scams are identified as one of the fastest-growing fraud schemes targeting victims through romantic manipulation.
Cryptocurrency
Wire Transfer
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Dayton 24/7 Now
· 2025-05-13
Millions of elderly Americans fall victim to financial scams annually, with the most common targeting seniors being investment/cryptocurrency scams, home improvement scams, romance scams, and online purchase scams. Phone fraud is also prevalent, where scammers impersonate government agencies or bank officials, using either polite or threatening tactics to manipulate victims into sending money. To protect seniors, awareness of these common scam types and verification tactics is essential.
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News 5 Cleveland
· 2025-05-19
According to FBI figures, scammers defrauded seniors of $4.8 billion in 2024. The Mentor Police Department in Northeast Ohio is increasing scam prevention outreach through workshops at senior centers and assisted living facilities in response to rising fraud targeting older adults. One victim, Jack Hines, nearly fell for a phishing email scam but caught himself before losing money.
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NBC10 Boston
· 2025-05-23
Massachusetts consumer protection officials warn residents to stay alert against increasingly common scams, noting that older Americans lost nearly $5 billion to fraud in the past year. Key red flags include social media scams that create urgency, unsolicited phone calls, tech support scams, romance scams, and cryptocurrency schemes, with protective measures including ignoring unknown callers, using two-factor authentication, and regularly changing passwords.
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CBS Evening News
· 2025-06-01
A 26-year-old U.S. Navy electrician named Thomas Xiao admitted to passing sensitive military documents to a Chinese intelligence officer who posed as an investor and researcher on the Chinese social media app WeChat between 2021 and 2023. Chinese intelligence operatives are increasingly using social media and virtual contact to recruit U.S. military personnel and extract classified information, as traditional in-person espionage has become more difficult.
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WFRV Local 5
· 2025-06-03
The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau warns that investment and cryptocurrency scams are the most prevalent frauds targeting adults 55 and older. The BBB recommends being cautious of phone fraud with spoofed caller IDs, avoiding pressure to act immediately, and verifying unusual claims by calling official sources directly rather than trusting the caller's information.
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CTV News
· 2025-06-26
A Manitoba senior lost his entire life savings of $2 million in a cryptocurrency investment scam involving a fake website called "Fargo Investor" created using artificial intelligence. Scammers, reportedly operating from outside Canada, used social media ads featuring celebrity endorsements to promote the unregistered investment opportunity, which the Manitoba Securities Commission warns is part of a rising trend of fraud targeting seniors.
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CTV News
· 2025-06-26
A Manitoba senior lost $2 million in a Fargo Investor cryptocurrency scam, prompting a warning from the Manitoba Securities Commission. The fraudulent scheme operated by showing the victim fake returns on his investments over time, creating the illusion of legitimate gains before the scammers converted his money to cryptocurrency and moved it overseas.
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FOX 4 Now
· 2025-07-11
Active duty military members in Florida reported 50% higher losses to scammers in 2024 compared to other Americans, affecting approximately 62,000 service members in the state. Scammers primarily target military consumers through online purchases, fake job postings, cryptocurrency investments, home improvements, and vacation deals, exploiting vulnerabilities created by frequent relocations and deployments. Protective measures include avoiding unsolicited links and attachments, being skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true, and using secure payment methods while avoiding cryptocurrency transfers.
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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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19 News
· 2025-07-23
A 66-year-old woman from Mentor, Ohio lost over $400,000 in a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam after being contacted by a scammer posing as an online friend offering investment advice. The scammer displayed fake returns to lure her in, then demanded six-figure fees to withdraw her funds—a classic fraud tactic. The victim is one of nearly 30 people across multiple states targeted by this same scam operation.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-08-01
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand highlighted that elder abuse and neglect significantly impacts older adults in communities and long-term care settings, with only one in 24 cases reported to authorities, indicating the problem is far more widespread than realized. She emphasized that community programs—including long-term care ombudsman programs, protection advocacy agencies, and adult protective services—are essential systems that must be strengthened and protected to combat elder abuse and financial fraud. Gillibrand called for Congress to ensure these programs remain available to seniors and to empower law enforcement in preventing financial abuse as scams continue to evolve.
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CBS Sunday Morning
· 2025-08-10
Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, discovered that scammers were using deepfake or edited videos of him on YouTube to perpetrate a Bitcoin fraud scheme, promising to double any Bitcoin sent to a provided address. Victims, including Jennifer Marion who lost $59,000 worth of Bitcoin, received nothing in return, and Wozniak sued YouTube for failing to remove the fraudulent videos despite repeated requests from his legal team.
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WREG News Channel 3
· 2025-08-11
Unable to provide accurate summary. The provided text appears to be a garbled or corrupted transcript with significant OCR errors and incomplete segments that make the actual content indecipherable. While the title mentions "tariff scams" involving fake government and shipping messages that trick people into paying fees, the body text does not contain coherent information about this scam. To create an accurate summary for the Elderus database, please provide a clean, readable version of the article.
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FOX 5 Atlanta
· 2025-08-20
Peach Tree City Police identified cryptocurrency ATMs as the leading cause of fraud in their jurisdiction, with victims losing $2 million in just eight months of 2024. Scammers deceived residents into depositing cash into cryptocurrency accounts via ATMs located in stores and gas stations, often wiping out life savings and retirement accounts. Police emphasized that any unsolicited request to use a crypto or Bitcoin ATM is a scam, and warn this problem is occurring in communities nationwide.
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WUSA9
· 2025-09-08
DC's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against a major Bitcoin ATM operator after finding that 93% of deposits at these machines were linked to fraud, with victims having a median age of 71 and median losses of $8,000. The scam typically begins with a phone call from someone impersonating a bank, government official, or trusted company, who convinces seniors to deposit money into Bitcoin ATMs under false pretenses such as protecting their funds or assisting with a government investigation. Red flags include high-pressure tactics and artificial urgency in these calls.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2025-09-22
Congressman Warren Davidson emphasizes that elder fraud represents a pressing threat to American families and calls for stronger legal protections against these schemes, which he characterizes as particularly deceptive and now operating as global enterprises. He advocates for bipartisan action to address the issue and references the Guard Act as an example of bipartisan legislation designed to better protect seniors from financial fraud.
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KOAA 5
· 2025-10-07
A Colorado Springs woman lost her $37,000 inheritance to a fake cryptocurrency investment scam after seeing what appeared to be an investment opportunity posted by a close friend on Facebook. The friend's account had been hacked, and scammers used it to lure Suzanne Pence into the fraudulent scheme, stripping away the funds her father had left behind.
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ABC News
· 2025-10-09
An 85-year-old woman, Fran Bates, lost tens of thousands of dollars of her life savings to a cryptocurrency scam over two days when a scammer convinced her that her bank account had been hacked and instructed her to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM for safety. The scam was caught on camera at the ATM, where the victim deposited at least $23,000 before intervention occurred, highlighting how sophisticated criminal networks are increasingly exploiting Bitcoin ATMs—of which over 45,000 operate across the country—to defraud Americans.
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Good Morning America
· 2025-10-09
An 85-year-old woman named Fran Bates was scammed over two days by criminals who convinced her that her bank account had been hacked and persuaded her to deposit tens of thousands of dollars of her life savings into a Bitcoin ATM for "safety." This scam is part of a larger trend in which sophisticated criminal networks are increasingly exploiting the over 45,000 Bitcoin ATMs across the country to separate Americans from their money.
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Eyewitness News ABC7NY
· 2025-10-09
Scammers are using crypto ATMs in a modern twist on classic extortion schemes, with an estimated incident occurring every minute in the United States. A New Jersey woman was targeted by fraudsters posing as a sheriff's lieutenant claiming she missed jury duty and had arrest warrants, keeping her on the phone for two hours under duress before convincing her to withdraw $7,500 from her bank and deposit it into a cryptocurrency ATM. The scheme exploits victims' anxiety and unfamiliarity with crypto technology to quickly move funds beyond recovery.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto ATM
Cash
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
deseret.com
· 2025-12-08
Scammers are targeting frustrated travelers on social media by posing as airline representatives, requesting personal and financial information through direct messages under the guise of helping rebook flights. Major airlines including JetBlue, United, and Southwest have acknowledged the problem and recommend customers verify account authenticity (looking for official checkmarks), use private messaging when contacting airlines, and report fraudulent accounts to social media platforms. Common travel scams also include "free" vacation offers requiring upfront fees and illegal robocalls promoting discounted travel deals.
cnbc.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, consumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud, with imposter scams being the most prevalent, affecting nearly 854,000 people and resulting in $2.7 billion in losses at an average of $800 per victim. Imposter scams involve criminals posing as trusted entities (government agencies, companies, relatives, or romantic interests) via email, phone, text, or social media to steal money or personal information, with emerging technologies like AI and voice cloning making these frauds increasingly convincing. Older adults, particularly those 80 and over, experience significantly higher median losses ($1,450) and are particularly vulnerable to "phantom hacker" tech-
yakimaherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams have increasingly targeted younger age groups (people in their 20s and 30s) across dating apps and social media platforms, with reported losses reaching $469.9 million in 2023—a 104% increase from 2019. Scammers use fake profiles and AI-generated photos to build romantic connections before requesting money or personal information, exploiting victims' emotional vulnerability. To avoid romance scams, people should be wary of requests for money or banking details, watch for requests to switch communication platforms, and verify suspicious requests before responding.
kiplinger.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, scam victims lost over $10 billion—a 14% increase from 2022 and a new record—with the FTC receiving 2.6 million fraud reports where one in four people lost money (median loss of $500). Investment scams caused the largest losses at $4.6 billion (21% increase), followed by imposter scams at $2.7 billion, with the FTC advising consumers never to share private information with unsolicited callers and to be skeptical of unrealistic financial promises.
ncdoj.gov
· 2025-12-08
Imposter scams, where criminals pose as government agencies, law enforcement, or companies to threaten victims with arrest or legal consequences, cost Americans $2.7 billion last year. The article provides protective measures against these scams, emphasizing that legitimate government officials never contact people via phone or text demanding money or personal information, and warns that requests for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency are clear red flags indicating fraud.
mydailyrecord.com
· 2025-12-08
Cryptocurrency scams operate on dating apps like Tinder by building romantic relationships with victims, then convincing them to invest in fake trading platforms or cryptocurrency schemes. Scammers move conversations to texting apps, fabricate stories about lucrative investment opportunities (often involving family members with crypto expertise), and direct victims to deposit money into fraudulent platforms with hidden fees and minimum balance requirements that trap funds. Reported losses include $45,000, $14,000, and $4,000, with victims unable to recover funds after accounts are blocked or frozen, sometimes with additional tax threats used to extract more money.
gulfcoastmedia.com
· 2025-12-08
The North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau are hosting a free "Protect Yourself Against Scammers Summit" on March 7 for senior citizens in Bay Minette, Alabama. The educational event will cover major fraud schemes including government impostor scams, romance scams, identity theft, investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and Medicare fraud to help seniors recognize and avoid becoming victims.
theautopian.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial advice columnist Charlotte Cowles lost $50,000 to a sophisticated phone scam in which callers impersonated Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and the CIA, using personal information to convince her to withdraw cash and hand it to an undercover "CIA agent." The scammers obtained her Social Security number and family details, and instructed her not to tell anyone, ultimately leading her to place $50,000 in a shoebox and hand it through a car window. Cowles publicly shared her experience to raise awareness about how scams can target anyone, regardless of financial literacy or expertise, and to help prevent others from falling victim to similar schemes.
foreignpolicy.com
· 2025-12-08
This is a table of contents/editorial overview rather than a detailed article about a specific scam. It introduces a Foreign Policy collection examining major global con artists and scams, including cases involving Ghana-based fraud, the BCCI bank corruption scandal, a fake Bhutanese refugee scheme in Nepal, cryptocurrency fraud involving Sam Bankman-Fried, and Delaware's role as an offshore financial haven. The collection explores why victims across all demographics—from wealthy individuals to government officials to journalists—fall for sophisticated scams and how perpetrators evade consequences.
Cryptocurrency
freep.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, consumers reported losing a record $10 billion to fraud and scams—a 14% increase from 2022—according to FTC data, with 2.6 million fraud reports filed nationwide and approximately 700,000 people reporting financial losses. Common scams included romance fraud, fake bank and tech support calls, and impersonation schemes, with criminals exploiting digital payment methods including bank transfers ($1.86 billion) and cryptocurrency ($1.41 billion). Michigan consumers alone lost $151.7 million to fraud in 2023, with a median loss of $410 per victim.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Between October 2023 and January 2024, 3,066 victims in Singapore lost over $45.7 million to job scams, according to police reports. Scammers used dating apps, messaging platforms, and social media to recruit victims, offering commissions for tasks like boosting social media engagement, completing surveys, or affiliate marketing, then pressuring them to transfer money to bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets via fake websites or investment schemes. Police warned the public to verify job offers through official channels, avoid unknown links and apps, and use privacy settings on messaging platforms to prevent unsolicited recruitment into chat groups.
stories.td.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams cost Canadian victims over $50 million in 2023, with fraudsters building trust over weeks to years before requesting money for emergencies, business ventures, or cryptocurrency investments. While seniors are frequently targeted, anyone—particularly those who are lonely or vulnerable—can fall victim to these scams that occur across dating apps and social media platforms. Key prevention strategies include being cautious of quick professions of love, avoiding in-person meetings, refusing personal information requests, and understanding that sent money is often irretrievable.
wtae.com
· 2025-12-08
Pittsburgh police warned the public about bitcoin scams targeting older adults, with at least two victims losing thousands of dollars after being tricked by fake Apple support and bank fraud specialists into purchasing cryptocurrency at convenience stores—a 70-year-old woman lost $22,000 and a 72-year-old lost $7,000. Similar scams in surrounding areas resulted in larger losses, though North Huntingdon police successfully recovered approximately $41,000 of a $50,000 bitcoin ATM theft through rapid police intervention. Scammers exploit these platforms because cryptocurrency transactions are difficult to trace and reverse, making quick reporting to local police essential for any chance of recovery.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
A South Hills woman lost $10,000 in a sophisticated Bitcoin scam after receiving a fake "hacking alert" pop-up that directed her to call a number where scammers impersonating Microsoft and bank representatives claimed her account was compromised and threatened her with child pornography charges. Pittsburgh police reported at least three victims in total, including two women in their 70s who lost $22,000 and $7,000 respectively through the same scheme, which exploited urgency and fear to pressure victims into withdrawing cash and purchasing Bitcoin. Police warned that scammers use legitimate-sounding company names and call transfers to appear credible, and advised that once cryptocurrency money is transferred, recovery
soaps.sheknows.com
· 2025-12-08
A Chicago woman lost over $80,000 to a romance scam in which a con artist impersonated actor Taylor Kinney from the TV show Chicago Fire. The scammer, whom the woman met on a fan website, gradually escalated requests for money over a year-long period, using manipulative emotional language and guilt to drain her savings, 401(k), and car equity. The case highlights a broader problem: the FTC reported 64,003 romance scam victims in 2023, with scammers commonly posing as celebrities or other figures to exploit victims' emotions and trust.
beincrypto.com
· 2025-12-08
A 57-year-old finance manager in Hong Kong lost over HK$17 million (~$2.1 million) to a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam after being contacted on Instagram by a scammer posing as a former business partner. Over several months, she made 45 transfers to 29 bank accounts based on false promises of profits from gold and crypto investments before discovering the fraudulent trading platform was inaccessible. The scam was part of a broader trend in crypto fraud, and police noted that nine of the accounts involved had been previously flagged for similar schemes.
skepchick.org
· 2025-12-08
Charlotte Cowles, a financial advice columnist for The Cut, lost $50,000 to a government impersonation scam in which she received a phone call spoofed to appear from Amazon, was transferred through fake FTC and CIA contacts, and was instructed to withdraw cash, place it in a shoebox, and hand it to an "undercover agent." The scam succeeded despite being transparently fraudulent—involving obvious red flags like being told not to inform her husband and to conduct the handoff immediately—partly due to Cowles' lack of financial literacy despite her advice columnist role and her apparent overconfidence that she was not a typical scam victim.
tahlequahdailypress.com
· 2025-12-08
Financial institutions across Oklahoma and nationally are reporting a surge in customers being defrauded into withdrawing large cash amounts and depositing them into cryptocurrency ATMs following instructions from scammers. The article emphasizes that legitimate entities—banks, tech companies, law enforcement, regulators, attorneys, romantic interests, or investment advisors—will never request this type of transaction, making any such request a clear indicator of fraud.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto ATM
Cash
cavazossentinel.com
· 2025-12-08
Military personnel, veterans, and their families can protect themselves from scams by using strong passwords, password managers, two-factor authentication, and separating work and personal accounts. The most rapidly growing scams targeting this population are confidence and romance scams, along with online impersonation accounts (often impersonating high-ranking officials), credit repair schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, social media account takeovers, and extortion attempts involving compromised photos. Awareness of common tactics—such as requests for gift cards or money from supposed military officials via text, fake investment opportunities posted from hacked accounts, and suspicious website URLs—can help individuals avoid becoming victims.
valdostatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Georgia residents lost $234.3 million to fraud in 2023 across 65,825 reported incidents to the FTC, ranking the state 15th most defrauded nationally. The three most common scam types were Credit Bureaus/Information Furnishers (25% of reports), Identity Theft (23%), and Imposter Scams (9%), with victims advised to monitor credit reports, avoid sharing personal information unsolicited, and never send money to unknown parties.
kbtx.com
· 2025-12-08
The Brazos County Sheriff's Office and College Station Police Department warned residents about a rising trend in phone and internet scams, including impersonation calls falsely claiming to be from law enforcement and demanding payment via digital payment apps. Deputy Christopher Searles emphasized that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never call demanding money or request personal information like Social Security numbers or bank details over the phone, and advised residents to hang up on suspicious calls, verify sender identities by hovering over email addresses, and contact agencies directly if uncertain. Victims of scams are encouraged to report incidents to local law enforcement.
marketrealist.com
· 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old Taiwanese immigrant lost approximately $720,000 in a cryptocurrency investment scam after being approached on WeChat by a scammer who built her trust and convinced her to invest her life savings and retirement funds into a fraudulent trading app. She subsequently sued Chase Bank, claiming the bank failed to alert her or her daughter (joint account owner) to the suspicious transactions that deviated from her normal spending patterns, though the bank disputed this account and stated it had provided warnings about fraud risks. The case highlights the vulnerability of seniors to investment scams, with Americans losing over $3 billion to such schemes in 2022 alone.
publicnewsservice.org
· 2025-12-08
AARP Connecticut is launching a new educational series to address the growing complexity of scams targeting older adults, with 400 different scam types reported in 2022. Seniors are frequently targeted because they tend to have more financial resources, and losses can range from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars, with emotional and psychological impacts extending beyond financial harm. The free online series will cover topics including artificial intelligence and voice cloning scams, with a Connecticut man recently indicted for defrauding Wisconsin seniors of $200,000 through grandparent impersonation scams.
pgurus.com
· 2025-12-08
A company operating in Myanmar's KK Park defrauded victims of over $100 million in less than two years using Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, primarily through "pig butchering" romance scams where fraudsters build false romantic relationships to manipulate victims into sending money. The operation, which housed approximately 2,000 trafficked workers, also received ransom payments from families of trafficking victims, with a single Chinese company transferring over $100 million through just two digital wallets. In 2022 alone, U.S. citizens reported losses exceeding $700 million to romance scams and nearly $2.5 billion to cryptocurrency investment scams overall.
daijiworld.com
· 2025-12-08
A Myanmar-based company operating in KK Park defrauded victims of over $100 million in less than two years using "pig butchering" romance scams, where perpetrators engineer false romantic relationships to manipulate victims into sending cryptocurrency payments, often mixed with ransom demands from trafficked workers. Blockchain researchers tracked Tether cryptocurrency tokens flowing to the scam operation, with the single Chinese company transferring over $100 million through just two digital wallets, while the compound reportedly holds over 2,000 trafficked romance scam workers. In 2022 alone, U.S. citizens lost more than $700 million to romance scams and nearly $2
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
Online scams in the United States reached record losses of $6.9 billion in 2021, nearly doubling since 2019, with Pennsylvania ranking fifth among most-scammed states at $207 million in losses affecting 17,262 victims who lost an average of $11,991 each. Romance, cryptocurrency, and investment scams are increasingly sophisticated and affecting educated individuals across all socioeconomic levels, with teens experiencing the highest percentage increase in losses (1,125% over five years) and seniors seeing a 390% increase. The article recommends avoiding money transfers to strangers met online, refusing requests for personal information, performing reverse image searches to verify identities,
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-08
A Hong Kong company lost HK$200 million (A$40 million) when an employee was deceived by scammers using deepfake technology to impersonate senior officials in a video conference call and direct a funds transfer. The article explains that current legislation does not clearly establish liability for deepfake fraud victims seeking compensation from social media platforms, banks, or AI tool providers, though regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions like Australia and the UK are beginning to address these gaps. Legal responsibility remains unclear, with potential future requirements for platforms to remove fraudulent deepfakes, banks to reimburse victims, and AI providers to implement safeguards against misuse.
chainalysis.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams ("pig butchering scams") generated over $700 million in reported losses to Americans in 2022, with scammers building fake relationships and coercing victims into fraudulent cryptocurrency and fiat investments before disappearing. Beyond victimizing romance scam targets, criminal gangs operating compounds in Myanmar and Southeast Asia have kidnapped and trafficked individuals forced to work 12+ hour days executing these scams, with gangs also collecting ransoms from victims' families in cryptocurrency, effectively mixing scam proceeds with extortion payments.
wcti12.com
· 2025-12-08
Carteret County, North Carolina is experiencing a surge in elder scams involving cryptocurrency and phone-based fraud, including impersonation of law enforcement, fake bail/accident schemes, and romance scams. County officials warn against sending money to unknown contacts claiming legal authority, investing in cryptocurrency without research, clicking suspicious links, and falling victim to online relationship scams, while noting that cryptocurrency and gift cards are preferred by scammers because they are difficult for law enforcement to trace. Residents are advised to verify suspicious claims with local law enforcement before sending any funds.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia tech professional named Shreya Datta lost approximately $450,000 in savings and retirement funds to a "pig butchering" romance scam, in which a man posing as a French wine trader named "Ancel" built trust over months using deepfake videos and manipulated screenshots before convincing her to invest in cryptocurrency through a fraudulent trading app. The scammer used emotional manipulation, gifts, and fabricated investment profits to gradually increase her investment until she attempted withdrawal and discovered the scheme; the FBI reported that over 40,000 people lost more than $3.5 billion to dating scams in 2023.
clickorlando.com
· 2025-12-08
A Miami man lost $42,000 in a romance scam involving a fake woman posing as an Estee Lauder executive named "Mandy Li" who connected with him via Instagram in December 2023. The scammer used a stolen photograph and initially showed small investment returns on Crypto.com to build trust, then convinced the victim to transfer funds to a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform where he was promised 1% daily gains; when he attempted withdrawal, he learned the funds were gone. This case exemplifies "pig butchering" scams, part of a broader trend where the FTC reported $1.14 billion in romance scam losses in 2023,
therecord.media
· 2025-12-08
Investigators traced nearly $100 million in cryptocurrency payments to a criminal scam compound in Myanmar (KK Park) operating pig butchering romance scams and worker trafficking ransoms over less than two years. Two cryptocurrency addresses linked to a Chinese front company received $24.2 million from known scam wallets and additional funds from ransoms, with families often extorted for $30,000+ to secure trafficked workers' release. The investigation reveals how romance scams and ransom extortion are interconnected operations generating significant profits for organized crime syndicates in Southeast Asia.
dojmt.gov
· 2025-12-08
The Montana Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Protection is warning of a cryptocurrency scam targeting PPP loan recipients, in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement and threaten arrest for unpaid loans to extort victims into sending money via bitcoin ATMs. Scammers exploit publicly available PPP loan data and confusion about loan forgiveness, using threats and forged documents to coerce victims into irretrievable cryptocurrency transfers. The agency advises that legitimate government agencies never demand payment over the phone and urges victims to report attempts to authorities.
cryptopolitan.com
· 2025-12-08
MicroStrategy's X account was hacked and used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency token ($MSTR), with scammers directing the company's 196,500 followers to connect their digital wallets to a malicious link; victims lost $440,000 in the phishing scheme. This incident reflects a growing trend of social media-based crypto scams targeting high-profile accounts, with similar recent attacks on Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin's account ($700,000 in losses) and the SEC's X account. Enhanced security measures, including robust authentication processes and user education about phishing attempts, are needed to protect social media users from these increasingly sophisticated schemes.
m9.news
· 2025-12-08
Shreya Datta, a 37-year-old Indian-American tech professional in Philadelphia, lost $450,000 to a sophisticated "pig butchering" romance scam in which a fraudster posing as a French wine trader named Ancel used deepfake videos and emotional manipulation on the dating app Hinge to lure her into a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. The scammer requested increasing investments and ultimately asked for a "tax" when Datta attempted to withdraw profits, revealing the fraud. Dating scams accounted for over $3.5 billion in losses in 2023, and victims often experience significant emotional distress compounded by social stigma and shame that disc
gmanetwork.com
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Philadelphia tech professional lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam involving a fake online suitor who used deepfake videos and sophisticated social engineering to build romantic trust before directing her to a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment app. The scammer, operating from Southeast Asia as part of an organized crime syndicate, convinced the victim to invest her savings and retirement funds by showing fake profitable trades and gradually escalating pressure to invest more. This type of romance-based cryptocurrency fraud has resulted in billions of dollars in losses across the United States with minimal victim recovery options.
netnewsledger.com
· 2025-12-08
The Thunder Bay Police Service warned of persistent grandparent scams targeting seniors in the community, with one victim losing $3,000 after receiving a call from someone impersonating a lawyer representing her grandson who allegedly needed bail money. The scam typically involves fraudsters calling from private numbers, sometimes playing background voices to create credibility, and requesting urgent fund transfers via email or gift cards. The police recommend protective measures including hanging up on suspicious calls, independently verifying claims with family members, being alert to pressure tactics, reporting suspicious activity, and staying informed through resources like the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
consumer.ftc.gov
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece warns that gift cards are exclusively for gift-giving occasions; if someone is pressuring you to buy gift cards to pay for taxes, tech support, prizes, or other non-gift purposes, it is a scam. Scammers use various tactics including impersonating government officials, tech support, family members (via AI voice cloning), or prize notifications to create urgency and extract money. The article advises victims to immediately report the scam to the gift card company and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov to potentially recover funds and help protect others in their community.
akronlegalnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Investment scams on social media, particularly cryptocurrency schemes, cost U.S. consumers $3.8 billion in 2023—double the 2021 amount. Troy Gochenour of Columbus, Ohio, lost $25,800 (including $15,800 in borrowed funds) to a romance-scam-turned-crypto-mining scheme that used fake wallet balances and fake contracts to pressure him into repeated payments. The article advises consumers to avoid investment offers promising quick, guaranteed, or risk-free returns; to verify endorsements and testimonials; and to contact friends directly if suspicious messages appear to come from their accounts.
kjrh.com
· 2025-12-08
The Federal Trade Commission warns that cryptocurrency scams cost victims over $1 billion last year, with scammers posing as investment managers who convince people to withdraw retirement funds and deposit them into cryptocurrency ATMs under false pretenses of protection. Key red flags include unsolicited calls promising risk-free returns, celebrity endorsements on social media, demands for cryptocurrency payments, and romance scams requesting crypto transfers. Experts advise searching online for company reviews, complaints, and scam reports before engaging with any cryptocurrency investment opportunity, as funds transferred to crypto ATMs are virtually impossible to recover.
taipeitimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 37-year-old Philadelphia tech professional lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam after being wooed for months on a dating app by someone posing as a French wine trader using deepfake videos and sophisticated manipulation tactics. The fraudster gained her trust through romantic attention, then convinced her to invest in cryptocurrency through a fake trading app, with initial fake gains encouraging larger investments including her retirement funds and loans. The scam, run by Southeast Asian crime syndicates, has caused billions in losses across the US with little recourse for victims to recover their money.
palmcoastobserver.com
· 2025-12-08
The Ormond Beach Police Department reported 246 fraud cases in 2024, with victims losing thousands of dollars in schemes including fake investments (Belgian mine), romance scams (Gaza war), and tech support fraud using gift cards and cryptocurrency. Elderly victims over 60 are disproportionately targeted, with national data showing losses increased 84% and cryptocurrency-related losses surged 350%, with victims averaging $35,101 in losses. Police note that cryptocurrency fraud cases have grown from roughly one per month to several per week, as criminals increasingly exploit digital payment methods and cryptocurrency ATMs to evade detection.
vancouver.citynews.ca
· 2025-12-08
The Vancouver Police Department is hosting free scam prevention workshops for seniors, with the first session on February 28, 2024, covering phone scams, bail money scams, distraction thefts, and cybercrime. The initiative follows recent scams in the region, including a bail money scam targeting a Vancouver senior, a $7.5 million cryptocurrency scam affecting a Burnaby senior, and an AI-enabled grandparent scam in Richmond. Monthly workshops will continue through June at various community locations, including sessions in multiple languages.
thestar.com.my
· 2025-12-08
Investment scams continue to victimize Malaysians across all education and income levels, with recent cases including a trader losing RM6.2 million to a fake investment scheme and an elderly woman losing over RM10 million to a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. Phone scammers posing as officials also defrauded senior citizens of RM3.83 million in retirement funds and savings. Between 2019 and 2023, Malaysia recorded 14,488 investment-related fraud cases totaling RM1.34 billion in losses, prompting police and the Securities Commission to increase collaboration efforts to combat such crimes.
kpmg.com
· 2025-12-08
Canadian organizations of all sizes face evolving fraud risks driven by technological advances like generative AI, cryptocurrency, and digital payment systems, with SMBs particularly vulnerable due to limited fraud prevention resources and awareness. Fraudsters employ increasingly sophisticated tactics including crypto scams, online payment fraud, social engineering attacks targeting elders, and ESG misrepresentation, with 88% of victimized Canadian SMBs experiencing internal fraud and 75% experiencing external fraud over the past five years. Organizations must strengthen their fraud prevention strategies through risk assessment, robust controls, and cross-sector partnerships to effectively counter these threats.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FTC reported over 2 million fraud cases in the U.S. resulting in $10 billion in losses, with the most common scams being imposter calls, online shopping fraud, prize/sweepstakes scams, investment schemes, and fake job listings. The FTC advises consumers to watch for red flags such as unsolicited requests for money, promises of guaranteed or unusually high investment returns, and notifications about winnings from contests never entered, and recommends verifying contacts by calling them directly rather than using numbers provided by callers.
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
Undercover video obtained by software engineer Jim Browning reveals a "pig butchering" scam operation based in Dubai employing hundreds of people, including real models, to pose as glamorous individuals on dating apps and romance-bait victims into fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. The scammers use VPNs, multiple messaging platforms, and scripts to target victims globally across countries ranging from South America to Central Asia, with workers operating from eight-story buildings under exploitative conditions. The operation, run primarily by Chinese nationals using migrant workers from North Africa and Southeast Asia, commits romance and investment fraud to extract large sums of money from unsuspecting victims worldwide.
beincrypto.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams have surged 85-fold since 2020, with scammers using fabricated personal narratives and cryptocurrency to steal millions from vulnerable victims seeking companionship. Notable cases include an Indian software engineer losing $120,500 to a fake investment scheme on a matrimonial website and a Myanmar operation ("KK Park") linked to over $100 million in stolen funds through "pig butchering" scams that exploit victims' emotional vulnerabilities. Cryptocurrency's anonymity features make it the preferred payment method for scammers, with scam wallets accumulating at least $4.6 billion in 2023, though actual losses are likely much higher due to undetecte
decrypt.co
· 2025-12-08
"Pig butchering" romance scams using cryptocurrency surged 85 times higher from 2020 to 2023, with revenue doubling between 2022-2023, according to Chainalysis research. These scams involve fraudsters building fake romantic relationships before tricking victims into cryptocurrency investments they don't understand, resulting in an average loss of $4,593 per victim in 2023—the highest financial impact of any scam type. The scammers, often organized criminal groups, frequently operate through human trafficking networks in Southeast Asia and use sophisticated money laundering techniques to hide their activity, though a December 2023 Interpol operation arrested 3,500
dcsheriff.net
· 2025-12-08
Douglas County law enforcement agencies announced the arrest of 26-year-old Sagar Patel for scamming a 79-year-old Highlands Ranch resident out of over $120,000 in gold bars through a months-long investigation involving cell phone and credit card records. Multiple police departments partnered to launch a public awareness campaign promoting the SCAM acronym (Stop, Call, Ask, Make informed decisions) and provided education on common scam tactics, emphasizing that victims should watch for pressure to act quickly, requests for unusual payment methods, and demands for secrecy.
todayonline.com
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia tech professional named Shreya Datta lost $450,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency romance scam after being targeted on a dating app by a scammer posing as a French wine trader named "Ancel," who used deepfake videos and sophisticated manipulation tactics to build trust over months before convincing her to invest in a fake crypto trading app. The scam, orchestrated by crime syndicates operating out of Southeast Asia, drained Datta's savings, retirement funds, and left her with debt, with victims collectively losing billions of dollars in the United States and having little recourse for recovery. The fraud works by using romantic manipulation and false investment promises to gradually
coloradocommunitymedia.com
· 2025-12-08
A 79-year-old Highlands Ranch woman lost approximately $120,000 after clicking a popup on her computer and calling the provided number, where she was deceived into purchasing gold bars in a scam. Law enforcement officials from Douglas County and surrounding areas reported widespread scam activity targeting elderly residents, including over $800,000 in cryptocurrency-related fraud losses in Parker alone over six months, and emphasized that victims should contact authorities immediately as time is critical for potential recovery.
dailyhodl.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Chainalysis's 2024 Crypto Crime Report, cryptocurrency-based criminal activities declined in 2023, with illicit address funding dropping to $24.2 billion from $39.6 billion in 2022, though overall scam revenue fell 29.2%. Romance scams emerged as a significant concern, more than doubling in revenue year-over-year and growing 85-fold since 2020, causing the greatest per-victim financial damage despite being underreported due to their targeted, individual nature.
investmentexecutive.com
· 2025-12-08
According to Chainalysis research, cryptocurrency crime declined significantly in 2023, with illicit activity dropping from $39.6 billion in 2022 to $24.2 billion, driven by a 29.2% decrease in crypto scams and a 54.3% drop in hacking losses. Scammers increasingly adopted romance scam tactics to target individuals with fraudulent investment schemes, and the decline in illicit activity correlated with reduced market enthusiasm for cryptocurrency. While scams and hacks fell, ransomware attacks and darknet market activity rose in 2023, with stablecoins becoming the dominant asset for criminals, surpassing Bitcoin.
winnipeg.ca
· 2025-12-08
Fraud Prevention Month 2024 highlights the importance of education and awareness in combating scams targeting Canadians, particularly seniors through schemes like the grandparent scam. In 2022, Canada reported 70,878 frauds affecting 37,047 victims with total losses of $529.3 million, while Manitoba alone experienced 1,850 scams resulting in $10.4 million in losses across 1,011 victims. Law enforcement agencies, including the Winnipeg Police Service, are promoting fraud prevention throughout March via radio panels, community events, educational articles, and social media campaigns focused on cryptocurrency, grandparent, bank investigator, and sextortion frau
castanet.net
· 2025-12-08
**Fraud Landscape and Impact:**
Canadian fraud and cybercrime losses reached $530 million in 2022, a 40% increase from 2021, with AI and emerging technologies enabling criminals to create personalized scams and voice replications. While young adults (20-29) report fraud most frequently, older adults suffer substantially larger financial losses, exemplified by cases including a 68-year-old losing $3,000 to cryptocurrency fraud and an 80-year-old losing $5,000 in a grandparent scam.
**Key Prevention Strategy:**
Experts recommend four protective measures: remain alert to red flags and share scam awareness with
winnipegfreepress.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, fraudsters deceived 1,009 Manitobans out of $9 million, with 22 different scam types employed including service scams, investment scams, and romance scams that exploited vulnerabilities in victims' situations. Investment scams were the most costly, with 85 Manitobans losing an average of $85,000 each ($3.32 million total), while service scams affected 226 people for $535,477 in losses. Across Canada, 41,111 people were defrauded of $553.9 million in 2023, representing fewer victims than 2022 but with significantly
the-sun.com
· 2025-12-08
A 43-year-old man was defrauded of $22,000 by an AI-generated chatbot posing as a wealthy 24-year-old woman on Tinder who promised cryptocurrency investment returns. The scammer used deepfake video calls and phone conversations to build trust over a month before convincing the victim to send two payments ($10,000 and $12,000), which the victim only discovered were fake after reverse-image searching the profile photos. This case illustrates the growing threat of AI-powered romance scams on dating apps, where increasingly sophisticated deepfakes make fraudulent profiles difficult to distinguish from genuine users.
sinardaily.my
· 2025-12-08
A Philadelphia tech professional was defrauded of $450,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency romance scam after meeting a fake "French wine trader" on the dating app Hinge who used deepfake videos, emotional manipulation, and a fraudulent crypto trading app to gradually convince her to invest her savings and retirement funds. The scam, commonly run by Southeast Asian crime syndicates, has resulted in billions of dollars in losses across the United States, with victims reporting little recourse for recovery.
dallasnews.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes common modern scams targeting older adults, including impersonation calls from fake government officials, phishing emails with malicious links, and various fraudulent schemes conducted via phone, email, and social media. The author, an attorney, provides practical prevention advice such as using strong unique passwords, freezing credit reports, verifying caller identity by independently calling businesses back, and avoiding unsolicited requests for personal information or financial details.
dlnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pig-butchering romance scams have stolen over $75 billion globally between January 2020 and February 2024, with criminals primarily based in Southeast Asia using blockchain to move funds to crypto exchanges, according to a study by University of Texas professor John Griffin. Victims are typically lured through fake text messages into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and can lose thousands to millions of dollars, while those sending the scam messages are often trafficking victims forced to participate. In response, UK law enforcement will gain authority from April 2024 onwards to freeze and seize suspected crypto assets linked to crimes without requiring a conviction.
bbb.org
· 2025-12-08
The 2024 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that investment and cryptocurrency scams remained the highest-risk scam type, with over 80% of victims reporting losses averaging $5,000, while romance/friendship scams rose to third place with the highest median loss of $6,099. Financial grooming scams—where perpetrators build relationships with targets over weeks or months before encouraging investment—accounted for significant losses, with the overall reported median dollar loss rising 30% from 2023 to 2024. Seniors age 65+ experienced the highest median losses ($160), and victims engaged via social media were more likely to lose money, with nearly 30% reporting
westnewsmagazine.com
· 2025-12-08
National Consumer Protection Week highlights the growing threat of scams, with the FTC reporting record losses of $10 billion in 2023, with older adults suffering the greatest financial losses. Scammers increasingly use sophisticated tactics including AI-generated deepfake voices and imposter schemes targeting seniors through phone, email, and social media, exploiting vulnerabilities related to health issues, cognitive decline, and isolation. The FTC recommends prevention strategies including blocking unwanted calls, never providing personal information to unsolicited requests, resisting pressure to act immediately, consulting trusted contacts before sharing information, and avoiding untraceable payment methods like gift cards, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency.
wrex.com
· 2025-12-08
The Better Business Bureau released its 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report, identifying investment scams (including cryptocurrency fraud) as the riskiest in the U.S., with over 80% of victims experiencing losses and a median loss of $3,800 per person, particularly affecting those aged 45 and older. The report also found that employment scams ranked second with a median loss of $1,995 and a 54.2% increase in reports, while romance scams quadrupled in losses, with vulnerability spanning multiple age groups including 35-44-year-olds experiencing the highest risk.
someecards.com
· 2025-12-08
This Reddit post describes a man's relationship crisis after his girlfriend lost $14,500 to a cryptocurrency giveaway scam on Twitter, with the funds coming from savings contributed by him and her parents. The girlfriend, who has a pattern of falling for fraudulent schemes including fake supplements and phishing sites, believed a 12-hour-old Twitter account would deliver 50 bitcoins and initially thought the transaction was on hold rather than recognizing the theft. The post sparked comments from others sharing similar experiences with vulnerable family members (a father who lost $34,000 to a romance/investment scam, an ex who provided banking and Social Security information to scammers), highlighting how susceptibility to fraud can
finews.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scams involving cryptocurrency, known as "pig-butchering," have surged dramatically—up 85-fold since 2020 and doubling in the past year—with victims losing an average of $4,953 per scam, the highest average among all cryptocurrency fraud categories. These emotionally manipulative scams affect individuals across all wealth levels, particularly those in vulnerable life periods, with victims often making multiple payments that increase total losses significantly. Hong Kong has been particularly hard hit, with cases targeting even high-net-worth individuals and company executives, prompting government awareness campaigns though authorities appear uncertain how to effectively combat this growing threat.
welivesecurity.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2022, seniors over 60 reported $3.1 billion in cybercrime losses to the FBI across 88,262 incidents, representing an 82% year-on-year increase, though many cases remain unreported. Digital fraudsters increasingly target senior citizens, believing they have more savings but less digital awareness to recognize scams. Common schemes include phishing, romance scams ($734 million in 2022), Medicare impersonation, tech support fraud, online shopping scams, robocalls, government impersonation ($1 billion in combined losses in 2022), and lottery fraud.
wbay.com
· 2025-12-08
According to a Better Business Bureau report on the riskiest scams, investment scams (including cryptocurrency schemes) and employment scams result in the largest monetary losses, with investment scams having a median loss of $3,800 and over 80% of victims experiencing financial loss, while employment scams averaged $1,995 in losses and saw a 54% increase in reports from 2022. Online scams account for 68% of all fraud reports and are more likely to result in monetary loss than in-person or phone scams, though online shopping scams have dropped from the top positions for the first time since 2019.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old woman lost her entire $720,000 life savings to a cryptocurrency scam after being approached by a scammer on social media, leaving her suicidal and unable to recover at her age. According to a Better Business Bureau report, crypto and investment scams were the riskiest fraud type in 2023, with overall scam losses increasing 27 percent that year, as victims are often lured with promises of high returns on unfamiliar investments. The BBB recommends investigating potential crypto investments thoroughly, checking company credentials and online reviews, and being wary of recruiters asking victims to bring in additional investors.
fcpdnews.wordpress.com
· 2025-12-08
Fairfax County police reported over a dozen cryptocurrency ATM scams since early 2024, with victims losing between $3,000 and $31,100 per incident. Scammers impersonated law enforcement, banks, and government agencies via phone calls to pressure victims into depositing money into Bitcoin ATMs or purchasing gift cards. The Fairfax County Police Department advises seniors to hang up on unsolicited calls, verify caller identities through official contact information, and consult trusted family members before making financial decisions involving unfamiliar technologies or large sums.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
The Fairfax County Police Department reported over a dozen cryptocurrency fraud cases since January totaling more than $150,000, with individual losses ranging from $3,000 to $31,100. Scammers impersonated law enforcement, banks, and government agencies via phone calls and emails to trick victims—often elderly—into depositing money into cryptocurrency ATMs. Police recommend verifying caller identity through official channels, consulting family before transferring large sums, and noting that legitimate law enforcement never requests payment by phone or crypto.
abc15.com
· 2025-12-08
During National Consumer Protection Week, authorities highlighted impostor scams as one of the most prevalent fraud schemes affecting Americans, who lost $10 billion to scammers in 2023. Impostor scams take multiple forms—including fraudsters posing as law enforcement demanding payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency to avoid arrest, and romance scams that exploit emotional connections to persuade victims to invest in cryptocurrency, often resulting in losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Key prevention advice includes: never send money to unknown callers, hang up and verify identities independently, and avoid gift cards or cryptocurrency transfers, as legitimate agencies and organizations will never request payment through these non-traditional methods.
dojmt.gov
· 2025-12-08
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen warned residents during National Consumer Protection Week about three prevalent website-based scams: law enforcement imposters demanding immediate payment via wire transfer or cryptocurrency to resolve fake arrest warrants, cryptocurrency investment scams that show false gains before stealing funds deposited into crypto ATMs, and tech support scams using fake pop-up alerts to gain computer access and demand payment for bogus virus removal. The advisory emphasized that legitimate law enforcement and courts never demand immediate payment by untraceable methods, and urged Montanans to verify requests before sending money and report suspected fraud to the Office of Consumer Protection.
krtv.com
· 2025-12-08
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen warned the public during National Consumer Protection Week about three prevalent scams: law enforcement impersonation (using spoofed phone numbers to demand immediate payment for fake arrest warrants), cryptocurrency investment and ATM scams (where fraudsters show fake gains to convince victims to deposit large sums, then steal the funds), and technical support scams (where pop-up alerts trick users into calling numbers that give scammers computer access). Knudsen advised avoiding third-party payment apps, wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency ATMs, and urged Montanans to verify suspicious requests with trusted contacts before sending money.
doj.state.or.us
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the Oregon Department of Justice received more complaints about imposter scams than any other type of fraud, with government imposter scams being particularly common—especially those falsely claiming to be from the Social Security Administration or Office of the Inspector General. These scammers use sophisticated tactics including fake credentials and contact through multiple channels to deceive victims into revealing personal information or paying fees for suspended benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, or alleged debts. The article provides guidance on recognizing these scams and recommends protecting oneself by never sharing personal information with unsolicited callers, monitoring credit reports, and reporting incidents to the Oregon Department of Justice.
stories.td.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article outlines major fraud trends affecting consumers in 2024, noting that fraud losses exceeded $10 billion in 2023 with a 14% increase year-over-year. It describes five prevalent scam types targeting older adults: grandparent scams (impersonating distressed relatives), romance scams (building false relationships to extract money), SIM swap scams (hijacking phone numbers to access financial accounts), investment scams (promoting unrealistic opportunities with high-pressure tactics), and mail theft scams (stealing personal information from physical mail). The article provides practical prevention strategies including using family code words, conducting background checks, enabling voice authentication with banks, avoiding unsolicite
crypto.news
· 2025-12-08
An unidentified cryptocurrency trader lost over $674,000 in USDC through a phishing scam, with attackers draining the victim's wallet and converting stolen funds to Ethereum through decentralized exchanges. The perpetrators have continued exploiting the victim's compromised wallet since March 1, executing over 400 transactions and stealing additional assets including ASTRA and NOIA tokens, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars more. This incident reflects a broader trend of increasingly sophisticated phishing scams in the crypto space, which resulted in over $300 million in losses affecting approximately 320,000 users in the previous year.
globalnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
A woman in B.C.'s Southern Interior lost $10,000 in Bitcoin after a scammer called her pretending to be a fraud investigator, claiming her cellphone payment failed and providing instructions to send money via ATM. The incident reflects a broader trend of phone and cryptocurrency fraud in Canada, with Surrey RCMP reporting 229 fraud cases in 2023 totaling over $12 million in losses, and police recommending that people hang up on unknown callers requesting money and instead verify claims by contacting businesses directly using official contact information.
9news.com
· 2025-12-08
Diane Peltier fell victim to the phantom hacker scam when a pop-up falsely claiming her computer was hacked prompted her to call a fake Microsoft number; the scammer then posed as a bank fraud department employee and convinced her to withdraw money and deposit it into a cryptocurrency machine, resulting in total financial loss. The FBI reports this scam affected over 51,000 Americans and cost them more than $1.3 billion in 2023, with more than half of victims over age 60, including one victim in El Paso County who lost $99,000. The FBI recommends never clicking unsolicited pop-ups, downloading software from unknown contacts, or sending money via cryptocurrency or gift
businessinsider.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans aged 30-49 reported the most investment fraud complaints to the FBI in 2023, with over 13,000 cases, contradicting the assumption that older adults are most susceptible to investment scams. Total losses from investment fraud reached $4.57 billion in 2023—a 38% increase from the previous year—with cryptocurrency scams accounting for $3.94 billion of that total. Scammers typically lure victims through social media and online ads by promising high returns with minimal risk, using fake investment strategies, phony training products, and impersonation of public figures.
longmontleader.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, U.S. consumers lost $4.6 billion to investment scams—a 21% increase from 2022, with $1.4 billion lost on social media platforms alone. The most common schemes include cryptocurrency investment scams (featuring fake websites and fabricated profit statements), romance scams ("pig butchering" where scammers build relationships before soliciting money), and real estate scams (fraudulent property developments). The Colorado Division of Securities urges consumers of all ages to verify investment opportunities and report suspected fraud to protect themselves from these increasingly prevalent online schemes.
rutherfordsource.com
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
In March 2024, scammers posing as sheriff's deputies extorted over $10,500 from victims by claiming they had outstanding arrest warrants and demanding payment via cryptocurrency kiosks or ATMs. The criminals used recordings of actual deputies' voicemails and spoofed phone numbers to appear legitimate, exploiting victims' fear of arrest. Authorities warned that legitimate law enforcement never accepts cryptocurrency or payment for warrants, and urged people to hang up on such calls.
boothbayregister.com
· 2025-12-08
This AARP alert warns consumers to watch for spring break travel scams, which use artificially low prices and spoofed websites to lure victims into fraudulent bookings. The advisory recommends verifying the legitimacy of online travel sites by examining web addresses carefully, avoiding deals significantly cheaper than competitors, and refusing payment methods like wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards that criminals prefer. The guidance applies broadly to anyone booking spring travel and directs victims or those with questions to contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
wral.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the FBI reported record losses of $12.5 billion from online scams, a $2 billion increase from 2022, with investment fraud accounting for $4.5 billion of that total—much of it involving romance scams luring victims into fake cryptocurrency schemes. Ransomware attacks also surged, with reported losses jumping from $34 million in 2022 to $59 million in 2023, though the total financial impact is significantly higher when including ransom payments and recovery costs. The report underscores that these figures represent only a partial picture, as many victims do not report scams to authorities.
cryptodaily.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
The FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Complaint Center report revealed a 53% increase in cryptocurrency-related fraud losses, which rose from $2.57 billion in 2022 to $3.94 billion in 2023, with scams targeting victims across all age groups (particularly ages 30-60) through increasingly sophisticated investment schemes promising high returns. Common tactics include romance scams (resulting in $370 million in losses), business email compromise schemes, and ransomware attacks, with criminals using cryptocurrency to quickly transfer stolen funds. The FBI recommends users employ two-factor authentication and verify payment requests to reduce fraud risk, though some analysts argue reported scam revenues have declined since 2
cryptotvplus.com
· 2025-12-08
Cryptocurrency scams generated at least $4.6 billion in 2023, a decrease from the previous year, though actual totals may be higher according to Chainalysis. Approval phishing and romance scams (also called "pig butchering" scams) are increasingly prevalent, with scammers using private communication channels to build fake relationships and extract money while remaining difficult to trace. Despite these challenges, progress has been made in combating crypto fraud, including a joint effort by Tether and OKX with the U.S. Department of Justice that froze $225 million linked to human trafficking, and an Interpol operation that apprehended 3,500 cyb
cointelegraph.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, cryptocurrency-related investment fraud caused $3.94 billion in losses in the United States—a 53% increase from 2022 and representing 86% of all investment fraud losses—with victims lured by promises of high returns. Common crypto scams include romance scams (which resulted in $374 million in stolen crypto) and phishing attacks (affecting over 324,000 users and causing $295 million in losses), with similar fraud trends occurring globally.
abc27.com
· 2025-12-08
According to the Better Business Bureau's 2023 Scam Tracker report, investment and cryptocurrency scams are the riskiest fraud type, with a median loss of $3,800, exploiting victims' lack of understanding about digital assets by promising unrealistic returns before demanding hidden fees to access nonexistent earnings. Employment scams and romance scams are also growing threats, targeting younger adults and those over 65 respectively, with victims losing not only money but also time and personal information. The BBB recommends avoiding quick financial decisions, being cautious with unknown contacts, and ignoring unsolicited links to protect against these increasingly sophisticated schemes.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Pennsylvania residents lost more than $158 million to scams in the first nine months of 2023, a 22% increase from the previous year, with over 126,000 fraud reports filed averaging $1,250 per incident. While people ages 30-39 reported the most fraud cases, those ages 60-69 lost the most money at $744 million, and one in seven fraud victims experienced losses exceeding $10,000. The FTC advises consumers to avoid unsolicited requests for personal information, resist pressure to act quickly, and be wary of scammers demanding cryptocurrency or gift card payments.
thestarphoenix.com
· 2025-12-08
Saskatoon Police Service partnered with the Electronic Recycling Association to offer free secure destruction of electronics and confidential documents on March 14 as part of Fraud Prevention Month awareness efforts. The initiative comes as Canadian fraud losses reached $567 million in 2023, with investment scams, spear phishing, and romance scams causing the most financial damage, while fraud methods have evolved to include cryptocurrency schemes and sophisticated phishing techniques targeting both individuals and institutions.
cryptodaily.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, the United States experienced a 53% increase in cryptocurrency investment fraud, with losses jumping from $2.57 billion in 2022 to $3.94 billion—accounting for 86% of all investment fraud losses. Scammers primarily used romance scams (causing $374 million in losses) and phishing attacks (causing $295 million in losses) to trick victims into transferring cryptocurrency by promising high returns or building fake relationships, with the problem affecting investors globally.
dailyhodl.com
· 2025-12-08
Prince Oduro, a 34-year-old former JPMorgan Chase employee in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison for stealing $1.8 million from bank customers through wire fraud and money laundering, while simultaneously operating an online romance scam where he posed as a soldier, medical patient, or gold dealer to manipulate victims into sending money. One victim alone lost approximately $400,000 after Oduro convinced her that her deceased husband had stolen valuable artwork. Oduro was initially arrested in 2022, rearrested in November 2023 for continuing his scams, and has been ordered to repay all stolen funds.
ottawa.ctvnews.ca
· 2025-12-08
I'm unable to provide a summary of this article as the text provided does not contain the actual article content—only a title and a list of unrelated shopping and product recommendation articles. To create an accurate summary for the Elderus database, please provide the full article text about the Ottawa man intercepting a bitcoin scam targeting an elderly woman.