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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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FOX 5 New York
· 2024-05-12
Scammers are using artificial intelligence to clone voices and create fake audio and video impersonations to defraud victims, with AI impostor scams becoming the leading form of fraud in the past year, affecting over 850,000 people and causing $2.7 billion in losses. A common variant involves victims receiving frantic calls from AI-cloned voices of family members claiming to be kidnapped and demanding ransom money, as exemplified by an Arizona mother who testified before Congress after receiving a convincing call from her daughter's cloned voice begging for help. Experts warn this emerging fraud threat requires increased awareness and caution, as voice cloning technology has become easily accessible to bad actors worldwide
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WGN News
· 2024-05-30
A YouTube content creator known as "Skip" operates a scam-baiting channel with over 3 million followers that exposes online scams targeting vulnerable people. The creator deliberately engages with scammers through fake scenarios (such as fake cryptocurrency and gift card redemption schemes) to waste their time and reveal their tactics, preventing them from targeting actual victims. This educational approach demonstrates common scam methods and how scammers attempt to manipulate people into believing they can easily access free money or cryptocurrency.
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Lawfare
· 2024-08-07
This is a podcast introduction featuring Arun Rao, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Consumer Protection Branch, discussing the growing sophistication of fraud schemes targeting consumers and elders. Rao explains how technological advances such as robocalls, text, email, and social media have enabled fraudsters to refine their tactics and target victims with greater precision. The discussion covers the DOJ's consumer protection work, cybercrime, elder fraud, and data privacy issues.
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CFPBLive
· 2024-10-09
This is an introductory webinar hosted by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on payments industry practices for combating elder financial exploitation. The session provides participants with access to slides, resources, and a discussion platform to explore strategies and tools for preventing elder financial abuse within the payments sector.
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WREG News Channel 3
· 2024-11-13
Three Nigerian men in their 40s were sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating romance and investment scams that targeted victims across America from 2017 to 2021, including a Western Tennessee resident who lost $400,000. The perpetrators used fake identities on social media and dating sites, posing as romantic partners and repeatedly requesting emergency financial assistance from victims. Law enforcement urges scam victims to report incidents to police, as victims of romance scams often face additional risks including identity theft when they unknowingly share personal information with fraudsters.
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WFSU Public Media
· 2025-03-26
Florida residents, particularly seniors, are experiencing widespread scam calls and text messages, including toll balance fraud and unsolicited calls from unknown numbers. According to board-certified elder law attorney Jana McConna, vulnerable seniors—especially those who are isolated, lonely, recently widowed, or experiencing memory issues—are actively being targeted, with scammers exploiting emotional vulnerability and cognitive decline to financially manipulate victims. McConna emphasizes that isolation and loneliness are key risk factors that make seniors susceptible to fraud schemes.
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Graham Cluley
· 2025-04-16
This is a transcript excerpt from the Smashing Security podcast (Episode 413) featuring hosts Graeme Cluey and Carol Tero discussing cybersecurity topics, including a mention of a Swiss cybersecurity company launching a "CIS initiative" and references to Nigerian fraud schemes (419 scams). The transcript appears to be a partial, auto-generated recording with significant repetition and unclear audio quality, making it unsuitable for detailed summarization of specific fraud cases or elder abuse incidents.
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Bangkok Post
· 2025-09-08
This episode from the Bangkok Post examines Thailand's growing cyber scam epidemic, which has expanded into a trillion-dollar industry over the past three years as both scammer and victim numbers have surged. The content outlines common scam tactics including advance-fee schemes (fake Nigerian prince emails), phishing attacks impersonating banks and government agencies to steal identity and funds, and tech support scams where fraudsters pose as Microsoft to gain computer access. The episode illustrates how modern cyber scams are adaptations of centuries-old swindle techniques now conducted through digital channels.
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KREM 2 News
· 2025-09-23
A Nigerian man was extradited from the UK to face eight federal charges for allegedly defrauding Idahoans out of at least $2 million through romance and sextortion scams. He posed as a woman on social media to deceive male victims into sending explicit images, then threatened to share the photos with their families unless they paid. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
gazettengr.com
· 2025-12-08
Seven defendants across the United States and Nigeria were indicted for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $8 million between March 2018 and June 2019. The scheme involved Nigerian operators creating fake online personas to build trust with victims before requesting money under false pretenses, with many elderly victims losing their life savings and retirement funds. The defendants facilitated money laundering by establishing U.S. bank accounts to collect and distribute fraud proceeds while concealing the funds' destination and the scammers' identities.
gazettengr.com
· 2025-12-08
**Nigerian Romance/Sweepstakes Scam Targeting Elderly Americans**
Dotun Alonge, a 47-year-old Nigerian national living in Providence, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison as the fifth defendant convicted in a sophisticated fraud operation that defrauded elderly Americans across multiple states of over $1.7 million. The scam involved fabricated romantic relationships on social media and dating sites, fake sweepstakes winnings requiring upfront payments, and fraudulent rental property schemes to extract money from victims. Four other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from time served to 42 months, with joint restitution ordered at approximately
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Abdul Waris Akinsanya, a 26-year-old Nigerian citizen in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a romance scam conspiracy that defrauded an Alabama victim of $2,650 in May 2020. Akinsanya opened fraudulent bank accounts under false identities using forged documents to deposit money obtained through the scam, keeping a percentage for himself. He was also ordered to pay $2,650 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
oklahoman.com
· 2025-12-08
A 26-year-old Nigerian man living in Oklahoma City was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for perpetrating a romance scam against an Alabama woman. Akinsanya was ordered to pay $2,650 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
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.
interpol.int
· 2025-12-08
INTERPOL's Global Financial Fraud Assessment reveals that organized crime groups are increasingly using AI, large language models, cryptocurrencies, and phishing-as-a-service models to conduct sophisticated fraud campaigns targeting vulnerable people worldwide at relatively low cost. Key fraud trends include investment fraud, romance baiting (which combines romance and investment schemes), advance payment fraud, and business email compromise, with human trafficking networks increasingly forced into call centers to execute these schemes. The report emphasizes the urgent need for international law enforcement cooperation, data sharing, and public-private partnerships to combat this escalating global threat; since 2022, INTERPOL's I-GRIP mechanism has helped intercept over $500 million in criminal proceeds
theblaze.com
· 2025-12-08
A 60-year-old Australian man, Renato Calalang, lost approximately $150,000 in an inheritance scam after responding to a fraudulent email claiming to be from a Philippine bank offering him a 3.8 million euro inheritance from a deceased relative. Over a three-month period, the scammer convinced Calalang to transfer funds to an Australian Commonwealth Bank account, using a fake death certificate and phone communication to establish credibility. After reporting the fraud to police and Commonwealth Bank in September 2023, the bank stated it could not recover the funds due to lack of cooperation from the Philippine bank, leaving Calalang unable to retire as planned.
securitymagazine.com
· 2025-12-08
A Visa report analyzing payment fraud from June to December 2023 found that 15% of U.S. adults have been targeted by inheritance scams, where victims are deceived by fraudsters posing as law firms notifying them of inheritances from relatives and requesting upfront payments. The report also highlighted other major scam trends including "pig butchering" scams (targeting 10% of adults through fake cryptocurrency investments), humanitarian relief scams, and triangulation fraud, while noting that fraudsters increasingly use AI to enhance their attacks and that ransomware cases surged 300% compared to the previous year.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article provides guidance on identifying common cyber scams and protecting oneself online. It identifies six prevalent scam types targeting all age groups—including phishing, sweepstakes, investment, lawsuit/tax, romance, and tech support scams—and recommends seven safety practices such as using strong passwords, updating devices, and exercising skepticism toward unsolicited offers. The piece emphasizes that cybercrime is a rising threat and encourages reporting suspicious emails to CISA.
helpnetsecurity.com
· 2025-12-08
Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and costly, with consumers losing more money despite fewer individual reports, according to Visa research. Key threats include pig butchering scams (targeting 10% of adults via fake cryptocurrency schemes), inheritance scams (affecting 15% of adults), humanitarian relief scams, and triangulation fraud (costing merchants up to $1 billion monthly), all leveraging generative AI and emerging technologies to deceive victims more effectively. Additionally, threat actors are exploiting organizational vulnerabilities, with PRA fraud attacks rising 83% and ransomware cases increasing 300% year-over-year, while over one-third of scam victims do not report their losses, indicating actual
bai.org
· 2025-12-08
Visa's Spring 2024 Threats Report reveals that while the number of individual scam reports decreased from June to December 2023, total monetary losses increased, indicating fraudsters are executing more effective and costly schemes. Emerging scams include "pig butchering" (fake cryptocurrency investment schemes targeting 10% of surveyed adults), inheritance scams (affecting 15% of adults), and triangulation fraud (costing merchants up to $1 billion monthly), with fraudsters increasingly leveraging generative AI and other technologies to create more convincing campaigns. Organizational threats are also escalating, including a 300% increase in ransomware cases and an 83% rise in purchase return authorization frau
zdnet.com
· 2025-12-08
This article provides six practical tips for avoiding online, phone, and in-person scams, using a personal anecdote about a friend who nearly fell victim to a fake Google support call. Key protective measures include being suspicious of unsolicited emails and messages, verifying links before clicking them, recognizing "too good to be true" offers, and contacting companies directly rather than through unsolicited channels. The author emphasizes that awareness and vigilance are essential defenses against increasingly sophisticated scammers.
greenwichfreepress.com
· 2025-12-08
The IRS launched its annual "Dirty Dozen" awareness campaign warning taxpayers about evolving phishing and smishing scams designed to steal sensitive personal and financial information. Fraudsters impersonate the IRS via unsolicited emails and text messages, using tactics like phony refund offers or false legal threats to trick victims into clicking malicious links or downloading malware. The IRS advises taxpayers and tax professionals to remain vigilant, avoid clicking links in unsolicited communications, and be especially cautious during tax season when such scams peak.
dfpi.ca.gov
· 2025-12-08
This educational resource outlines common investment scams including Ponzi schemes, boiler room scams, pump-and-dump schemes, advance fee fraud, crypto scams, and affinity fraud that exploit trust within specific communities. Key red flags to avoid include guaranteed returns, artificial urgency, unclear information, unsolicited offers, and promises that seem too good to be true. Consumers are advised to conduct independent research, request verified financial statements, and report suspected scams to authorities.
thepointsguy.com
· 2025-12-08
Advances in technology and social engineering are enabling sophisticated scams that cost consumers billions of dollars annually. Visa's 2024 Threats Report identifies four major scams on the rise, including pig butchering (romance) scams where fraudsters use AI and deepfake technology to build trust with victims over weeks or months before convincing them to invest in fake cryptocurrency platforms—affecting 10% of surveyed adults and resulting in billions in losses. The report notes that beyond financial victims, these scams often involve human trafficking victims forced to participate in the fraud operations.
manchestereveningnews.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
In Greater Manchester, 15,623 fraud cases were reported to Action Fraud in the past year, with online shopping/auction fraud being most common (3,100 cases), followed by advance fee fraud (1,500 cases). Notable cases included serial fraudster Cieran McNamara, who manipulated four women into sending over £300,000 through romance scams before being sentenced to seven years in prison, and a separate case where a man defrauded a woman of £50,000 on a widows' dating site. Other scams included pet fraud, concert ticket fraud, and designer goods schemes targeting victims through emotional manipulation and online platforms.
azfamily.com
· 2025-12-08
This is an educational podcast series covering consumer protection topics rather than a specific fraud or elder abuse incident. Key episodes address red flags in standard contracts, risks associated with rewards credit cards that can lead to debt, vehicle recalls affecting safety, and credit denial trends affecting consumers. The podcast provides advice on identifying problematic contract clauses, understanding credit card pitfalls, and navigating consumer financial decisions.
gistmania.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian footballer Olanrewaju Kayode issued a public warning about alleged property fraud involving his wife Ezinne Dora Okoro, Ziloc Construction Ltd, and Ugochukwu Igboanugo in multiple Lagos real estate transactions. The scheme allegedly involved the fraudulent sale of seven properties including luxury vehicles, residential duplexes, and land parcels across prestigious estates in Lagos. Kayode urged the public to conduct thorough due diligence on property titles and sellers, and to report suspected fraudulent activity to law enforcement.
abc7news.com
· 2025-12-08
A reformed Nigerian scammer who stole over $70,000 through romance and tax-related fraud now works for Social Catfish to combat similar schemes, as government impersonation scams surge nationwide. California experienced record losses of $88.3 million in 2023, with the FBI reporting $394 million lost to government impersonation scams overall—a 63% increase from 2022. The five most prevalent tax-related scams targeting victims include Turbo Tax phishing, fake accountant schemes, IRS spoofing calls, unclaimed refund emails, and fraudulent Employee Retention Credit promotions.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers known as "Yahoo Boys," primarily based in Nigeria, are increasingly using deepfake and face-swapping technology in real-time video calls to impersonate fake romantic partners and defraud victims of thousands of dollars each. The FBI reports over $650 million was lost to romance fraud last year, with the scammers openly sharing their techniques and recruiting accomplices across Telegram and social media platforms. These experienced con artists, who have evolved their tactics as AI technology has improved, operate in loosely organized clusters without formal leadership structure and show little fear of consequences.
businessinsider.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian-based online criminals known as "Yahoo Boys" conduct romance scams that cost Americans $1.3 billion in 2022, with victims—often elderly people targeted for retirement funds and life savings—losing substantial amounts; the scam has become more sophisticated as perpetrators now use AI-generated deepfakes and video calls to impersonate romantic interests and financial officials. A 69-year-old widow lost $39,000 of her life savings, and in Utah alone, victims lost $3.6 million to these scams in 2022, prompting law enforcement to recommend reverse image searches and caution against sending money to people met only online.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
This compilation covers six major elder fraud and scam cases: Nigerian "Yahoo Boys" used AI-generated deepfakes in romance scams causing $650 million in losses (2021), with recent cases totaling $25 million and a Salt Lake City jury indicting seven members for laundering $8 million; a Montreal woman lost $25,000 to a crypto scam featuring a fake Elon Musk deepfake; Greek police arrested nine individuals who defrauded victims of €305,789 through phone impersonation scams; a Myanmar trafficking operation forced victims into romance scams via torture and exploitation; and a UK survey found 22% of young adults
boredpanda.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece outlines common online and phone scams while providing prevention advice from SafeWise safety expert Rebecca Edwards. Key recommendations include not answering unknown calls, changing passwords every six months, avoiding suspicious links and unreviewed websites, and recognizing common schemes like extended warranty calls, fake giveaways, and ticket scams. According to Gallup data, 8% of Americans fell victim to scams in the past year, with Edwards attributing the rise in scams to increased internet reliance, weak law enforcement consequences, and online anonymity that embolden fraudsters.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Laura Kowal, a 57-year-old retired hospital executive from Illinois, was victimized by a romance scam perpetrated by someone posing as "Frank Borg," a Swedish investment adviser, beginning in October 2018; she eventually went missing in 2020 after losing significant money and being manipulated through sophisticated psychological tactics. Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, discovered her mother's disappearance and subsequently learned that over 64,000 Americans were defrauded of more than $1.14 billion through romance scams in a single year, with victims often too ashamed to report the crime. Gowe has since dedicated herself to raising awareness
sandhillsexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
A 57-year-old retired hospital executive from Illinois lost $1.5 million to a romance scam perpetrated by someone posing as a Swedish investment adviser between October 2018 and August 2020. The victim's daughter, Kelly Gowe, discovered her mother had been victimized after a federal investigator's call and subsequently found a suicide note, motivating her to advocate for romance scam awareness. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 64,000 Americans were defrauded of more than $1.14 billion by romance scammers in a recent year, with victims often reluctant to report due to shame and embarrassment, though law enforcement emphasizes
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., a 50-year-old Florida man, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for laundering over $2.3 million in proceeds from romance scams and business email compromise fraud schemes orchestrated by Nigerian co-conspirators; he used bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal and transfer the funds. Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was ordered to forfeit $464,923.91. Four additional defendants remain at large in this transnational fraud operation.
jamaica-gleaner.com
· 2025-12-08
Jamaican lottery scammers are adopting new tactics by gaining control of elderly US victims' bank accounts to make fraudulent purchases and transfers, replacing traditional money-laundering methods like remittance companies and money mules. Recent cases include using stolen debit cards to purchase vehicles in Japan and attempting to secure loans in victims' names, with authorities confiscating over 100 debit cards linked to major American banks since the start of the year. According to FBI data, Americans over 60 lost US$3.1 billion to various scams in 2022, a 121 percent increase from the previous year.
businessday.ng
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian "Yahoo boys" are using sophisticated deepfake technology in romance scams to create fake video identities on platforms like Zoom, employing readily available software to realistically alter their appearance in real-time during video calls. Scammers build trust through social engineering before exploiting victims financially, with experts warning that rapidly improving deepfake quality makes these deceptions increasingly believable and poses risks for significant financial losses. Security experts caution that this technology's ease of use could expand beyond romance scams to other fraudulent schemes.
finance.yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Renato Calalang, a 60-year-old Australian warehouse worker, lost nearly $150,000 in life savings to an inheritance scam after receiving an email from someone claiming to be a Philippine bank owner offering him a €3.8 million inheritance from a deceased cousin. The scammer, posing as "Steve Golds," provided forged documents including a death certificate and instructed Calalang to open a new bank account and deposit funds to facilitate the transfer, exploiting Calalang's family ties to the Philippines and his trust in his existing bank. After months of transfers and communication, Calalang realized he had been defrauded and lost his retirement
cbc.ca
· 2025-12-08
Austrian weatherman Sigi Fink discovered his photos were being stolen and used by romance scammers to deceive victims across multiple platforms, with scammers creating dozens of fake profiles using his image and real name. Romance scams have grown dramatically, with reported losses in Canada increasing from $15.6 million in 2013 to over $52 million in 2023, and victims have sometimes reached out to the real Fink after discovering the deception. The unauthorized use of his likeness has left Fink feeling violated and concerned about his reputation, while experts note that image theft in romance scams can be traumatic for innocent people whose photos are misused.
ici.radio-canada.ca
· 2025-12-08
Austrian weatherman Sigi Fink discovered his photos have been stolen and used in dozens of romance scams targeting vulnerable people online, after a CBC journalist exposed one scammer who posed as "Bobby Brown," a wealthy oil rig engineer. Romance scams have grown dramatically, with reported losses increasing from $15.6 million in 2013 to over $52 million in 2023, and Fink now receives reports of fake profiles using his images almost daily, leaving him distressed about his image being weaponized despite his innocence.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian citizen, Efe Egbowawa, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in an international romance scam ring that defrauded victims across the United States, including Tennessee, from 2017 to 2021. The conspiracy involved members using fake identities on dating sites and social media to build romantic relationships with victims before requesting emergency financial assistance in escalating amounts, with money then laundered through shell companies and bank accounts. Two co-conspirators, Igocha Mac-Okor and Kay Ozegbe, also face charges in connection with the scheme, with one awaiting sentencing and the other scheduled for trial.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
The Yahoo Boys, a loosely organized collective of thousands of scammers primarily based in West Africa, operate openly on social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, and YouTube, conducting romance scams, sextortion schemes, business email compromise, and AI-generated deepfake fraud that collectively total hundreds of millions of dollars annually. These cybercriminals openly share their identities, sell fraudulent scripts and fake identification documents, and coordinate their activities across dozens of groups with hundreds of thousands of combined members, with social media companies providing what experts describe as "free office space" for their criminal operations. While major platforms have removed many Yahoo Boys accounts after media scrut
ladailypost.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, 759 New Mexico residents over age 60 lost more than $17.7 million to online fraud, with the costliest scams being confidence/romance schemes ($4.9 million), investment fraud ($4.6 million), and tech support scams ($3.1 million). The FBI emphasizes that older adults are vulnerable targets due to financial stability, potential isolation, and lower awareness of online threats, and urges seniors and families to educate themselves about these scams and report incidents through ic3.gov or their local FBI office.
thetimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Olamide Shanu, a 33-year-old Nigerian, was arrested and faces extradition to the United States on charges related to a sextortion scam that allegedly generated up to £2 million. Shanu is accused of posing as a teenage girl online to coerce boys into sending sexually explicit images, then blackmailing them with threats to share the photos with their families and friends unless they paid money; his cryptocurrency account received over 6,000 payments from hundreds of victims over three years. The case coincides with a surge in sextortion scams targeting minors in the UK and US, with at least three British children having taken their own lives after being vict
dhs.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian national, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, pleaded guilty to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded over 400 elderly and vulnerable U.S. victims of more than $6 million. The scheme involved sending personalized letters falsely claiming victims were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from overseas relatives, then requesting upfront payments for delivery fees and taxes before the funds could be released. Ezemma faces up to 20 years in prison upon sentencing, and five other co-conspirators have already been convicted in connection with the scheme.
losalamosreporter.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, 759 New Mexico residents over age 60 lost more than $17.7 million to online fraud, with the costliest schemes being romance scams ($4.9 million), investment scams ($4.6 million), and tech support scams ($3.1 million). The FBI emphasizes that older adults are particularly vulnerable due to financial stability and potential isolation, and urges prevention through awareness and family education, with victims encouraged to report incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
consumerwide.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigeria is a global center for romance scams, particularly targeting foreign victims, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reporting 1,129 victims and approximately $14 million in losses in 2021. The EFCC identified rapid growth in cyber-crime among young Nigerians, noting that societal acceptance of these crimes—including parental support of scammers—enables the criminal activity to flourish despite existing laws. Romance scams extend internationally, with documented cases involving Nigerian perpetrators defrauding victims across the US, UK, and Europe, ranging from financial extortion to cases resulting in victim suicides and prison sentences.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian man expressed frustration after a Polish bank refused to open an account for his child, citing a blanket policy against Nigerian customers. He attributed the discriminatory policy to reputational damage caused by Nigerian nationals involved in scams and fraud schemes abroad, including documented cases of Nigerians convicted of money laundering, bank fraud, and romance scams in countries like the United States.
straitstimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Singapore businessmen lost over $2 million to an inheritance scam perpetrated by a scammer named Don Brendan Robert, who promised them access to a purported $60 million inheritance in exchange for upfront fee payments. Despite the scam's long history and widespread awareness, both experienced business veterans fell victim to the scheme.
africa.businessinsider.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong authorities warned of a deepfake scam in which a group calling itself Quantum AI or AI Quantum used fabricated videos of Elon Musk to convince investors that he developed their AI-powered cryptocurrency trading service, which was actually a front for virtual asset fraud operated through three websites and two Facebook pages. This is part of a growing trend of scammers using deepfake technology to impersonate celebrities and high-profile figures; a South Korean woman previously lost $50,000 to a similar Musk deepfake scam in April. Hong Kong police shut down the group's online presence after the warning was issued.
businessinsider.com
· 2025-12-08
Hong Kong authorities warned of a scam by groups calling themselves Quantum AI or AI Quantum, which used deepfake videos of Elon Musk to fraudulently promote a fake cryptocurrency trading service across three websites and two Facebook pages. The scammers leveraged AI-generated deepfake technology to convince victims that Musk had developed the service, even conducting video calls with manipulated facial features to impersonate him and enhance credibility. Hong Kong police shut down the operation, though this represents an ongoing trend of deepfake-based fraud; a South Korean woman previously lost $50,000 in a similar Musk deepfake scam in April.
newlinesmag.com
· 2025-12-08
A 36-year-old Indian woman named Jhumpa Biswas was targeted by a romance scammer posing as "Mark Anthony," a Scottish cosmetic surgeon who initiated contact via Instagram with flattering messages. Over weeks of increasingly intimate communication across social media and WhatsApp, the scammer built emotional trust through romantic gestures, personal attention, and carefully crafted backstory, exploiting Biswas's limited romantic experience and emotional vulnerability. The article details how the scammer's grooming tactics—including flattery, validation, and demonstrations of care—set the stage for financial exploitation that would follow.
tradingview.com
· 2025-12-08
Daren Li and Yicheng Zhang orchestrated a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded victims of $73 million by cultivating fake romantic relationships on social media and dating apps, then luring victims into investing in fraudulent crypto platforms that generated fabricated returns. The scam exploited human psychology and the desire for connection, with perpetrators using stolen photos and fabricated life stories to build emotional trust before introducing fake investment opportunities. The article advises victims to maintain skepticism toward online romantic interests promising financial returns, research investments thoroughly, and protect personal financial information from strangers online.
mtlblog.com
· 2025-12-08
A young tech-savvy Montreal resident fell victim to a scam perpetrated by Appliance Repair Expert (a Canada-wide company) when hiring them to repair a dryer in November 2023, despite checking online reviews beforehand. The author identifies six key lessons for avoiding similar scams, including recognizing that online reviews can be manipulated with fake positive ratings, and emphasizes that sophisticated scams increasingly target people of all ages and tech-savviness levels, with a 2023 Ipsos poll showing 43% of Canadians have been victimized by fraud.
rollingstone.com
· 2025-12-08
Robbie Robertson's children sued his widow, Janet Zuccarini, alleging fraud and financial elder abuse, claiming she exploited the aging musician while he battled cancer to secure rights to a Beverly Hills property and potentially drain his estate. The lawsuit centers on a secret 2023 marriage and amended property agreement signed while Robertson was heavily medicated and mentally impaired, which Zuccarini now uses to demand the estate cover her living expenses at the home. The children contend Zuccarini intentionally kept the marriage secret from family and assert their father told them nothing had changed in his estate plan, with Robertson dying months later at age 80.
news.bloomberglaw.com
· 2025-12-08
Bolanle Odeyale, a Nigerian citizen living in Texas, was ordered to remain in custody pending trial after being accused of helping Nigerian fraudsters launder millions of dollars obtained through romance scams. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals determined she posed a serious flight risk, particularly given an immigration detainer issued against her, and ruled that no release conditions could reasonably ensure her appearance at trial.
therecord.media
· 2025-12-08
Since January, cybercriminals have targeted college students and faculty with an advance fee scam offering free pianos, sending at least 125,000 messages claiming pianos were available due to circumstances like deaths in the family. When victims respond, scammers direct them to fake shipping company emails that request upfront payment via cryptocurrency or money transfer apps; once payment is sent, contact ceases. One Bitcoin wallet connected to the campaign contained over $900,000 in transactions, with researchers tracing at least one IP address to Nigeria.
fox5ny.com
· 2025-12-08
New York residents lost over $30.2 million to romance scams in 2023, with 819 victims reporting an average loss of $36,931 each, according to a Social Catfish study. Scammers increasingly use artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to conduct convincing video calls while impersonating celebrities or wealthy individuals, often directing victims toward cryptocurrency investments with no recovery options. The study recommends reverse image searches, video chat verification, avoiding rapid declarations of love, and never sending money to online contacts to prevent victimization.
bbc.com
· 2025-12-08
Sextortion scammers, primarily based in Nigeria, targeted 17-year-old Jordan Buta on Instagram by posing as a girl, coercing him to send explicit images, then blackmailing him for hundreds of pounds—all within six hours before he died by suicide. The crime, which has been linked to over 27 US suicides and more than doubled to 26,700 reported cases last year, led to the extradition and guilty pleas of two Nigerian brothers, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, on child exploitation charges. Jordan's mother now campaigns on social media to raise awareness about sextortion, one of the fastest-growing scams targeting teenagers
saharareporters.com
· 2025-12-08
Sextortion scams have been linked to over 27 suicides in the US, with 17-year-old Jordan Buta becoming a tragic victim in 2022 after scammers posing as a teenage girl on Instagram manipulated him into sharing explicit photos, then demanded hundreds of pounds while threatening to share the images with his friends. Jordan took his own life six hours after the scam began; the perpetrators, Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, were arrested, extradited to the US, and faced child exploitation charges. Jordan's mother, Jennifer Buta, has since become an advocate raising awareness about sextortion through social media, helping other families recognize
wuky.org
· 2025-12-08
Elder Kentuckians lost $12.8 million to scams in the previous year, with projections to double to $12.7 million by May of the current year, according to FBI officials who warn the problem is not declining. The three most common scams targeting Kentucky elders are investment fraud (including cryptocurrency and precious metals schemes), tech support fraud (phishing and fake security alerts), and romance fraud, with a detailed case study showing a 72-year-old woman losing nearly $200,000 to a military officer imposter who cultivated a romantic relationship with her over months before requesting money for military contract payouts and travel expenses. The investigation resulted in the indictment of three U
lavanguardia.com
· 2025-12-08
Digital fraud targeting seniors in Spain has surged dramatically, with scam cases against people over 65 increasing 78% between 2019 and 2022 (from 7,568 to 13,479 cases), and digital fraud cases alone rising 21.73% in 2022 compared to 2021. Seniors are vulnerable targets due to lower technology familiarity, trustfulness, and susceptibility to social engineering tactics such as fake investment schemes and fraudulent shopping charges, with 15% of victims losing over €10,000 according to one survey. Experts emphasize that enhanced digital education and protection measures are needed to help older adults navigate the internet safely and avoi
vermontbiz.com
· 2025-12-08
A 2023 analysis of Vermont cybercrimes found that investment scams are the costliest, with victims averaging $162,265 in losses (22 victims, $3.6M total), followed by cryptocurrency wallet scams at $133,133 per victim (28 victims, $3.7M total). Vermont residents reported 708 cybercrimes statewide in 2023, resulting in total losses of approximately $13.6 million, with an average loss of $19,248 per victim across all crime types.
mishtalk.com
· 2025-12-08
AI tools like ChatGPT are enabling scammers to create convincing phishing emails, imitate voices and identities, and automate fraud schemes that bypass traditional red flags like poor grammar. Criminals can now use AI to target larger groups with personalized information, forge identification documents, and rapidly test stolen passwords across multiple platforms, making these scams significantly harder for individuals and banks to detect. Financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase are deploying AI-based fraud detection systems and increasing customer education, while experts recommend protective measures such as credit freezes and password hygiene to mitigate risk.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
Americans lost $10 billion to fraud in 2023, with scammers increasingly using sophisticated tactics to steal banking information and money. The article outlines ten common banking scams—including check fraud, phishing, fake websites, automatic withdrawal schemes, and government imposter scams—and provides protective measures such as verifying URLs directly with banks, never clicking unsolicited links, and avoiding upfront fee requests. Knowing these common strategies helps consumers recognize and avoid fraudulent schemes before criminals can access their accounts and funds.
midmichigannow.com
· 2025-12-08
Victor Valdez, a New York City man, was charged with conspiracy to defraud seniors through a "grandparent scam" in which call center operators in the Dominican Republic impersonated grandchildren claiming to need bail money between 2020 and 2021, with Valdez collecting the cash from victims' homes. The scheme resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses, and Valdez faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The case reflects a broader trend: elder fraud reports to the FBI increased 14% annually, with seniors losing over $3.4 billion to scams, many of which go unreported.
wchstv.com
· 2025-12-08
Victor Valdez, a New York City man, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy for helping operate a grandparent scam between 2020 and 2021, in which call center operators in the Dominican Republic impersonated grandchildren, lawyers, and court officials to convince senior victims they needed bail money, with Valdez collecting the cash from their homes. The scheme defrauded grandparents of tens of thousands of dollars, and Valdez faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the FBI reports that scams targeting people over 60 caused over $3.4 billion in losses last year.
cbsaustin.com
· 2025-12-08
Victor Valdez, a New York City man, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy for conspiring with Dominican Republic call center operators between 2020 and 2021 to defraud grandparents by impersonating their grandchildren, lawyers, and court officials claiming bail money was needed. Valdez collected tens of thousands of dollars from victims by picking up cash from their homes after the scammers convinced them to withdraw money, and he faces up to 20 years in prison. The case highlights a broader trend in elder fraud, with reports to the FBI increasing 14% annually and scams targeting seniors 60+ causing over $3.4 billion in losses.
katu.com
· 2025-12-08
Victor Valdez, a New York City man, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy for helping operate a "grandparent scam" between 2020 and 2021, in which call center operators in the Dominican Republic posed as grandchildren, lawyers, or court officials to convince elderly victims they needed bail money, with Valdez collecting the cash from victims' homes. The scheme defrauded grandparents of tens of thousands of dollars, and Valdez faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case highlights a broader trend: elder fraud reports to the FBI increased 14% last year, with victims aged 60+ losing over $3.
nigerianbulletin.com
· 2025-12-08
A South African woman lost R510,000 in a romance scam after meeting a man posing as "Deron Mundari" from South Sudan on Tinder, who was later identified as Joseph Ssekasi from Uganda. The scammer gained her trust over four months before convincing her to invest money in a scheme involving "ancestors" and prayers, then disappeared. Police closed the case due to insufficient evidence, but the victim has since come forward to warn others about red flags including rapid declarations of love and excessive interest in finances.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans lost $10 billion to fraud, with scammers employing increasingly sophisticated tactics that are difficult to detect. The article identifies 10 common banking scams—including check fraud, phishing, fake prize offers, advance fee schemes, and government imposter scams—and provides protective strategies such as verifying URLs before clicking links, never sharing banking details unsolicited, and using secure check writing practices. The key defense is awareness: recognizing these common schemes and understanding that legitimate institutions rarely request sensitive information through unsolicited messages or calls.
collider.com
· 2025-12-08
This article describes Angela Deem's relationship with Nigerian man Michael Ilesanmi from the TLC show "90 Day Fiancé," in which Angela, a 22-year-older woman, pursued a romantic relationship despite warnings from family and friends about potential romance scams involving Nigerian suitors. The couple eventually divorced after facing ongoing conflicts, with the relationship characterized by physical attraction on Angela's part but cultural and personal incompatibilities between the partners.
**Note:** While this article mentions romance scam warnings, it does not describe an actual elder fraud case but rather documents a reality television relationship.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
Tech entrepreneur Kingsley Inegbedion was arrested and charged by the FBI for orchestrating romance scams and business email compromise schemes between April 2020 and May 2023, working with accomplice Efemena Igbe (still at large) to defraud American citizens using fake corporate entities and laundering funds through multiple accounts. The FBI is seeking restitution of funds and forfeiture of property obtained through the scheme, which involved converting stolen money into cashier's checks and cash withdrawals. The article also highlights similar cases including Nigerian crypto executive Linus Williams arrested for fraud and terrorism funding allegations, and the convictions of scammers Hushpuppi (
legit.ng
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian man (@dieahdy) was scammed at Computer Village in Lagos when a scammer gave him what appeared to be cash wrapped with a rubber band, but which turned out to be cardboard cut to resemble money. The victim only discovered the deception after returning home and posted a TikTok video warning others to be careful of scammers in the area, expressing shock at how he fell for the scheme. The incident reflects a pattern of fraud at Computer Village, where scammers use sleight-of-hand tactics to dupe unsuspecting customers into receiving worthless items instead of cash or electronics.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Six Nigerian nationals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 82 to 128 months for operating an international inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly U.S. victims through personalized letters claiming they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives. Victims were deceived into sending money for alleged delivery fees and taxes, with proceeds routed through a complex network of U.S.-based accomplices; the defendants defrauded over 400 victims and were ordered to pay more than $6 million in restitution.
therecord.media
· 2025-12-08
Meta removed 63,000 accounts operated by Nigerian cybercriminals known as "Yahoo Boys" that were conducting financial sextortion scams primarily targeting U.S. adults, though some attempts targeted minors, with scammers demanding payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, and wire transfers. Within these accounts, Meta identified a coordinated network of approximately 20 individuals in Nigeria who were selling scamming guides, scripts, and fake profile materials to other fraudsters. Meta designated the Yahoo Boys as a banned entity and shared detection tactics with other tech companies to improve prevention across platforms.
socialmediatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta removed approximately 70,000 accounts, Pages, and groups associated with "Yahoo Boys," a Nigerian scam collective that has shifted from traditional advance-fee fraud to sextortion and romance scams targeting primarily adult men in the US. The coordinated action identified a core network of around 2,500 accounts linked to approximately 20 individuals who used fake profiles to extract intimate images and money from victims through romantic deception. Meta also removed 1,300 Facebook profiles and 5,700 groups that were sharing scam scripts, guides, and fake photos to facilitate these schemes.
socialmediatoday.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta removed approximately 70,000 accounts, pages, and groups associated with the "Yahoo Boys," a Nigerian sextortion and romance scam network that primarily targeted adult men in the US by creating fake profiles to extract intimate images and money through extortion. The coordinated enforcement action, which included the removal of 63,000 Instagram accounts and smaller networks of about 2,500 linked accounts, also targeted 1,300 Facebook profiles and 5,700 groups that were distributing scam scripts and guides. Meta's investigation provided insights into the group's coordination tactics, allowing the platform to improve its automated detection systems to prevent future schemes.
inkl.com
· 2025-12-08
Meta removed approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts based in Nigeria that were conducting sextortion scams, primarily targeting adult men in the US and some minors, with threats to expose private sexual content unless financial demands were met. The takedown included a network of 2,500 accounts managed by roughly 20 individuals, with most sextortion attempts being unsuccessful, though cases targeting minors were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Meta's crackdown follows multiple tragic incidents where sextortion victims died by suicide, and the company has since developed AI-powered protection tools and automated systems to identify and block sextortion accounts.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian internet fraudster Marcel, a 26-year-old "Yahoo boy" based in Abuja, destroyed evidence by hiding his phone in a toilet pipe when Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials raided his apartment building in May following a tip-off about suspected cybercriminals in the area. Though officers searched his room and discovered his phone charger, they did not locate the hidden device, and Marcel was not arrested during the raid, though he admitted to using the phone for "bombing and grinding" (finding and defrauding online victims) for over two years.
thewhistler.ng
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian man, Obinna Ezenwa, accused an American woman, Kymberly Stalvey Ann Shepard, of deception after they met on a dating app in 2018 and married in Nigeria in 2019, only to discover she was already legally married to multiple men and had concealed this fact. After she returned to the US and refused to file immigration paperwork for him as promised, claiming she had reached her sponsorship limit, their relationship deteriorated, leading to a defamation lawsuit filed by Ezenwa in 2022 and his being declared wanted by Nigeria's EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) in April 2024
dallasnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Kelly Mitchell, 58, had her Facebook account hacked and used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme through fake images and religious messaging—a tactic combining impersonation and "pig butchering" scams where criminals pose as trusted contacts to solicit ongoing investments. According to FTC data, cryptocurrency scams cost Americans $1.41 billion across 47,537 reports in 2023, with experts recommending basic security measures like two-factor authentication and strong passwords as essential protection against these increasingly common social media fraud attacks.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Amowie Kelvin Imatitikua, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty on July 26, 2024 to bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for operating an online fraud scheme that netted over $400,000 between 2019 and 2021. Imatitikua opened fraudulent bank accounts using fake identities and foreign passports to receive proceeds from pandemic relief fraud, romance scams, and other online schemes perpetrated by co-conspirators. His sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2024, with potential penalties including up to 30 years in prison and forfeiture of fraudulent proceeds
distractify.com
· 2025-12-08
Reality TV star Vicki Gunvalson and her business partner Ali Hashemian were sued in August 2024 by former insurance client Diane Field, 74, for financial and elder abuse. Field alleged that Gunvalson used fraudulent sales tactics to convince her to purchase a $300,000 life insurance policy, misrepresenting it as a one-time payment when it was actually an annual fee on Field's $6 million net worth. Gunvalson's attorney denied all allegations, though this marks the second similar lawsuit against her—a previous 2019 case involved an 82-year-old client claiming unpaid benefits.
lawfaremedia.org
· 2025-12-08
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun Rao discusses the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch work, which addresses the growing scale and sophistication of consumer fraud schemes, including elder fraud, that have been enabled by technological advances such as robocalls, texts, emails, and social media. The Consumer Protection Branch brings together criminal and civil cases across federal courts nationwide with nearly 250 staff members and over 100 trial attorneys, partnering with agencies like the FTC, FDA, and CPSC to protect consumer health, safety, economic security, and privacy.
tech.einnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Private Digital Investigations announced new measures to combat rising cybercrimes including Nigerian romance scams and sextortion schemes, which exploit victims emotionally and financially through fake profiles and blackmail threats. The agency employs AI-driven profile analysis, digital forensics, and law enforcement collaborations to identify scammers, and offers public education through workshops, support hotlines, and online resources. The article advises victims to cease communication with suspected scammers, report profiles to platforms, avoid sharing explicit content, and seek help from professional investigators or authorities rather than paying ransom demands.
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
A Pennsylvania woman nearly fell victim to a romance scam involving a fake foreign inheritance scheme, where an online acquaintance convinced her to front money for supposed legal fees and escrow to unlock a British estate. Red flags included fake legal documents with spelling errors, an implausible timeline, and a fabricated London law firm address, which legal experts confirmed were fraudulent. The article highlights how elder fraud is increasingly difficult to recover due to modern money transfer methods and cryptocurrency, and emphasizes the importance of verifying credentials and seeking professional legal advice before sending money in estate-related matters.
citizen.co.za
· 2025-12-08
One in ten South Africans fell victim to fraud in Q2 2024, with phishing attacks accounting for 28% of incidents, often involving scammers creating fake social media profiles and cloned websites that fool 53% of consumers into providing personal and financial information. Financial losses ranged from approximately R1,833 to over R18,329, though emotional impacts were often more severe, with 22% of victims requiring months to recover. Consumers can protect themselves by using tools like WHOIS and Google's safe browsing function to verify website legitimacy, while businesses can combat cloning by blocking fraudulent sites and filing takedown requests with hosting providers.
americanbanker.com
· 2025-12-08
A widow lost $87,000 to Social Security Administration impersonators who contacted her two weeks after her husband's death, likely finding her through obituaries. The incident illustrates a broader crisis: over 8.68 million elder fraud cases occur annually in the U.S., costing victims an average of $20,015 each and totaling $113.7 billion yearly, with perpetrators increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes and threatening language to exploit vulnerable seniors unfamiliar with modern technology. Several states are responding by passing laws that require banks to report suspected fraud, block suspicious transactions, and train employees to identify elder exploitation schemes.
americanbanker.com
· 2025-12-08
A neobank called Charlie is intentionally slowing payment processing speeds to combat the rising tide of financial fraud, implementing "Speed Bumps"—strategic pauses combined with real-time alerts and education—at vulnerable transaction moments. The company highlights that while most financial institutions prioritize faster payments, fraud has significantly increased with AI-enabled scams targeting all demographics, with elderly customers particularly vulnerable to long-con schemes like impersonation fraud and romance scams. Charlie's approach also allows customers to set custom transaction rules and designate family members as "fraud alert co-pilots" to monitor accounts, recognizing that even small frauds under $1,000 can have material consequences for those living pay
abc7news.com
· 2025-12-08
The FBI launched a new public awareness campaign called "Take a Beat" to educate the public about major fraud schemes, including impersonation scams (posing as banks or law enforcement), cryptocurrency investment fraud, grandparent scams using AI voice cloning, and recovery scams targeting previous fraud victims. One Bay Area victim lost $950 to a scammer impersonating a Citibank employee, illustrating how fraudsters exploit emotional urgency and personal information to manipulate victims into sending money or revealing passwords.
southeastiowaunion.com
· 2025-12-08
Iowa County Sheriff Rob Rotter reports that scams are vastly underreported due to victim embarrassment, with an estimated 59 million people scammed annually and $50,000-$60,000 lost yearly in Iowa County alone. Rotter highlighted common scams including lottery/tax schemes (one couple lost $130,000 across multiple scams), robocalls targeting seniors with health insurance offers, and "grandparent scams" where callers impersonate grandchildren in distress, recommending victims report fraud to authorities and verify caller identity by hanging up and calling back known numbers.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Three individuals—Chidi Olujie, Jennifer Chibueze, and Jessica Nortey—were charged with conspiring to launder over $1 million in proceeds from romance scams and other online frauds between 2016 and 2019, allegedly using shell companies and fraudulent bank accounts to move stolen money. The defendants face up to 20 years in prison on money laundering conspiracy charges plus an additional two years for aggravated identity theft. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office.
ministers.treasury.gov.au
· 2025-12-08
Australian Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones discusses the government's efforts to combat scams that cost Australians $2.75 billion in losses last year, down from a peak of $3 billion but still a significant problem. He explains that scams have become increasingly sophisticated, involving overseas call centers and data operations, and outlines new legislation requiring banks, telecommunications companies, and social media platforms to implement stronger safeguards such as detecting out-of-character transactions and adding friction to payment systems. The government has also established a National Anti-Scam Centre to coordinate defensive efforts against these criminal operations.
theconversation.com
· 2025-12-08
"Hustle kingdoms" are informal training academies operating in West Africa (particularly Ghana and Nigeria) that teach individuals digital fraud techniques, with graduates carrying out online romance scams, business email compromise, and sextortion targeting victims globally. The U.S. lost approximately $50 billion to online scams in 2023, many linked to West African fraudsters, as these operations have evolved from 1980s-90s "business centres" into a coordinated global threat with hierarchical structures and increasingly sophisticated tactics. The phenomenon reflects a complex socioeconomic dynamic where some perpetrators justify their crimes as retaliation for historical injustices, while law enforcement and researchers emphasize the
smdailyjournal.com
· 2025-12-08
A California man lost over $300,000 in a cryptocurrency "pig butchering" scam that began in 2022 when a woman posing as a Taiwanese trader named Anna convinced him to invest in a fraudulent platform called BankCEX, using fake trading statements to build trust before demanding an additional $115,000 in taxes and fees. The victim's stolen funds—consisting of USD Coin, Tether, and Ethereum—were traced to major exchanges including Binance, Crypto.com, and OKX, and he has filed suit against these platforms. The case highlights the need for better cryptocurrency investor education and law enforcement expertise as crypto scams continue to prolif
therecord.media
· 2025-12-08
The Johnson County Board of Education in Tennessee lost $3.36 million in April when a finance director was deceived by a fraudster impersonating a Pearson curriculum vendor using a spoofed email address (pearson.quest instead of .com). The stolen funds were laundered through multiple accounts operated by "money mules"—individuals who were themselves deceived into opening accounts, including a 76-year-old Texan who believed he was helping his online fiancée with an inheritance. As of September, approximately $742,000 of the stolen funds had been recovered, with this business email compromise (BEC) scam exemplifying a common threat to school districts nationwide.
theprint.in
· 2025-12-08
"Hustle kingdoms" are informal training academies in West Africa (particularly Ghana and Nigeria) that teach individuals digital fraud techniques, including romance scams and business email compromise schemes, with graduates exporting these skills globally and contributing to an estimated $50 billion in online scam losses in the United States in 2023 alone. These operations evolved from 1980s-90s "business centres" and function as hierarchical knowledge hubs where novices learn sophisticated fraud tactics from experienced scammers. Some perpetrators justify their crimes as restitution for historical colonial exploitation, while employing both psychological manipulation and supernatural tactics like "juju magic" to defraud victims worldwide.
verywellmind.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational guide examines the psychology behind why people fall for scams, emphasizing that susceptibility is not a matter of intelligence but rather how scammers exploit psychological vulnerabilities. Key findings include that adults aged 35-44 are most likely to be deceived (though older adults remain targeted), those 18-24 lose the most money, and online fraud causes an estimated $2.7 billion in annual losses while also impacting victims' mental health. The article outlines how scammers build trust through impersonation and social engineering, and notes that common scams include phone fraud, phishing, fake job offers, and emergency schemes—increasingly enhanced by AI technology.
saharareporters.com
· 2025-12-08
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scammer and returned the funds to Spanish citizen Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, with the handover made to Spain's Ambassador to Nigeria in September 2024. The recovery was achieved through collaboration between the EFCC and Spanish Police, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in combating cross-border financial crimes. EFCC leadership emphasized the agency's commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for financial criminals and called for continued global partnership among law enforcement agencies to address the borderless nature of internet fraud.
chronicle.ng
· 2025-12-08
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scam and returned the funds to a Spanish citizen, Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, through the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria. The handover highlighted successful international cooperation between Nigerian and Spanish law enforcement agencies in combating transnational financial crimes, with EFCC leadership emphasizing their commitment to making Nigeria inhospitable for romance scammers and other fraudsters.
wdbj7.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco create thousands of AI-generated fake photos of wounded soldiers and military families, posting them on fraudulent patriotic Facebook pages to lure comments from unsuspecting Americans. Once victims engage with the posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals initiate private messages and requests for money, exploiting patriotic sentiment to defraud widows and elderly women. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division reports hundreds of fake military accounts monthly, while Meta describes the scheme as "engagement bait" that spreads faster than the company can remove it.
atlantanewsfirst.com
· 2025-12-08
An investigation uncovered thousands of AI-generated photos of fake wounded soldiers, veterans, and military families posted on Facebook pages with patriotic names like "Proudly American," which are actually managed by users in Morocco and other foreign countries. Scammers use these fake images to lure patriotic comments from older Americans, who are then targeted by imposters posing as U.S. military generals requesting private messages, a scheme the Army reports receiving hundreds of complaints about monthly. The fake photos contain obvious AI errors such as soldiers with six fingers, extra hands, garbled name tapes, and uniforms with incorrect flags, yet Facebook has not labeled them as AI-generated content.
wlbt.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco use AI-generated photos of fake wounded soldiers and military personnel on patriotic Facebook pages to lure American commenters, particularly older women and widows. When victims engage with the posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals contact them in private messages and solicit money, with the Army reporting hundreds of fake imposter accounts monthly. The scam exploits patriotic sentiment through obviously flawed AI images (soldiers with six fingers, flags with wrong star counts, garbled name tapes) that nonetheless generate thousands of followers and engagement.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Isaiah Okere, a 42-year-old Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after being extradited from South Africa for his role in an international scam operation targeting at least 15 victims. From 2015 to 2019, Okere and co-conspirators orchestrated romance scams, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes that resulted in over $1 million in losses, with vulnerable and elderly victims losing their entire retirement savings, and one victim reporting suicidal ideation. Okere used false identities and foreign bank accounts to facilitate the fraud and money laundering scheme, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
foxcarolina.com
· 2025-12-08
Foreign scammers operating from countries like Morocco create fake patriotic Facebook pages featuring AI-generated images of wounded soldiers and military personnel to lure American engagement, particularly from older women. When victims comment on these posts, imposters posing as U.S. military generals initiate private messages and eventually request money, with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division reporting hundreds of fake impersonator accounts monthly. The scam exploits patriotic sentiment and leverages AI-generated content with telltale errors (extra fingers, garbled text, impossible scenes) to build trust before extracting financial information from vulnerable Americans.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
CBS News investigated romance scams originating from Ghana that have defrauded Americans of over $10 billion according to the Federal Trade Commission. The scammers operate from "boiler rooms" in Accra where young men pose as attractive women on dating apps to build trust with lonely victims, particularly older American men, before convincing them to send money; the scammers retain 40% of funds while their syndicate bosses take 60%. The operation has evolved from crude "Nigerian Prince" emails into a sophisticated, billion-dollar transnational criminal enterprise that exploits vulnerable Americans through emotional manipulation and identity deception.
eff.org
· 2025-12-08
This article addresses a widespread "sextortion" phishing scam in which recipients receive threatening emails claiming hackers have compromised their computers and possess embarrassing photos or browsing history, demanding payment in bitcoin to prevent the information from being shared with contacts. The scammers use publicly available personal information (names, addresses, house photos from Google Street View) obtained from data breaches to create a false appearance of authenticity, but they have not actually hacked the recipients. The article advises recipients not to pay the ransom and recommends changing passwords, freezing credit, and monitoring for identity theft to protect against future scams using leaked personal data.
sandhillsexpress.com
· 2025-12-08
A U.S. man lost $700,000 in an elaborate romance scam orchestrated from Ghana. CBS News investigation revealed that sophisticated overseas romance scams—which have evolved from simple "Nigerian Prince" emails—are costing Americans over $10 billion annually, with scammers operating from "boiler rooms" in Ghana where young men pose as attractive women on dating apps to target lonely, older American victims, with criminal syndicates taking large cuts of the money extracted.
thetimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Broadcaster Moira Stuart nearly fell victim to an authorized push payment (APP) fraud scam when someone impersonating her bank convinced her to transfer money to a "safe" account, but bank staff intervened and stopped the transaction. APP fraud incidents exceeded 230,000 cases in the most recent year, resulting in £460 million in losses, with fraudsters increasingly using artificial intelligence and evolving tactics including purchase scams, investment schemes, romance scams, and impersonation fraud targeting energy suppliers and tax authorities. Banks are struggling to refund victims, and regulators have capped APP scam refunds at £85,000 starting October 7.
chicagotribune.com
· 2025-12-08
Long Leaf Trading Group, a Chicago-based boiler-room operation, cold-called victims to pitch a fraudulent commodity-trading scheme between 2020 and its prosecution, resulting in customer losses while company traders collected $1.2 million in commissions. The article uses this case to illustrate how consumer fraud has evolved dramatically, with modern scammers now employing AI voice cloning, personal data harvesting, and impersonation tactics that make scams increasingly difficult to detect, contributing to record losses of $10 billion in U.S. consumer fraud in the previous year.
aol.com
· 2025-12-08
This editorial contrasts traditional scams like Long Leaf Trading Group's $1.2 million commodity fraud scheme with modern consumer fraud that leverages artificial intelligence, voice cloning, and personal data harvesting to create highly convincing imposter scams. Consumer fraud reached a record $10 billion in losses last year according to the FTC, with imposter scams representing the fastest-growing category as criminals exploit social isolation, political divisiveness, and technological sophistication to target vulnerable Americans. Law enforcement efforts have increased but remain outpaced by evolving fraud tactics, though a new generation of tech-savvy anti-scammers on platforms like YouTube are gaining traction in exposing these criminals.
wired.com
· 2025-12-08
Over 200,000 people in Southeast Asia have been forced into operating online "pig butchering" scams by Chinese organized crime groups, generating billions in stolen funds through a scheme that builds false relationships with victims before directing them to fraudulent investment platforms. The FBI reported nearly $4 billion in losses from these scams in 2023 alone, with total global losses estimated at $75 billion or more, and similar operations have now expanded to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and West Africa. Despite crackdowns by Beijing and international law enforcement efforts, experts warn that the scam continues to proliferate globally as criminal groups replicate the model in regions with weak governance and enforcement.
bet.com
· 2025-12-08
A CBS investigation uncovered a network of Ghanaian romance scammers operating from "boiler rooms" in Accra who target lonely Americans through online dating sites, with victims losing over $10 billion according to the Federal Trade Commission. The scammers, like an operative named Abdullah, are supplied by syndicate bosses who take 60% of profits, and they deliberately study American culture and time zones to impersonate potential romantic partners and extract money from victims. These schemes represent an evolution from earlier Nigerian Prince emails, employing more sophisticated tactics that are difficult to detect.
thehackernews.com
· 2025-12-08
INTERPOL arrested eight individuals in Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria under Operation Contender 2.0, targeting phishing and romance cyber fraud in West Africa. A large-scale phishing scheme targeting Swiss citizens resulted in over $1.4 million in losses, with criminals using fake buyer profiles and QR codes to direct victims to fraudulent payment websites; the main suspect confessed to making $1.9 million illicitly. In a separate case, two suspects were apprehended in Nigeria for a romance scam that defrauded a Finnish victim of a substantial amount of money.
grandhaventribune.com
· 2025-12-08
This article is not relevant to the Elderus database. The content is primarily a weather forecast with unrelated comment policy guidelines. While a brief mention references the Long Leaf Trading Group case—a Chicago-based boiler room that defrauded customers through commodity trading schemes, collecting $1.2 million in commissions—the article's focus is on general fraud trends and AI-enabled scams rather than a specific elder fraud incident. No elder victims, specific dollar losses to seniors, or elder abuse details are provided.
grandforksherald.com
· 2025-12-08
Long Leaf Trading Group, a Chicago-based boiler-room operation announced in 2020, cold-called victims to promote a commodity-trading scheme that promised 6%-12% annual returns; nearly all customers lost money while the company collected $1.2 million in commissions. The article contextualizes this case within a broader fraud epidemic, noting that consumer fraud cost Americans a record $10 billion in the previous year, with AI-enhanced scams using voice cloning, personalized data, and imposter tactics now replacing older low-tech fraud schemes and making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement to combat modern scammers.
union-bulletin.com
· 2025-12-08
Long Leaf Trading Group, a Chicago-based boiler-room operation announced in 2020, cold-called unsuspecting customers to promote a fraudulent commodity-trading scheme promising 6%-12% annual returns, resulting in nearly all customers losing money while insiders collected $1.2 million in commissions. The article contextualizes this relatively straightforward scam within the broader modern fraud epidemic, where AI-enhanced voice cloning, personalized targeting using social media and data breach information, and imposter schemes have driven consumer fraud losses to a record $10 billion annually, with law enforcement struggling to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated technology-enabled cons.
bostonglobe.com
· 2025-12-08
Wisdom Oghenekaro Onyobeno, a 44-year-old Nigerian man, was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for leading a $5.8 million romance scam that targeted vulnerable women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s across the United States. The victims, many widowed and seeking companionship, were deceived by fabricated romantic stories and charm, losing retirement savings, valuables, and in some cases their health and lives, with one Florida widow alone losing over $324,000. Judge John J. McConnell Jr. rejected Onyobeno's pleas for leniency, calling the scheme "
asaaseradio.com
· 2025-12-08
Nonso Ekeocha was convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment by a Lagos court for online romance fraud, where he posed as "Ronald Gregory," an American man, on Instagram to solicit money from victims through fake dating scenarios. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission proved he possessed fraudulent documents used for the scam, which he committed in June 2024; he was given the option to pay a N500,000 fine and complete 50 hours of community service instead of serving the prison term.
redrocknews.com
· 2025-12-08
Detective Justin White of the Sedona Police Department presented on internet and identity safety, emphasizing that gift card and cryptocurrency payment requests are always fraudulent and warning residents about 40 types of scams, particularly warrant and government impersonation scams that target older adults by exploiting fear and emotions. In 2023, the FBI reported 14,190 government impersonation victims with losses exceeding $394 million, while local authorities received 25-30 fraud reports in a 10-week period with no successful losses. White advised residents to stay calm, trust their instincts, verify claims independently, and report scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or local authorities.
dailybreeze.com
· 2025-12-08
A Santa Monica software developer lost $740,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam, where a scammer cultivated trust over two months through daily communication before pitching fake cryptocurrency investments. This sophisticated long-con scheme, which originated in China in 2019 and expanded globally during the pandemic, has devastated hundreds or thousands of Californians—some victims have died by suicide after losing family fortunes—with Americans losing $4 billion to cryptocurrency investment scams in 2023, including $1.1 billion from California residents alone.
dailynews.com
· 2025-12-08
A Santa Monica software developer lost $740,000 in a "pig butchering" romance scam in which a scammer spent two months building trust and romantic connection before pitching a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. The scam, which originated in China in 2019 and expanded globally during the pandemic, involves networks of scammers posing as romantic partners to exploit victims over weeks or months, with California residents losing over $1.1 billion to cryptocurrency investment scams in 2023 alone, and some victims driven to suicide after devastating financial losses.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Juan Velez, a 35-year-old former Citibank personal banker, was sentenced to six months in jail (with five years probation) for stealing $166,000 from a 79-year-old client with dementia over a one-year period; Velez used the stolen funds to pay off credit cards and purchase a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which he was ordered to surrender along with making restitution. The case underscores the vulnerability of elderly individuals with cognitive decline to financial exploitation by trusted financial professionals who have access to their accounts.
aarp.org
· 2025-12-08
An 82-year-old man named Dennis Jones was romantically scammed by a woman he met on Facebook who claimed to be a successful cryptocurrency investor named Jessie and offered to teach him how to profit from crypto investments. After developing trust with the scammer and hoping to leave an inheritance for his family, Dennis invested his savings, which turned out to be part of a fraudulent scheme. The devastating financial loss and emotional trauma led to Dennis taking his own life, and his son and daughter now share his story publicly to warn others about romance and cryptocurrency scams targeting seniors.
businessday.ng
· 2025-12-08
Internet scams are a global concern causing significant financial losses and erosion of trust in digital transactions. India recorded $7.93 million USD in cybercrime losses across 4,850 cases in 2023, while Brazil experienced 1.8 million banking trojan infections the same year; Pakistan reported 32,072 suspicious transactions, and South Africa ranks 7th globally for cyber criminality, with identity theft and phishing attacks being prevalent across all regions. Governments are implementing awareness campaigns and stronger cybersecurity measures, but rapid digital infrastructure growth continues to outpace law enforcement efforts to combat evolving scam tactics.
intelligentciso.com
· 2025-12-08
Proofpoint researchers documented a rising trend of cryptocurrency scams targeting job seekers through fake employment offers, often impersonating legitimate companies and communicated via social media, SMS, and messaging apps. These "Pig Butchering" variant scams exploit psychological vulnerabilities to pressure victims into making payments after performing fake tasks, with one fraudulent website impersonating Daptone Records netting over $300,000 in two months. To protect themselves, job seekers should remain skeptical of unsolicited offers, never send money to supposed employers, and verify opportunities through official company channels.
thesun.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
A 68-year-old woman named Jean was defrauded of £169,000 over seven years by a Facebook romance scammer posing as "Maxwell Johnson," a fake US Air Force serviceman whose profile image was stolen from a real military officer. The scammer, traced to Nigeria and linked to the "Yahoo Boys" sextortion gang, manipulated Jean—a disabled pensioner who used a wheelchair—by claiming he loved her and would move to the UK to marry her, while repeatedly requesting money for flights and expenses that never materialized. Jean accumulated significant debt (£9,000 to energy companies and £8,000 to caregivers) through pension and disability benefit transfers via
regtechtimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian man, was arrested upon arrival at a Texas airport and charged with 14 counts of wire fraud for operating a romance scam that defrauded victims of over $3.3 million. Using fake dating profiles under the alias "Giovanni," Nwadialo posed as a U.S. military member overseas and convinced victims to send money through various pretexts, including military fines and investment opportunities, with one victim losing over $2.4 million. If convicted, Nwadialo faces up to 20 years in prison per count.
southernillinoisnow.com
· 2025-12-08
A 28-year-old Nigerian national, Ogheneofejiro Godswill Uzokpa, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for operating a romance scam that defrauded at least a dozen elderly and disabled women across the United States of hundreds of thousands of dollars between March 2020 and February 2021. Uzokpa and his co-conspirators posed as romantic interests online to gain victims' trust, then used U.S.-based "money mules" to collect and transfer stolen funds totaling at least $329,470, which he was ordered to repay in restitution.
occrp.org
· 2025-12-08
Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested upon entering the U.S. and charged with 14 counts of wire fraud for operating romance scams that defrauded multiple victims of over $3 million. Operating under fake aliases on dating sites like Match and Zoosk, Nwadialo posed as a deployed military member and manipulated victims—often elderly, widowed, or divorced individuals seeking companionship—into sending money for fabricated fees and investments, with some victims losing their entire life savings. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
wsiltv.com
· 2025-12-08
A 28-year-old Nigerian man, Ogheneofejiro Godswill Uzokpa, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for operating a romance scam that defrauded at least a dozen victims, primarily elderly or disabled women, of hundreds of thousands of dollars between March 2020 and February 2021. Uzokpa and co-conspirators posed as American professionals abroad using false identities, built romantic relationships to gain trust, then solicited money for fabricated emergencies like "processing fees," with U.S.-based accomplices acting as "money mules" to transfer funds to Nigeria. The court ordered Uzokpa to pay $329
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
A Nigerian national, Ogheneofejiro Godswill Uzokpa, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for operating a romance scam that defrauded at least a dozen victims—primarily elderly and disabled women—of hundreds of thousands of dollars between March 2020 and February 2021. Uzokpa and his co-conspirators posed as romantic interests online, built trust with victims, then requested money under false pretenses such as processing fees, using U.S.-based money mules to transfer funds to Nigeria. The judge ordered him to pay $329,470 in restitution to his victims.
giant.fm
· 2025-12-08
**Summary:**
Ogheneofejiro Godswill Uzokpa, a 28-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for conducting a romance scam that defrauded at least a dozen victims, primarily elderly or disabled women, of hundreds of thousands of dollars between March 2020 and February 2021. Uzokpa and co-conspirators created fake online identities posing as professionals abroad, built romantic relationships with victims to gain trust, then requested money under false pretenses such as processing fees, using U.S.-based "money mules" to transfer the stolen funds to Nigeria. The court ordered Uzokpa to pay $329
localmemphis.com
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian citizens were sentenced to federal prison for operating romance and investment scams between 2017 and 2021, using fake identities on social media and dating platforms to build relationships with victims before requesting money transfers. The scheme affected multiple victims across the U.S., with one West Tennessee victim losing over $400,000, and the defendants acted as money mules moving proceeds through bank accounts and shell companies. Sentences ranged from two-and-a-half to five years in federal prison.
actionnews5.com
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian citizens were convicted of operating romance scams across the United States between 2017 and November 2021, defrauding victims out of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars each by creating fake identities on dating websites and social media to build false romantic relationships and solicit emergency financial assistance. The defendants acted as "money mules," laundering stolen funds through multiple bank accounts and shell corporations to obscure the money trail; one victim in Tennessee alone lost over $400,000. The four received federal prison sentences ranging from 30 to 60 months, with sentencing occurring between April and October 2024.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian citizens were sentenced to federal prison for operating international romance scams targeting U.S. victims from 2017 to 2021, with sentences ranging from 30 to 60 months. The defendants created fake identities on dating sites and social media to build romantic relationships with victims, then solicited money for emergencies, with losses ranging from thousands to over $400,000 per victim. The defendants functioned as "money mules," laundering proceeds through multiple bank accounts and shell companies to conceal the scheme's origins.
guardian.ng
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian citizens residing in the U.S. and Canada were sentenced to federal prison (ranging from 2.5 to 5 years) for operating romance and investment scams between 2017 and 2021, using fake identities on dating sites and social media to deceive victims into sending money via wire transfers and mail. The conspiracy involved dozens of victims who lost between thousands to over $400,000 each, with the defendants functioning as "money mules" to launder proceeds through shell companies and multiple bank accounts. The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian men were sentenced to federal prison for operating a romance scam targeting victims in West Tennessee. The scam involved perpetrators posing as romantic interests to deceive and defraud victims, though specific victim counts and financial losses are not detailed in the provided excerpt.
saharareporters.com
· 2025-12-08
Four Nigerian nationals—Patrick Edah, Efe Egbowawa, Igocha Mac-Okor, and Kay Ozegbe—were sentenced to federal prison (30 to 60 months) for operating a romance and investment scam that defrauded victims across the U.S., including Western Tennessee, from 2017 to 2021. The defendants used fake identities and dating site profiles to establish romantic relationships and solicit emergency financial assistance, with victims losing thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, including one Tennessee resident who lost over $400,000. They were convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering after laundering scam proceeds through
nationthailand.com
· 2025-12-08
Police arrested six suspects—four Thai nationals and two Nigerian men—who operated romance scams and used over 1,000 mule bank accounts to launder money for international criminal networks, defrauding victims of more than 50 million baht. The gang leader, identified as a Nigerian national named Christian, facilitated transactions exceeding 1.2 billion baht through accounts linked to foreign call centers, drug dealers, and other scam operations. The suspects face charges including public fraud, computer crimes, and money laundering, with authorities warning the public that opening bank accounts for others can result in up to three years imprisonment and 300,000 baht in fines.
gistmania.com
· 2025-12-08
Thai police arrested two Nigerian men and four Thai nationals in November 2024 as part of "Operation Black Horse Down," an investigation into a romance scam ring that defrauded victims of over 50 million baht. The gang operated more than 1,000 mule bank accounts through which 1.2 billion baht in transactions were processed for foreign criminal networks including drug dealers and call centers. The suspects face charges including public fraud, computer crimes, and money laundering, with authorities warning the public that opening bank accounts for others in exchange for payment is illegal and carries penalties of up to three years in prison and 300,000 baht in fines.
abc.net.au
· 2025-12-08
Donna Nelson, a Perth grandmother, is on trial in Japan for importing two kilograms of methamphetamine after being deceived by an online romance scammer named Kelly whom she had communicated with for two years without meeting in person. Nelson claims she was unaware of the drugs hidden in a suitcase she received in Laos, believing it was a sample for Kelly's fashion business, and did not suspect the scam because Kelly never asked her for money. The case highlights how romance scammers can manipulate victims through emotional connection and trust, bypassing typical warning signs.
fox32chicago.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals operating from the Chicago suburbs, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced to 20 and 10 years in prison respectively for orchestrating multiple fraud schemes that stole at least $3.5 million from victims across the U.S. Their schemes included inheritance scams requiring upfront fees, romance scams conducted through social media and dating apps, and business email compromise attacks targeting corporate accounts. A third conspirator, Jennifer Gosha, pleaded guilty to related charges with sentencing scheduled for December 18.
justice.gov
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals operating from the Chicago suburbs, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, conducted inheritance scams, romance scams, and business email compromise fraud schemes that defrauded victims of at least $3.5 million across the United States. Ibekie was convicted on 14 counts and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, while Aniukwu pleaded guilty and received a 10-year sentence; a third accomplice, Jennifer Gosha, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges and awaits sentencing.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, two Nigerian nationals living in the Chicago suburbs, were sentenced to a combined 30 years in federal prison for defrauding US citizens of at least $3.5 million through inheritance scams, romance scams, and business email compromise schemes. Ibekie received 20 years and Aniukwu received 10 years after being convicted on multiple counts including wire fraud, money laundering, and passport fraud. A third accomplice, US citizen Jennifer Gosha, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges and is scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2024.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
An American woman over 50 fell victim to romance scams perpetrated by two Nigerian "Yahoo boys" (internet fraudsters) over separate incidents spanning roughly a decade, losing significant sums of money in both cases. In the first scam (2020), a man posed as an American on TikTok for ten months before she discovered his true identity and Nigerian girlfriend; in the second, a scammer claimed to need money for his sick mother's medical bills. Despite these experiences, the victim expressed continued affection for Nigerian men while authorities note that youth involvement in internet fraud remains a persistent problem despite Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission securing 3,175 convictions and recovering over N156 billion between 2
patch.com
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals and a U.S. citizen were sentenced to federal prison for conducting inheritance scams, romance scams, and business email compromise schemes that defrauded victims of at least $3.5 million. Anthony Emeka Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, received 20 years in prison after conviction on 14 counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering, while his co-conspirator Samuel Aniukwu, 50, was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges. The schemes involved using aliases to convince victims they had inheritances or build romantic relationships through social media before soliciting money transfers.
dhs.gov
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals operating from the Chicago suburbs, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Anukwu, were convicted and sentenced to 20 and 10 years in federal prison respectively for conducting inheritance scams, romance scams, and business email compromise fraud that defrauded victims of at least $3.5 million. The pair used aliases to communicate with victims across the United States, convincing them of inheritances or building false romantic relationships to manipulate them into sending money to predetermined recipients. A third co-defendant, U.S. citizen Jennifer Gosha, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in connection with the scheme and awaited sentencing.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
**Business Email Compromise and Romance Scam Operation**
Okechukwu Osuji, a 39-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to eight years in prison for orchestrating a $6 million fraud scheme involving business email compromise and romance scams that victimized organizations and individuals across the United States. Osuji and his co-conspirators impersonated legitimate businesses in electronic communications to trick victims into transferring funds, while also exploiting elderly individuals through romance scams to use them as unwitting "money mules"—including one woman who sent her entire savings and social security checks to someone she believed was her romantic partner. His accomplice
citizen.co.za
· 2025-12-08
A Ghanaian national posing as a boyfriend scammed a former South African teacher out of R1.8 million in a romance fraud scheme, convincing her to invest in a trucking business in October 2023 before disappearing. The Hawks arrested 33-year-old Mohoto Mangwejana, into whose account the stolen funds were deposited, though the primary perpetrator remains at large. The case highlights the ongoing threat of dating scams and the importance of recognizing red flags such as unsolicited business proposals and reluctance to meet in public or provide identification.
securitybrief.com.au
· 2025-12-08
Australians are being warned of twelve categories of holiday season scams as cyber-security experts anticipate increased fraud risk during peak shopping periods, with previous festive seasons resulting in AUD $50 million in losses. Common scams include parcel delivery fraud, reward point exploitation, fake tax refund schemes, marketplace scams, romance scams, and AI-deepfakes, with New South Wales and Victoria reporting the highest state losses at AUD $13 million and AUD $15 million respectively. To protect themselves, consumers should verify URLs, enable two-factor authentication, keep detailed records of transactions, and stay informed through official scam alerts.
cyberscoop.com
· 2025-12-08
Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian cybercriminal on the FBI's Most Wanted list, was extradited from Ghana to face wire fraud charges for his role in business email compromise (BEC) and romance fraud schemes that defrauded businesses of over $6 million between 2015 and 2016. The scheme involved impersonating executives to trick employees into making fraudulent wire transfers, with stolen funds diverted to accounts controlled by Kayode and co-conspirators. Several of Kayode's accomplices have already been convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 45 to 96 months.
klkntv.com
· 2025-12-08
Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian man, was extradited to Nebraska to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a $6 million email spoofing scam that operated from 2015 to 2016. Kayode and his accomplices impersonated company executives to trick employees into wiring transfers to accounts controlled by the fraud ring, with some funds laundered through victims of romance scams. Several co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced to prison with restitution orders, while Kayode remains in custody pending trial.
the420.in
· 2025-12-08
This curated cybercrime report documents multiple fraud cases across India and internationally. Notable incidents include an Indore resident losing Rs 2.45 lakh to an AnyDesk remote access scam, a Rs 71 lakh online stock market fraud in Pune involving a Russian national, and a Chennai shopkeeper arrested for defrauding over Rs 1 crore through fake goods and job offer scams on social media. The report also highlights international cases including the extradition of a Nigerian cybercriminal to the US for wire fraud and romance scams, cryptocurrency scams targeting Jersey residents, and emphasizes that global scams cost $1.026 trillion annually
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
AI-enabled scams are projected to cause $40 billion in losses by 2027, up from $12.3 billion in 2023, as fraudsters increasingly adopt deepfake technology, voice cloning, and AI chatbots for romance scams and business email compromise attacks. Criminal activity on fraud-focused channels surged 644% between 2023 and 2024, with scammers now offering "fraud-as-a-service" tools and recruiting workers to create deepfake content. The FBI and fraud experts warn that 2025 will see AI scams become mainstream, particularly in targeted business fraud (like the $30 million Hong Kong Zoom imperson
nypost.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigeria's anti-graft agency arrested 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, in a December 10 raid on a Lagos call center that orchestrated romance scams and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes targeting victims in the Americas and Europe. The operation involved Nigerian accomplices recruiting victims online through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, then handing them off to foreign scammers who pressured them to transfer money for nonexistent investments. Authorities seized computers, phones, and vehicles, and indicated they are investigating potential links to organized crime networks.
yahoo.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian authorities arrested 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, in a raid on a Lagos call center that orchestrated romance scams and cryptocurrency fraud targeting victims in the Americas and Europe. The operation lured victims through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram with romantic overtures or fake investment opportunities, then pressured them to transfer money for phoney cryptocurrency schemes and non-existent projects. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seized computers, phones, and vehicles, and stated it would investigate potential links to organized crime and collaborate with international partners.
amlintelligence.com
· 2025-12-08
Nigeria's anti-graft agency arrested 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, in a December 10 raid on a Lagos building operating as a romance scam and cryptocurrency investment fraud hub. The perpetrators used romantic solicitation to manipulate victims into investing money in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. The operation targeted the seven-story Big Leaf Building, identified as a central location for coordinating these transnational fraud activities.
infosecurity-magazine.com
· 2025-12-08
A network of 792 people, including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, and other foreign nationals, was arrested in Lagos on December 10 in connection with a large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and romance scam operation targeting victims in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. The suspects operated from a sophisticated facility where they trained young Nigerians to conduct romance and investment scams using fake profiles, foreign phone numbers, and phishing techniques, directing victims to a fraudulent platform (yooto.com) where activation fees began at $35. The operation involved over 500 SIM cards and high-end equipment, with the foreign nationals exploiting Nigeria's reputation to establish their
opindia.com
· 2025-12-08
On December 10, Nigeria's EFCC raided a sophisticated romance and cryptocurrency investment scam operation in Lagos, detaining 792 suspects including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, and various other foreign nationals who trained Nigerian accomplices. The syndicate operated from a luxury call center equipped with high-end technology, targeting victims primarily in America and Europe through social media platforms by impersonating foreign females and luring them into fake cryptocurrency investments on a platform called Yooto-dot-com, with activation fees starting at $35 USD. The operation recovered approximately 500 SIM cards and involved specially trained Nigerian operatives who were rewarded in cash for their participation in the frau
healthday.com
· 2025-12-08
A 2024 study analyzing over 35,000 survey responses from England and Wales found that while young adults report cybercrimes more frequently, seniors aged 75 and older are over four times more likely to lose money to cybercriminals and twice as likely to be repeatedly victimized. Adults 55 and older in the region lost more than $5 million to fraud and hacking-related cybercrimes, with increased vulnerability linked to physical, mental, or cognitive health impairments.
punchng.com
· 2025-12-08
On December 16, 2024, Nigerian authorities arrested 792 suspects involved in romance scam syndicates, including 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and other foreign nationals along with Nigerian accomplices operating from a Lagos building. The foreign scammers paid their Nigerian recruits between N300,000 monthly and N80,000 weekly to conduct fraud activities on rotating shifts, with some workers earning N100,000 for just 10 days of work plus accommodation. The EFCC conducted a massive raid using over 30 buses and blocking all building exits, resulting in the arrest of the operation's core network engaged in online fraud schemes.
newsweek.com
· 2025-12-08
A reformed Nigerian romance scammer named Chris Maxwell, who defrauded dozens of women of $70,000 between 2016 and 2021 primarily using fake military profiles, now works as a consultant educating the public on how to avoid such schemes. He advises people to be wary of social media profiles with few photos, reluctance to video call or meet in person, and to never send money or gifts to unverified online contacts. The FTC reported 42,399 romance scam complaints in 2024 with a median loss of $1,901 per victim, and Americans collectively lost $823 million to such fraudsters that year.
guardian.ng
· 2025-12-08
An 80-year-old American woman, Diana Nelson, was victimized by a romance scam orchestrated by Nigerian fraudster Emmanuel Adeboye, who impersonated Hollywood actor Mark Hammon on Facebook and convinced her to travel to Ghana in November, where she was held captive and robbed of her phones, cash, and valuables. Adeboye also manipulated Nelson into obtaining a $15,000 reverse mortgage on her California home and attempted to have her house sold while she was detained; he later contacted her son demanding he sell the property and claiming Nelson had been arrested with undeclared gold and diamonds. The FBI and Ghana Police coordinated a sting operation using her credit
techbullion.com
· 2025-12-08
The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 792 people involved in cryptocurrency romance scams, including 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and local accomplices, following a raid on a suspected fraud operation. The arrests came after authorities charged a Nigerian man with defrauding 139 Australians of $5 million through crypto schemes that used phishing links to steal victims' login credentials and drain both fiat and cryptocurrency accounts. The operation targeted citizens worldwide, primarily from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, with foreign kingpins recruiting Nigerian accomplices to prospect for victims online.
news.abplive.com
· 2025-12-08
This educational article from Kaspersky outlines nine major types of online scams targeting internet users: fake job offers with counterfeit checks, lottery scams, inheritance scams, romance scams, charity fraud, tech support scams, social media scams, robocall fraud, messaging scams, and online shopping scams. For each scam type, the article provides warning signs and protective measures, such as verifying charity status through trusted databases, avoiding remote access to unknown individuals, and checking website security features before making purchases. The overarching advice emphasizes vigilance, scrutinizing suspicious offers, and remembering that offers that sound too good to be true typically are.
newscentral.africa
· 2025-12-08
Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja and Abel Adeyi Daramola, were sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded an Albuquerque victim of approximately $560,000 between January 2016 and April 2017. The scheme involved creating a fake dating profile under the name "Glenn Brown" on eHarmony.com to establish a romantic relationship with the victim and convince them to send money for a fictitious Malaysian construction project. Ogunlaja and Daramola facilitated the fraud by providing bank accounts to receive and launder the stolen funds.
theglobeandmail.com
· 2025-12-08
AI-powered phishing emails are becoming increasingly effective and scalable threats, achieving 54% click-through rates while costing scammers as little as four cents per email and increasing profitability by up to 50 times. Canada reported $531 million in cybercrime losses in 2022, with phishing being a major vector that allows attackers to harvest personal information from social media and craft highly personalized fraudulent messages targeting login credentials, bank accounts, and identity theft. The article recommends protective measures including verifying sender authenticity, scrutinizing links, limiting social media exposure, enabling multifactor authentication, and consulting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for guidance.
sportskeeda.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman was defrauded of over $1 million by a scammer impersonating actor Brad Pitt through AI-generated images and fake text messages between February 2023 and 2024. The victim divorced her millionaire husband after the scammer proposed marriage, then sent $9,000 for customs fees and $800,000 from her divorce settlement after being told the actor needed money for kidney cancer treatment. She discovered the scam after seeing Brad Pitt with his actual girlfriend and filed a complaint in 2024; the scammer remains at large and the victim is undergoing treatment for severe depression.
hoodline.com
· 2025-12-08
Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, a 36-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as part of a sophisticated inheritance scam that defrauded over 400 U.S. victims, many elderly, of more than $6 million. The scheme involved sending fraudulent letters posing as Spanish bank representatives claiming recipients were entitled to inheritances, then extracting upfront fees and taxes. Ogbata faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing in April 2024, and six international co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have also been convicted in the international operation.
local10.com
· 2025-12-08
A South Florida woman received a fraudulent letter claiming she inherited millions from a late relative and was instructed to pay taxes and delivery fees to claim it; approximately 400 victims lost roughly $6 million in this transnational inheritance scam. Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, identified as a member of the crime ring operating across the United Kingdom, Spain, Nigeria, and Portugal, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing on April 14. Six other co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with the scheme.
infosecurity-magazine.com
· 2025-12-08
Truth Social has become a hub for online scams including phishing, advance fee fraud, romance scams, and cryptocurrency investment fraud, with security researchers receiving over 30 scam messages within hours of creating a test account. A Central European threat actor alone distributed over 500 phishing messages impersonating brands like Netflix and Spotify to steal login credentials since March 2024, while the platform's large interest-based groups (some with 100,000+ members) enable scammers to target victims at scale with upfront payment requests ranging from $250 to $1,000. Social media scams broadly have generated $2.7 billion in reported losses since 2021, according to the
discovermagazine.com
· 2025-12-08
A Florida woman was convicted and pleaded guilty to laundering over $2.7 million in an online romance scam ring, exemplifying a growing problem where the FTC reported consumers lost $8.8 billion to scams in 2022—a 30 percent increase from 2021. Scammers employ sophisticated social engineering tactics including romance cons, fake investments, deepfake videos, and manufactured crises, with adults 60 and older being 73 percent more likely to fall victim to such schemes. Research reveals scammers exploit psychological principles like reciprocity (building trust through small gifts) and crisis manipulation (creating urgent financial emergencies) to manipulate victims into sending money
thewhistler.ng
· 2025-12-08
Oba Otudeko, chairman of Honeywell Group, along with a former First Bank Managing Director and others, faced arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos on charges of alleged N12.3 billion fraud involving money laundering and obtaining funds under false pretence between 2013 and 2014. The court hearing was adjourned until February 13, 2025, after defendants' lawyers protested that their clients had not been properly served the charges despite media announcements of the arraignment, with the prosecution stating they would proceed with substituted service at last known addresses.
salon.com
· 2025-12-08
This article is a political opinion piece criticizing Donald Trump's inauguration and the MAGA movement, not an article about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It contains political commentary about Trump's appearance, demeanor, and leadership style, but no information relevant to elder fraud research.
hindustantimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman lost €830,000 to Nigerian scammers who used AI-generated photos to impersonate actor Brad Pitt and convince her they were in a romantic relationship, claiming the actor needed money for medical treatment. The case highlights how Nigerian internet fraudsters, known as "Yahoo Boys," are adopting AI and deepfake technology to conduct romance scams, a tactic experts warn could significantly increase the effectiveness and prevalence of such fraud schemes.
cbsnews.com
· 2025-12-08
Three Chicago-area residents involved in a romance scam network that bilked victims of over $3.5 million were sentenced, with one receiving probation and two receiving 10 and 20-year prison sentences respectively. The case centered on 57-year-old Laura Kowal from Illinois, who sent nearly $2 million to a fraudulent online persona called "Frank Borg" over almost two years before her death; the scammers, based in West Africa, used the defendants as "money mules" to launder the stolen funds. The sentencing highlighted the growing use of accomplices to facilitate romance scams and the devastating impact on victims and their families.
oddee.com
· 2025-12-08
A 67-year-old California woman lost her life savings and home to a two-year romance scam in which scammers impersonated actor Keanu Reeves, using "love bombing" tactics to extract tens of thousands of dollars in Bitcoin and gift cards. Katherine Goodson initially blocked one scammer after recognizing a voice message wasn't authentic, but fell for the scheme again when she received what appeared to be a personal apology from the "real" Keanu, leading her to send money for two years until the scammer became hostile and disappeared. According to the FTC, romance scams involving celebrity impersonation defraud victims of over $1 billion annually.
m.economictimes.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman lost €830,000 ($850,000) to Nigerian scammers who impersonated actor Brad Pitt through AI-generated photos and fake romantic contact on Instagram, claiming he needed money for medical treatment. The case highlights how Nigerian fraudsters are evolving romance scams by incorporating deepfake and AI technologies, with authorities investigating three men in their 20s based in Nigeria. This represents a dangerous escalation of traditional "Yahoo Boys" internet fraud schemes that have plagued West Africa for years.
extra.ie
· 2025-12-08
A French woman lost €830,000 to fraudsters who impersonated Brad Pitt in a romance scam, but the article uses this case to highlight a broader crisis of online fraud and catfishing affecting tech-savvy young people across Ireland and beyond. The piece references an ongoing catfishing operation where a woman created multiple fake profiles to deceive dozens or hundreds of GAA players and others, demonstrating how sophisticated online deception has become beyond traditional Nigerian prince schemes. As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and social media platforms neglect safety measures, the article warns that distinguishing real from fake online relationships and identities is becoming increasingly difficult for all users.
wionews.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman lost €830,000 ($850,000) to Nigerian scammers who used AI-generated photos to impersonate Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and convince her they were in a romantic relationship, claiming he needed money for medical treatment. The case exemplifies how Nigerian fraudsters, historically known for romance and sextortion scams, are adopting AI and deepfake technology to exploit victims, with cybercrime experts warning this technological evolution threatens to undermine years of progress in combating internet fraud.
premiumtimesng.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman was defrauded of €830,000 ($850,000) by Nigerian scammers who used AI-generated images of Brad Pitt, posing as the actor and claiming he needed money for a kidney transplant due to frozen accounts from his divorce. The three perpetrators in their 20s were identified through a scam investigator who gained access to their phone, and the victim's legal team is seeking intervention from Nigeria's EFCC to prosecute them. This case exemplifies how Nigerian internet fraudsters are adopting AI technology to conduct romance and impersonation scams on a larger scale.
legit.ng
· 2025-12-08
Nigerian national Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, pleaded guilty to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded over 400 vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million between 2020-2024. The scheme involved sending fraudulent letters falsely claiming to originate from a Spanish bank and notifying victims of nonexistent inheritances, then coercing them to pay fabricated fees for taxes and delivery charges. Ogbata faces up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing scheduled for April 14, 2025, following successful international law enforcement collaboration involving U.S. and European authorities.
allafrica.com
· 2025-12-08
A 53-year-old French woman was defrauded of €830,000 ($850,000) by Nigerian scammers who used AI-generated images of actor Brad Pitt to pose as him on Instagram, claiming he needed money for a kidney transplant due to a frozen account. The three men in their 20s, operating from Nigeria, were identified by a scam investigator who gained access to their phone through a booby-trapped link, illustrating how fraudsters are adopting new technologies like AI to conduct increasingly elaborate romance and financial scams.
express.co.uk
· 2025-12-08
Lloyds Bank is warning customers never to share one-time passcodes, passwords, or activation codes, as fraudsters are impersonating bank staff over the phone to steal account access and funds. Criminals use stolen personal details to appear legitimate and employ tactics like claiming they need codes to cancel fraudulent payments or secure accounts, though legitimate banks never request such information unsolicited. The warning comes as unauthorized fraud losses reached £358 million in the first half of 2024, with cases rising 19% year-on-year to over 1.5 million incidents.
flyingpenguin.com
· 2025-12-08
I cannot summarize this article as requested because it does not meet the standards for the Elderus database.
This piece is not a factual report about a scam or fraud incident. Instead, it contains:
- Unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and personal attacks
- Inflammatory rhetoric mixing unrelated historical claims with product criticism
- Opinion and editorialization rather than documented fraud cases or victim accounts
- No verifiable data about actual elder fraud, victims, or financial losses
For the Elderus database, I require articles that document specific, verified fraud schemes with identifiable victims, confirmed financial losses, and factual details about how the scam operated. This piece does not qualify.
thetimes.com
· 2025-12-08
Poppy, an 84-year-old widow from Manchester, lost £20,000 to three separate romance scams over two and a half years after becoming isolated following her husband's death and during the Covid lockdown. The scammers posed as American men and exploited her loneliness and declining memory by building emotional connections before requesting money for fabricated emergencies. Romance scams in the UK increased 6% in 2024 with victims losing £99.4 million, and criminologists note that previous victims are particularly vulnerable to repeat victimization due to the grooming tactics used.
therecord.media
· 2025-12-08
A 52-year-old Thai woman was arrested at Hat Yai International Airport for her alleged role in a $182.8 million romance scam—Thailand's costliest on record. The woman, Orathai, was accused of opening bank accounts at the direction of her Nigerian boyfriend that were used to launder embezzled funds from EssilorLuxottica; the scam's original victim, the company's CFO, had been deceived over three months into transferring $182.8 million to 112 accounts across 17 countries after being romance-scammed via LinkedIn. The operation involved at least 23 suspects across Thailand, Malaysia, and Nigeria, highlighting how
financial-planning.com
· 2025-12-08
An elderly widow lost approximately $8.4 million over four years when her son, Brett Thomas Graham—a securities industry-barred individual—moved money from her accounts at multiple financial firms (JPMorgan Securities, Schwab, and Francis Financial) without proper detection or intervention. The woman, who had memory loss and was living in assisted care, had invested nearly $9 million from the sale of her Upper East Side townhouse, but the financial institutions failed to implement adequate safeguards such as flagging suspicious large withdrawals, conducting proper due diligence, or contacting trusted family members to verify the transactions. Her family only discovered the fraud after she was evicted from her assiste
forbes.com
· 2025-12-08
Sandra Bullock warned fans that she has no social media presence and that any accounts claiming to be her are scams, following similar warnings from Brad Pitt after cybercriminals used his likeness in a confidence scheme that defrauded a French woman of $850,000. The article explains how modern celebrity impersonation scams have evolved from traditional "Spanish Prisoner" cons, now facilitated by AI-generated content and paid social media verification badges that allow scammers to easily pose as famous people. Experts warn that paid verification systems have replaced authentication requirements, making it increasingly difficult for users to distinguish legitimate accounts from fraudulent ones.
analyticsinsight.net
· 2025-12-08
This educational piece identifies nursing home residents as vulnerable targets for fraud due to limited technology familiarity and describes common scam tactics including phishing, Medicare fraud, prize scams, and investment schemes. According to LA County District Attorney data, one in five older adults experiences financial fraud, with California seniors over 60 filing over 11,000 fraud complaints in 2023 totaling $620 million in losses (averaging $57,000 per victim). The article emphasizes that education is the primary prevention method and recommends immediate legal action if a loved one becomes victimized.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, people lost $10 billion to fraud according to FTC data, but consumers can protect themselves by recognizing common banking scams. The article outlines ten prevalent scam tactics—including check-cashing schemes, phishing, fake websites, advance fee fraud, and government imposter scams—and provides specific protective strategies such as verifying bank URLs, never clicking unsolicited links, using secure checks, and contacting official customer service lines to confirm requests.
about.fb.com
· 2025-12-08
Romance scammers exploit Valentine's Day and other occasions by impersonating military personnel, celebrities, or fake dating agencies across social media and messaging platforms to build trust with victims before soliciting money via wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. A tech company disrupted multiple romance scam networks operating across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, and other platforms, with schemes originating from Nigeria and Kenya targeting users in the US, UAE, Japan, Africa, and other regions. The company recommends users verify identities, avoid sending money to unknown contacts, and use platform safety tools to protect against these schemes.
securityboulevard.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2024, cybercriminals exploited Valentine's Day through romance scams, phishing campaigns, and fraudulent e-commerce offers, with romance scams alone affecting 58,734 Americans and resulting in approximately $697 million in losses. Scammers increasingly use artificial intelligence to create convincing fake profiles, deepfake videos, and chatbots that bypass traditional detection methods, while Valentine-themed phishing emails surged dramatically, with half of all such spam classified as scams between mid-January and early February. Red flags include requests to move conversations to private channels, quick declarations of love, excuses to avoid in-person meetings, and requests for money or personal information.
cronkitenews.azpbs.org
· 2025-12-08
Arizona experienced over $47 million in losses from online romance scams during 2022-2023, ranking fifth nationally, with elderly residents particularly targeted by scammers who build false relationships to extract money. Common tactics include professing instant love, moving conversations off dating platforms to private channels, refusing to share photos, and requesting money—sometimes stringing victims along for extended periods. Authorities warn that scammers increasingly use artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to create convincing false identities, and many victims remain unreported due to embarrassment.
businesswire.com
· 2025-12-08
Sextortion has emerged as one of the most devastating romance scams, with fraudsters using fake profiles to manipulate victims into sharing intimate content before threatening exposure and demanding ransom payments. The FBI reported over 12,000 complaints in 2023 resulting in millions in financial losses, severe psychological trauma, and in some cases fatalities, with younger and newer online daters being particularly vulnerable. The article recommends that social media and dating platforms implement stronger identity verification measures, including biometric and government ID verification, to eliminate fake profiles and make it harder for scammers to operate across multiple platforms.
cnet.com
· 2025-12-08
In 2023, Americans lost $10 billion to fraud, with scammers employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal money and personal information. The article outlines 10 common banking scams—including check fraud, phishing, fake websites, advance fee schemes, and government imposter scams—and provides protective measures such as verifying bank URLs, never clicking unsolicited links, and avoiding upfront payments for promised services.