cryptotimes.io
· 2026-10-03
A blockchain investigator publicly questioned whether UPay, a crypto payment card provider, had allowed a sanctioned criminal marketplace called Xinbi to white-label its Visa crypto card, citing Xinbi's use for pig butchering scams, fraud, and money laundering. UPay's CEO announced the company opened an internal investigation but did not confirm or deny any relationship with Xinbi, which the US Treasury designated as a significant transnational criminal organization in September 2026 with over $36 billion in throughput since 2022. The investigation's scope and findings remain unclear, with no confirmation yet that Xinbi actually issued or launched cards through UPay.
eu.36kr.com
· 2026-10-03
AI-powered pig-butchering scams are rapidly scaling through the use of artificial personas on dating apps, with a Chinese app studio deploying over 4,700 AI-driven profiles to interact with at least 25,000 users who purchase credits to communicate. These scams combine AI technology for relationship-building with real people for critical trust-building moments, and Chinese authorities have cracked over 300 AI fraud cases involving face-swapping and voice cloning that exceeded 500 million yuan in losses, with individual cases reaching up to 20 million yuan.
rte.ie
· 2026-10-03
More than £800,000 was lost to romance scams across Northern Ireland in the past year, with 61 reports of dating fraud in 2025, according to the PSNI. Romance scammers manipulate victims through dating sites and social media by building false relationships and requesting money for fabricated emergencies, medical bills, or investment opportunities, causing both financial and emotional harm. Police emphasized that these crimes are often underreported due to victim embarrassment and advised the public to avoid sending money to people met only online and to verify identities before engaging financially.
thesun.co.uk
· 2026-10-03
A 49-year-old school worker from Wiltshire was scammed out of £33,000 by someone impersonating Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper on a fake Facebook page over the course of two years. The scammer built an emotional connection, initially requesting money for a trip to Paris and eventually claiming he needed funds for various emergencies, before the victim realized the deception when the fake Bradley failed to show up for a planned Center Parcs trip three days before Christmas. This case is part of a rising trend of celebrity romance scams, with police reporting a 29% increase since 2024, with other victims losing even larger sums after being conned by scammers impersonating Brad Pitt
wrnjradio.com
· 2026-10-03
Manaseh Mintah, 43, of Massachusetts, was convicted of laundering approximately $1.2 million stolen from romance scam victims across the United States through bank accounts and a shell company called Dazionking LLC. He was found guilty of money laundering conspiracy, three counts of money laundering, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, with sentencing scheduled for March 2027. Romance scams particularly targeted vulnerable and older Americans who lost their life savings to the scheme.
belfastlive.co.uk
· 2026-10-03
In 2025, Northern Ireland reported 61 dating scams resulting in losses of over £814,400, with perpetrators using fake online relationships and emotional manipulation to convince victims to send money for fabricated emergencies or investments. The PSNI warns that romance scammers build trust quickly through social media and dating apps, then exploit victims' emotions by claiming financial hardships while having no intention of repaying borrowed funds. Authorities emphasize the crime is underreported due to victim embarrassment and urge the public never to send money to online contacts, regardless of how genuine their stories appear.
loveballymena.online
· 2026-10-03
In 2025, Northern Ireland reported 61 romance scams resulting in combined losses of £814,400, with victims losing an average of £13,000 each. Romance scammers build fake emotional connections online before requesting money for emergencies, investments, or travel, with fraudsters having no intention of repaying borrowed funds. Police warn that victims often experience lasting emotional trauma beyond financial loss and urge people never to send money to online contacts and to report incidents despite potential embarrassment.
evoke.ie
· 2026-10-03
Romance scams cost Northern Ireland residents over £800,000 in 2025, with police recording 61 reports of dating fraud during the year. Scammers typically build fake relationships through social media and dating apps, gaining victims' trust before requesting money for fabricated emergencies like medical bills or travel expenses. The Police Service of Northern Ireland emphasized that these crimes are often under-reported due to shame, and urged users to never send money to people met only online and to verify identities before any financial transactions.
crypto.news
· 2026-10-03
Greek police arrested 17 people, including nine military personnel, for operating a cryptocurrency investment pyramid scheme that defrauded at least 10,000 participants of over $8 million since 2025. The operation used fake online platforms across multiple Greek cities to promise guaranteed high returns and double investments within 50 days, while failing to return deposited funds. Police seized €295,090 in cash along with computers and mobile devices during raids on five offices.
irishnews.com
· 2026-10-03
Romance scammers defrauded Northern Ireland victims of £814,400 in the past year, with 61 dating scam reports recorded in 2025, according to PSNI warnings on World Romance Scams Prevention Day. The scammers, described as "skilled manipulators," build trust quickly before requesting money through emotional appeals related to medical bills, legal fees, travel, or investment opportunities. Police urge victims not to feel ashamed and encourage anyone using dating apps to avoid sending money to online-only contacts and to report suspicious activity.
u105.com
· 2026-10-03
In 2025, Northern Ireland residents lost more than £814,400 to romance scams, with police receiving 61 reports of dating fraud where criminals built fake online relationships to manipulate victims into sending money. The PSNI believes the actual number of victims is higher due to underreporting, as victims often feel embarrassed to come forward, and warns that scammers use emotional manipulation and false promises of repayment to exploit trust before requesting financial help or investment opportunities.
psni.police.uk
· 2026-10-03
In 2025, Northern Ireland received 61 reports of romance scams resulting in losses totaling £814,400, prompting the Police Service of Northern Ireland to warn the public about this type of fraud on World Romance Scams Prevention Day. Romance scammers build fake relationships through dating sites and social media, gaining victims' trust before requesting money under false pretenses such as medical emergencies, travel costs, or investment opportunities, with no intention to repay. Authorities urge the public never to send money to people met only online and encourage victims to report the fraud to their banks and police without shame, as help and support are available.
swiowanewssource.com
· 2026-10-03
Iowa's Attorney General Brenna Bird and Consumer Protection Division investigator Al Perales held a public awareness program warning residents about various scams, including Amazon, romance, virus, Google, and cryptocurrency schemes that resulted in approximately 4,000 complaints in the state last year. The officials provided ten protection tips including avoiding unsolicited calls, never sharing personal information or paying with gift cards, resisting pressure to act quickly, and recognizing common scammer tactics like caller ID spoofing and artificial urgency. Both emphasized the importance of sharing scam awareness with friends and family to help prevent more Iowans from becoming victims.
japantoday.com
· 2026-10-03
A woman in her 60s in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, lost approximately ¥178 million (about $1.2 million USD) in a romance scam involving cryptocurrency between July and September. A man she met on social media built a romantic relationship with her starting in May, then convinced her to invest in crypto assets across 27 transactions by initially showing false returns on small deposits. The scammer has not been recovered, and police have confirmed the victim will likely never retrieve her money.
thisweekinworcester.com
· 2026-10-02
A Massachusetts man lost $400,000 in a romance scam involving AI-generated communications and deepfakes, believing he was investing money through a woman he met on Facebook who may have been powered by ChatGPT. Romance scams nationwide cost victims $929 million in 2025, up 38% from 2024, with seniors accounting for $584 million of losses; the FBI reports that scammers operating from compounds in Myanmar use AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to automate fake profiles and target thousands of victims simultaneously. The FBI warns the public to keep social media accounts private, verify video calls for AI artifacts like distorted hands, and move slowly in online relationships to avoid falling
m.rediff.com
· 2026-10-02
An Italian woman was defrauded of 900 euros by a 36-year-old Gurugram man who posed as an AI film creator on Instagram and promised marriage to gain her trust. The accused, Akhil Maurya, convinced her to send 450 euros twice through Western Union by claiming he needed funds for a video project, then blocked contact with her. Police arrested Maurya after the victim traveled to India and filed a complaint, recovering approximately 67,297 rupees from his bank account after transaction fees.
Money Order / Western Union
aol.com
· 2026-10-02
Americans lost $929 million to romance and relationship scams in 2025, a 38% increase from 2024, with adults 60 and older accounting for 63% of reported losses and averaging $57,000 per victim compared to $40,000 for younger age groups. Scammers increasingly use AI-generated messages and photos to build emotional connections over weeks or months before pivoting to investment schemes involving cryptocurrency or trading apps, making detection difficult because victims initiate the transfers themselves. Family members and friends should watch for signs like never meeting in person, secretiveness about the relationship, mentions of new investments, and unusual financial activity, and should approach suspected victims with curiosity rather than judgment while reporting confirmed
3news.com
· 2026-10-02
Cybercrime investigator Dunstan Guba is raising awareness about the growing romance scam epidemic in Ghana, where fraudsters build emotional relationships through social media before requesting money under false pretenses. Ghana reported GH¢23.3 million in cybercrime losses in 2024 and GH¢14.9 million in just the first half of 2025, with a 2025 pan-African operation revealing approximately US$450,000 in romance scam losses and US$8 million defrauded from elderly victims by a network using artificial intelligence to create false identities. Romance fraud is particularly dangerous because criminals exploit trust rather than just targeting devices, using tactics like fake
sports.khan.co.kr
· 2026-10-02
Romance scams targeting elderly individuals in South Korea are increasingly sophisticated, with international crime syndicates posing as romantic interests on social media to extract money from lonely seniors. Cases documented include a woman in her seventies who was nearly convinced to send $18,750 to a supposed boyfriend in Ukraine for shipping fees, and a man who remitted approximately $30,000 over five years to a woman claiming to be in a Nigerian refugee camp. Experts note that approximately 70.8% of people over 60 experience loneliness, making them vulnerable to scammers who exploit emotional vulnerability through fabricated romantic relationships.
yoursouthshore.ca
· 2026-10-02
Lunenburg County is offering free safety sessions for seniors at Bridgewater Fire Hall, with the opening session covering common scams targeting older adults including grandparent scams, romance scams, fake bank investigator calls, and advance-fee lottery schemes. Police and safety coordinators advised participants to avoid sharing personal or banking information over the phone, be cautious with unfamiliar links, and verify identities before transferring money. Additional sessions on safe investing, legal information, and other safety topics are scheduled throughout October.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-10-02
Banking scams increasingly originate from mobile devices (90% of cases) with employment scams surging 258%, according to BioCatch's analysis of data from over 370 financial institutions serving 760 million users across 21 countries. Scammers primarily use social engineering tactics to manipulate victims into authorizing payments themselves rather than directly accessing accounts, while investment scams average $6,600 per case—nearly five times the overall scam average. Financial institutions are adopting behavioral intelligence and device monitoring to detect manipulation signs before victims lose money, though artificial intelligence is enabling criminals to launch more convincing scams at scale.
patch.com
· 2026-10-02
AI-powered scams are increasingly threatening Americans' financial security, with a new coalition of 30+ consumer and technology groups calling for tech companies to implement stronger fraud prevention measures rather than profiting from scam advertisements. Scam survivor Kate Kleinert, who lost $39,000 in a Facebook romance scam, highlighted how artificial intelligence voice cloning and deepfakes make scams more convincing; the FBI reports losses among Americans 60 and older rose 59% in 2025 with an average loss of $38,500 per complaint. Americans collectively lost an estimated $148.2 billion to online scams in 2025, prompting calls for Congress to make fraud prevention a legal obligation
straitstimes.com
· 2026-10-02
Singapore's government technology unit OGP launched "Scam Vaccine," an AI-powered program that exposes residents to realistic simulated scams via phone calls and WhatsApp messages to build resistance to fraud tactics before encountering actual scams. The simulations replicate common scam types including government impersonation, e-commerce, investment, and romance scams, with over 700 residents signing up since the program opened in September 2026. Participants receive personalized debriefs identifying red flags they missed, with built-in safety features ensuring no financial loss or data exposure.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-01
MetaMask disclosed an ongoing security incident affecting its infrastructure, though the company stated there is no immediate threat to user wallets and that its non-custodial staking operations do not hold withdrawal keys on behalf of clients. As a precautionary measure, MetaMask is exiting affected validators from its Ethereum staking operations in coordination with partners, with the process expected to complete by October 7, 2026. The company has not disclosed specific details about what infrastructure was affected or whether any data was compromised.
bromsgrovestandard.co.uk
· 2026-10-01
British authorities reported 4.5 million fraud incidents in the year ending March 2026, with £1.28 billion in payment fraud losses during 2025, while criminals increasingly use AI-enabled tactics including voice cloning and deepfakes to target victims through fake parcel messages, investment schemes, romance scams, and account compromise attempts. Key protection strategies include verifying communications through official channels rather than links in messages, checking investment companies through the FCA Firm Checker, avoiding urgent payment requests from online relationships, and not scanning unsolicited QR codes. Romance fraud losses reached £39.2 million in 2025 (a 23% increase), while investment scams cost £221.5
tribune.net.ph
· 2026-10-01
The NBI arrested 120 people, primarily Chinese nationals, operating a romance scam ring from an office on Ayala Avenue in Manila. The scammers used scripts and multiple employees posing as attractive women to build emotional relationships with victims, ultimately coercing them to send money and in some cases explicit photos for blackmail purposes. The operation was sophisticated enough to require significant infrastructure, raising questions about how such organized fraud networks continue to operate despite crackdowns on similar schemes.
undergroundpress.co.za
· 2026-10-01
Romance scams have become one of the fastest-growing financial crimes, with an estimated one in seven adults losing money to this deception, and scammers stealing over $1 billion from American victims in 2025 alone. National Geographic's new documentary "Super Scam Me" features Emmy-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller going undercover as a romance scam target to expose the tactics and psychological manipulation criminals use, including AI-generated impersonations of celebrities. The special premieres October 18, 2026, and includes interviews with victims whose lives were devastated by these scams, such as a woman who lost her home after being deceived by someone posing as Jon Bon J
en.sedaily.com
· 2026-10-01
Seoul's Joint Government Investigation Unit on Voice Phishing Crime booked 1,381 people and recovered approximately $25 million in criminal proceeds over its four-year operation ending in 2024, while investigating organized remote fraud schemes including voice phishing, smishing, romance scams, and investment schemes. The unit achieved a 43% reduction in voice phishing damages between October 2024 and July 2025 through enhanced government response, and uncovered major criminal networks including a Cambodia-based organization and a money laundering ring that processed $1 billion in illicit funds. The unit also secured regulatory changes including limiting mobile phone subscriptions to three lines per person and implementing an emergency call-blocking system that has
jpmorganchase.com
· 2026-10-01
In 2025, scams affected over 15 million Americans with documented losses of at least $68 billion, though actual losses may reach $200 billion due to underreporting, according to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jennifer Roberts. Roberts emphasizes that scams now pose national security threats by funding transnational criminal organizations and calls for an ecosystem-wide prevention strategy involving banks, tech companies, social media platforms, law enforcement, and policymakers to combat increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud schemes that operate across multiple channels.
helpnetsecurity.com
· 2026-10-01
Employment scams more than tripled at 370+ financial institutions across 21 countries in the past 12 months, with a 258% increase outpacing all other fraud types. The scams predominantly occur on mobile devices and include various types such as investment schemes (averaging $6,600 per case), purchase fraud, and romance scams, with researchers identifying specific behavioral patterns like active phone calls and unusual payment recipients that banks can use to detect and prevent losses. The article also highlights organized scam operations globally, including compounds in Nigeria, and a particularly severe variant targeting minors through financial sextortion that has resulted in at least 36 documented U.S. teen suicides since 2021.
qz.com
· 2026-10-01
Instagram hosts multiple common scams including romance fraud, fake job offers, investment schemes, lottery scams, and predatory loan offers, which exploit the platform's large audience and users' willingness to share personal information. Scammers use tactics like catfishing, creating fake accounts, and building false trust to extract money, financial information, or personal data from victims. Users can protect themselves by verifying information outside Instagram, avoiding video call-averse contacts, reverse-image searching profiles, and being skeptical of unsolicited money requests or promises of quick financial gains.
financefeeds.com
· 2026-10-01
Attempted banking scams rose 35% across 370+ financial institutions serving 760 million users, with mobile devices accounting for 90% of scam sessions, according to BioCatch's 2026 report. Investment scams showed the highest average attempted value at $6,600, while employment scams saw the fastest growth at 258% year-over-year, and romance scams increased 23%. The concentrated use of mobile devices for scams reflects how criminals manipulate victims through the same communication channels used for authentication and payment approval, with investment schemes presenting particular risk due to their higher per-case financial exposure.
tokyoreporter.com
· 2026-10-01
An Iwate man in his 60s narrowly avoided a romance scam after receiving flirtatious messages and revealing photos from a hijacked Line account of a deceased relative posing as a woman named "Yuzuki." The scammer attempted to lure him into an investment scheme after building trust through increasingly intimate photos, but the man recognized the red flags and rejected the offer. Police warn the public that scammers exploit compromised social media accounts, including those of deceased individuals, to mass message contacts in romance scam operations.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
· 2026-10-01
A businessman from Lucknow lost ₹81.41 lakh in a "pig-butchering" investment scam after being lured through a Facebook advertisement to join a WhatsApp group promising extraordinarily high returns on IPO and share trading. The victim was instructed to download a fraudulent trading app called Finsol Algo and gradually convinced to invest larger sums through multiple transactions, with the app displaying fake profits of up to 200% before the scammers blocked withdrawals and demanded additional fees. Police have registered an FIR and are investigating the scam, which they believe is the second such reported case in the city.
discoverweyburn.com
· 2026-10-01
Conexus Credit Union marks Cyber Security Awareness Month by highlighting that cybercrime affects all age groups, not just seniors, and emphasizes common fraud types including social engineering, romance scams, investment scams, verification code scams, and overpayment scams. The credit union recommends people familiarize themselves with fraud warning signs, follow the "three R's" (recognize, reject, report), and notes that only 5-10% of Canadian scams are reported. Conexus advises monitoring accounts through transaction alerts, never sharing verification codes, and reporting suspected fraud immediately to financial institutions and police.
mynewsla.com
· 2026-10-01
AI-powered scams are increasingly targeting Americans, with criminals using voice cloning and deepfakes to make fraudulent schemes more convincing, prompting a coalition of over 30 consumer and advocacy groups to call for technology companies to take greater responsibility for fraud prevention. A scam survivor named Kate Kleinert, who lost $39,000 in a Facebook romance scam, is helping raise awareness through public service announcements, while the FBI reports that losses among Americans aged 60 and older rose 59% in 2025, averaging $38,500 per complaint. Americans lost an estimated $148.2 billion to online scams and crimes in 2025, according to the Consumer Federation of America.
westerniowatoday.com
· 2026-10-01
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird presented information on various fraud schemes affecting Iowans of all ages, including fake job offers, romance scams, imposter scams posing as family or law enforcement, lottery scams, and fake equipment sales in rural areas. The presentation emphasized that scammers exploit Iowans' trusting nature and create false urgency to pressure victims into sending money. Victims are encouraged to report suspected fraud to the Attorney General's Office at 888-777-4590.
thecooldown.com
· 2026-09-30
A woman in her late 60s fell victim to a romance scam involving a supposed UK pilot who initially requested $700 and later demanded Apple gift card codes, with the scammer using emotional manipulation and insisting on secrecy to prevent the family from discovering the fraud. The daughter recognized the classic romance scam tactics—requests for money via gift cards, emotional attachment, and demands for confidentiality—and sought advice online, where commenters warned that the financial damage could extend far beyond initial payments and affect family finances.
coingeek.com
· 2026-09-30
Token Recovery, a blockchain forensics company, analyzed cryptocurrency donations to British political figure Tommy Robinson for a Channel 4 investigation, tracing 0.92 Bitcoin from a donation wallet to a gambling address. The investigation highlighted that while cryptocurrency transactions are traceable through blockchain analysis combined with open-source intelligence (OSINT), attribution requires careful verification since wallet addresses don't automatically identify individuals. The case demonstrates how digital currency fraud investigation has become more sophisticated, with professionals using advanced tools to follow transaction trails despite the perception that crypto is anonymous.
scworld.com
· 2026-09-30
A Vietnamese national was charged with money laundering for his role in a "pig butchering" scam that defrauded a victim of $16 million in cryptocurrency through a fake investment platform called "Triangle." The suspect's cryptocurrency wallets received over $53 million between 2018 and 2024, with at least $24 million linked to pig butchering schemes where fraudsters build trust with victims online before luring them into fraudulent investments. The suspect allegedly transferred the stolen funds to private wallets to obscure their origins as part of a larger wire fraud scheme involving over $125 million in cryptocurrency.
guardian.ng
· 2026-09-30
A Nigerian federal court ordered the forfeiture of 431 mobile phones linked to Chinese cyber-fraudsters to the Federal Government following a major fraud operation bust in Lagos. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arrested over 700 individuals (approximately 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, and others) in a December 2024 sting operation targeting an elaborate scheme involving romance, dating, cryptocurrency, and investment scams that primarily victimized Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and Europeans. The operation involved at least 500 laptops, 400 cell phones, and various telecommunications equipment used by foreign nationals and recruited Nigerian youths operating from a
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-30
A woman in her late 60s fell victim to a romance scam involving a fake UK pilot who initially requested $700 and later demanded Apple gift card codes, classic indicators of financial exploitation. Her daughter discovered the scam after noticing her mother's secretive behavior, emotional attachment to an unmet online contact, and requests for untraceable payments. The case highlights how romance scammers use psychological manipulation and secrecy to drain victims' finances while isolating them from protective family members.
scientificamerican.com
· 2026-09-30
Six men were extradited from South Africa for their involvement in a romance scam ring that defrauded over 100 U.S. women of more than $6 million by crafting elaborate fake romantic relationships. Researchers warn that artificial intelligence is making these scams increasingly difficult to detect and easier for criminals to scale up their operations. The scams exploit the normalcy of online dating to build trust with victims before extracting money through various schemes.
bbc.com
· 2026-09-30
A British woman's 80-year-old mother lost £140,000 to romance scammers who used deepfake technology to pose as men on Facebook, initially claiming to need money for a hospital operation and later fabricating kidnapping scenarios. The victim's daughter discovered the fraud through accidentally intercepted messages and worked with her bank, which recovered £45,000, while ultimately restricting her mother's phone capabilities and resetting her digital footprint to prevent further contact with the scammers. The case highlights warning signs of romance fraud, including secretive behavior and unusual communication patterns, and emphasizes the importance of patient intervention and bank involvement in combating such scams.
cpapracticeadvisor.com
· 2026-09-29
Lori Flowers lost $600,000 to a pig-butchering scam where a man claiming to be from Belgium built trust with her over months before convincing her to withdraw money from her retirement account. Because the IRS treated the retirement withdrawal as taxable income, Flowers owed approximately $225,000 in taxes and penalties on money she no longer had, leading her to file for bankruptcy. A bipartisan Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act recently passed the House that would restore theft-loss deductions for scam victims, addressing a gap created by 2017 tax law changes.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-09-29
A Vietnamese national was charged with money laundering for operating a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded victims of at least $16 million, with his crypto wallets receiving over $53 million from fraud schemes between February 2018 and December 2024. The 37-year-old suspect was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on September 24 after entering the U.S. through the California-Mexico border. Victims were lured through fake investment platforms with promises of high returns, then unable to withdraw their funds after transfers were moved to private wallets under the scammer's control.
thecable.ng
· 2026-09-29
A Lagos federal high court ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Nigerian government that were seized from Chinese nationals arrested in December 2024 for operating cryptocurrency and romance scam networks from a Victoria Island building. The EFCC had arrested 792 suspects total—including 114 Chinese nationals, Filipinos, and others—who were allegedly training Nigerians to conduct romance and investment scams; digital assets worth $222,729 and thousands of other items including computers, SIM cards, and equipment were previously forfeited in the case.
cryptorank.io
· 2026-09-29
Myanmar-based scam compounds in border areas like Myawaddy and Shwe Kokko operate organized cybercrime networks that use fake tech job recruitment to traffic victims into conducting investment, romance, and cryptocurrency scams targeting people worldwide, including Indian citizens. Stolen funds are laundered through mule accounts and cryptocurrency platforms, creating significant money-laundering and anti-money-laundering risks while perpetuating UN-documented human trafficking in the region. Indian nationals are affected both as scam victims and as trafficked individuals forced to participate in these criminal operations.
scmp.com
· 2026-09-29
A 71-year-old retired woman in Hong Kong lost HK$2.9 million (US$369,670) in a romance scam after befriending a fraudster posing as a power company employee on Facebook who convinced her to invest in a fake scheme. This case was one of at least 18 online romance scams reported in a single week, with combined losses totaling nearly HK$7.8 million. The scammer never met the victim in person but gradually built romantic trust before directing her toward the bogus investment.
ksl.com
· 2026-09-29
Scammers operating from China have created thousands of fake AI-powered dating profiles across over 20 fraudulent dating apps, with one operation generating 2.36 million messages to at least 25,000 people in just two weeks. Romance scams have surged 38% in losses to nearly $1 billion annually, with Americans over 60 losing more than half a billion dollars, as criminals use AI to create convincing fake personas and replicate voices for targeted deception. The FBI urges victims to report losses and recommends public awareness and conversations with vulnerable individuals as key defenses against these increasingly sophisticated scams.
fortune.com
· 2026-09-29
In 2025, U.S. consumers reported losing nearly $16 billion to fraud and scams—a 25% increase from the previous year—with imposter scams alone accounting for $3.5 billion in losses as criminals increasingly pose as trusted entities through social media, text messages, and phishing emails to manipulate victims into willingly sending money. Georgia's Attorney General argues that addressing scams requires a fundamentally different strategy than traditional fraud, demanding coordinated efforts across government agencies, technology companies, financial institutions, and law enforcement to intervene at multiple stages before victims lose money, rather than focusing only on the final transaction stage.
chinadailyasia.com
· 2026-09-29
A 71-year-old Hong Kong woman lost HK$2.9 million in an online romance scam where a man posing as a power company employee befriended her on Facebook, gained her trust through romantic attention, and then lured her into a fraudulent waste recycling investment scheme. After she was unable to withdraw funds, the scammer claimed he had been arrested and needed bail money, and instructed her to make cryptocurrency transfers, ultimately depleting her savings and forcing her to borrow from friends and a finance company across 17 transactions. The scam was discovered when debt collectors contacted her and she asked her daughter for money.
thestandard.com.hk
· 2026-09-29
A 71-year-old retired woman in Hong Kong lost HK$2.9 million to a romance scam after a man posing as a power company employee on Facebook gained her trust and convinced her to invest in a fake waste-recycling project through a fraudulent app. The scammer then claimed to be arrested and requested bail money, pressuring the victim to drain her savings and borrow from friends and financial companies across 17 transactions. This case was one of at least 18 romance scams reported to police in a single week, with total losses reaching HK$7.8 million.
en.sedaily.com
· 2026-09-29
South Korea's voice phishing losses dropped 76.4% in August to 25.7 billion won, the lowest level since 2023, following the implementation of an Integrated Response Task Force that blocks criminal tools within 10 minutes of reports and has handled over 281,000 reports in its first year. Cases fell 49% in the January-August period to 8,584 from 16,765 a year earlier, with total losses declining 56% to 387.1 billion won, though new scam types like romance fraud and fraudulent investment schemes have emerged as a spillover effect. Police shifted strategy from reactive perpetrator tracking to proactive prevention through emergency blocking systems, pre
choice.com.au
· 2026-09-29
This article provides preventive advice for tourists to avoid common travel scams rather than describing specific fraud incidents. It recommends tourists learn local currency conversion rates, verify prices before purchasing, use smaller banknotes, notify their bank before traveling, set transaction limits on cards, and remain vigilant against card skimming to protect themselves from scams while abroad.
law360.com
· 2026-09-29
I don't have access to the full article content—only the header and subscription page are visible. To provide an accurate summary of the Google lawsuit regarding "pig butchering" app scams, I would need the actual article text. Could you please share the full article content?
aol.com
· 2026-09-29
An 80-year-old woman lost £140,000 to romance scammers who used deepfake technology on Facebook to pose as a man needing money for medical treatment and later a kidnapped friend. Her daughter Helen eventually involved the bank and authorities, recovering £45,000, and replaced her mother's smartphone with a basic call-and-text-only device to cut off scammer contact. The case highlights warning signs of romance fraud including secretive behavior, unusual financial activities, and frequent unexplained calls, with experts recommending families approach victims with patience rather than confrontation and contact banks to implement account safeguards.
ksl.com
· 2026-09-29
Heber City police are warning residents, particularly older adults, of increasing romance and gift card scams where perpetrators build online relationships before requesting money or gift card codes. Scammers use various tactics including promises of repayment or claims of emergencies to convince victims to purchase and share gift card information. Police advise against sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited online contacts.
uk.finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-29
One in four UK adults feel overwhelmed by increasingly sophisticated AI-powered scams, according to National Trading Standards research, with AI "supercharging" existing fraud types like shopping, holiday, investment, and romance scams by making them more convincing and scalable. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 19% now avoid certain online activities due to scam concerns, while 79% are particularly worried about vulnerable friends and family, with major concerns centered on fake websites, voice cloning, deepfake videos, and AI-generated images and people. NTS has launched an "AI Scam Watchlist" to educate consumers about these emerging threats, as experts warn that traditional warning signs like
punchng.com
· 2026-09-29
A Nigerian federal court ordered the permanent forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the government that were seized from Chinese cyber-fraud operators and their accomplices. The phones were part of an elaborate international scam network operating in Lagos that conducted romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment swindles targeting victims in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe, with over N3.4 billion in fraud proceeds traced to the operation. A massive December 2024 sting operation arrested over 700 suspects involved in the scheme, including 148 Chinese nationals and 500 Nigerians, leading to convictions of the ringleader and his company on charges including cyber-terrorism and money laundering
express.co.uk
· 2026-09-29
Lloyds Banking Group reported a 24% increase in romance scams over the past year, with victims aged 75 to 84 losing an average of £9,051—the highest of any age group. While reports among younger adults (18-24) surged 59%, older victims typically lost significantly more money, with over 55% of all romance scam losses coming from people over 65. Scammers typically build emotional connections through dating apps, social media, and dating websites before requesting money from their victims.
aol.co.uk
· 2026-09-29
Lloyds Banking Group has reported a 24% increase in romance scams over the past year, with victims aged 75-84 losing an average of £9,051, the highest among all age groups. While reports of romance scams rose significantly among younger adults (59% increase for ages 18-24), older victims typically lose substantially more money, with over 55% of total romance scam losses coming from victims aged over 65. The scams typically originate from dating apps, social media platforms, and traditional dating websites, where fraudsters build emotional connections before requesting money.
wdio.com
· 2026-09-29
A fraud specialist at Park State Bank spoke at Duluth's Senior Go Show about three prevalent scams affecting the community: check fraud targeting rural customers through mail theft, romance scams that exploit the elderly by building trust before requesting money, and tech support scams using fake pop-ups to compromise bank information. In 2025, the Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 201,000 complaints totaling nearly $8 billion in losses, with the specialist emphasizing that scammers exploit urgency and AI sophistication to deceive people of all ages and intelligence levels. He advised victims and potential targets to pause before acting, verify requests by calling their bank or trusted contacts, and remember that legitimate financial matters rarely require immediate action
tpr.org
· 2026-09-29
Online scams cost Americans an estimated $119 billion annually, with the FBI reporting $20.9 billion in confirmed losses in 2025, a 26% increase from 2024, while 73% of American adults have experienced some form of online scam. Criminals operating from compounds in Southeast Asia and Nigeria use romance and investment schemes—often involving fake cryptocurrency platforms—to defraud victims, with some operations involving human trafficking and coercion of people forced into scamming activities. The FBI advises victims to stop sending money immediately, preserve transaction records, and report incidents at IC3.gov, while recommending people verify unexpected requests through official channels before providing personal information or making payments.
shockya.com
· 2026-09-28
FinCEN identified nearly $13 billion in illicit activity tied to a new China-linked money-laundering scheme that uses digital-asset guarantee marketplaces on Telegram to funnel drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cyber-fraud proceeds into U.S. banks by mimicking Mexican peso-credit structures. The overlay, exemplified by networks like the sanctioned Xinbi platform (which facilitated over $24 billion in illicit activity before relocating to Singapore), exploits regulatory gaps in AML oversight of cryptocurrency and cross-border transactions to move cartel cash through U.S. financial institutions with minimal detection. Major U.S. banks including JPMorgan and Citigroup have processed
incrypted.com
· 2026-09-28
A 37-year-old Vietnamese national has been charged with money laundering in connection with a $53 million pig butchering cryptocurrency scheme that defrauded U.S. citizens from February 2018 to December 2024. The scam involved perpetrators meeting victims online, building trust, and directing them to fake investment platforms like "Triangle" where they were shown fictitious profits and prevented from withdrawing funds. One victim alone lost $16 million, with investigators tracing over $569,000 directly to the defendant's cryptocurrency wallet before he transferred the funds to anonymous accounts.
kttn.com
· 2026-09-28
A Vietnamese national, Trung Nguyen Van, faces federal money laundering charges for his alleged role in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency fraud scheme that defrauded victims of millions of dollars. One victim alone transferred approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency between June and August 2024 after being deceived into believing funds were being invested through a platform called "Triangle," with investigators tracing over $53 million in cryptocurrency assets connected to wire fraud schemes targeting U.S. citizens passing through Van's wallets. Pig butchering scams typically begin with romance-focused contact through dating apps or social media, where scammers build trust before directing victims toward fraudulent cryptocurrency investment opportunities that appear profitable initially
fincrimecentral.com
· 2026-09-28
Vietnamese national Trung Nguyen Van, 37, was charged with money laundering in connection with a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment scam that defrauded a victim of approximately $16 million between June and August 2024. Prosecutors allege Van received and laundered portions of victim funds through cryptocurrency wallets attributed to him, and attribute approximately $53.3 million in total receipts from schemes targeting U.S. citizens to wallets linked to him over nearly seven years. The scam involved building trust with victims through dating and social media before directing them to fake investment platforms where they could not withdraw their funds.
the420.in
· 2026-09-28
The UK and Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 23 to jointly combat illegal online scam centres operating across Southeast Asia, enabling formal intelligence sharing and law-enforcement cooperation to dismantle criminal networks and trace illicit financial flows. The agreement targets industrial-scale fraud operations using sophisticated techniques like romance scams and pig butchering schemes that affect thousands of victims, while also providing support for trafficked foreign nationals forced to conduct the fraud. This collaboration is part of the UK's £250 million Fraud Strategy, as more than two-thirds of fraud affecting the UK originates overseas, with one in four UK adults and businesses having fallen victim to fraud.
pymnts.com
· 2026-09-28
According to PYMNTS Intelligence research, scam victims exhibit varied payment timelines—63% pay within a day of contact, while 18% take at least two weeks—with romance scams averaging $27,587 in losses and investment scams averaging $14,225. FinCEN identified victims of digital asset and cryptocurrency scams liquidating savings accounts, investments, retirement accounts, and taking on debt to fund fraudulent payments, creating opportunities for banks to detect suspicious financial behavior. The research found that 11% of scam victims report their fraud to no one, rising to 40% among romance scam victims, indicating significant gaps in fraud reporting and awareness.
97x.com
· 2026-09-28
A 90-year-old Illinois man lost his car, significant money through cryptocurrency transactions, and potentially his condo to an online dating scam perpetrated by someone posing as "Alex." The scammer fabricated a 4-year relationship and promised luxurious rewards including a penthouse in San Diego and help adopting twins, exploiting the victim's loneliness and social isolation. Despite the victim's friend reporting the case to adult protective services, the FBI, and the attorney general, the victim continues to resist help and remains vulnerable to further exploitation.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-28
A 90-year-old Illinois man has lost six figures over four years to an online romance scam involving scammers posing as "Max" and "Alex," draining his bank accounts and selling his car primarily through cryptocurrency transactions while he believed he was in a relationship. The victim, who lives alone on Social Security, now risks losing his condominium, and despite warnings from a concerned friend and reports to police, the FBI, and other agencies, little can be done without legal intervention like conservatorship or guardianship. The scam highlights the vulnerability of isolated elderly people to romance fraud, where emotional dependence on daily attention from scammers often makes victims resistant to intervention even when the fraud is obvious.
thecooldown.com
· 2026-09-28
A 90-year-old Illinois man has lost six figures over four years to an online romance scam involving scammers posing as "Max" and "Alex," emptying his bank accounts and selling his car primarily through cryptocurrency transactions, and now risks losing his condominium as well. Living alone on Social Security with no immediate family, the victim remains emotionally dependent on the scammers despite warnings from a concerned friend and clear evidence of the scheme, making intervention difficult without legal measures like conservatorship. The case highlights the particular vulnerability of isolated elderly adults to romance scams that exploit emotional dependence and the challenge of helping victims who are resistant to recognizing they are being defrauded.
hindustantimes.com
· 2026-09-28
Romance scams are confidence tricks where criminals build emotional trust through fake online profiles over weeks or months, then request money after establishing dependence. These scams occur across dating apps and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, targeting vulnerable individuals experiencing life changes such as divorce or loneliness, as well as financially literate professionals. Warning signs include constant messaging, avoidance of video calls, requests to move conversations to private channels, and elaborate excuses for why they cannot meet in person.
birminghammail.co.uk
· 2026-09-28
Lloyds Bank warned that romance scams increased 24% over the past year, with victims aged 75 to 84 losing an average of £9,051—the highest average loss of any age group and 19% more than the previous year. Over half (55%) of all money lost to romance scams came from victims aged over 65, though the overall average loss across all victims fell 20% to £4,078. Young adults aged 18 to 24 experienced the fastest increase in romance scams at 59%, demonstrating that scammers target all age groups regardless of digital literacy.
modernghana.com
· 2026-09-28
Ghanaian socialite Frederick Kumi (Abu Trica) has allegedly provided US investigators with eight names of people linked to laundering proceeds from a romance scam targeting over 80 elderly Americans of more than $8 million since 2023, though the claim remains unverified and disputed by his associates. Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 and extradited to face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, with prosecutors alleging he and co-defendant Daniel Yussif used AI-driven video tools and fake personas to defraud victims. The broader investigation involves at least five Ghanaians accused of defrauding over 130
pymnts.com
· 2026-09-28
Scam operations in Southeast Asia are structured like corporations with dozens of "firms" operating within compounds across Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, systematically extracting hundreds of billions of dollars from U.S. victims through investment, romance, and pig-butchering schemes. According to Operation Shamrock founder Erin West, the current law enforcement and financial system handles fraud case-by-case, failing to address the organized, industrial-scale nature of these criminal enterprises, leaving victims like an Arizona man who lost $4.5 million without meaningful investigation or recovery. A recent survey found that 21% of U.S. consumers (57 million people) reported being scammed in the past five years,
guardian.ng
· 2026-09-28
Access Bank launched a financial crime awareness campaign called "Spot the Scam" targeting Nigerian students to educate them on identifying and avoiding fraud schemes, which commonly include fake giveaways, job offers, celebrity impersonation, and investment scams. The campaign, running through December 2026, was prompted by concerns about young Nigerians' involvement in financial crimes, including a December 2024 incident where 792 young people were arrested for romance scams, hacking, and money laundering targeting overseas victims. The initiative includes nationwide financial education and a debate competition for secondary schools in Lagos State to help young people avoid becoming victims or perpetrators of financial crimes.
dailykos.com
· 2026-09-27
Across Southeast Asia, criminal networks operate compounds where trafficking victims are forced to run online scams, particularly "pig-butchering" investment schemes that manipulate victims into depositing money into fake trading platforms and cryptocurrency accounts. Traffickers lure people with false job promises, confiscate their passports, and use debt, threats, and violence to coerce workers into building fake relationships with targets and extracting billions of dollars, with victims like Indian engineer Mohammad Muzahir and Filipino mother Lily trapped in these facilities and subjected to physical abuse and fines for failing to meet quotas.
the420.in
· 2026-09-27
Global financial fraud losses reached approximately $442 billion in the last year, with organized criminal syndicates operating from Southeast Asia (particularly Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar) conducting sophisticated romance scams, cryptocurrency investment fraud, and other online financial crimes targeting victims worldwide. Interpol warns that these operations have evolved from regional networks into international criminal organizations employing thousands of people, causing not only massive financial losses but also leading victims to take their own lives and forcing businesses to close. The complexity of cross-border operations, use of cryptocurrency and digital platforms, and involvement of well-financed criminal networks have made enforcement efforts increasingly difficult for authorities.
malaymail.com
· 2026-09-27
Interpol warns that online romance and investment fraud linked to organized syndicates are draining billions from Asian economies, with global financial fraud losses estimated at $442 billion annually. Criminal networks operating from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar employ thousands to perpetrate scams including cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams via social media and dating apps, with Interpol's Operation Haechi uncovering $342 million in illicit funds and blocking 68,000 bank accounts across 40 countries.
newswire.lk
· 2026-09-27
Pakistani authorities arrested 212 people, including Chinese nationals, during raids on three illegal call centres in Islamabad that operated an international fraud network targeting victims in Pakistan and overseas. The scams included impersonating Google representatives, fake online task schemes, and romance scams, with investigators seizing over 300 mobile phones and nearly 400 computers and related equipment. Authorities are investigating financial links and potential connections to similar operations in India and Brazil.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-09-27
A 50-year-old female farmer in Pahang lost RM1.15 million in a love scam after being befriended on WhatsApp by someone posing as a cybersecurity director who offered gold investment opportunities and later a lottery platform called "Veniec Lottery." The scammer convinced her to transfer funds totaling RM1,150,034.70 to seven bank accounts using her savings and family loans, after which she was unable to withdraw any money and realized she had been defrauded.
tribune.net.ph
· 2026-09-27
The National Capital Region Police Office arrested two individuals in Pasay City for an alleged romance scam that exploited emotional manipulation and trust to extort money from victims. Police officials warned the public to be cautious of financial schemes using romantic relationships, emotional appeals, and unverified identities, and urged victims to report fraud immediately through the 911 hotline rather than remain silent out of embarrassment.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-09-27
Interpol warns that online financial fraud and romance scams linked to organized criminal syndicates are threatening Asian economies, with millions of dollars lost daily worldwide. Criminal networks operating from Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar use social media and dating apps to defraud vulnerable victims globally, with Interpol's 2023 assessment estimating US$442 billion in worldwide financial fraud losses annually. Operation Haechi (April-August 2023) uncovered US$342 million in illicit funds and blocked 68,000 bank accounts across 40 countries, targeting investment fraud, romance scams, voice phishing, and money laundering schemes.
express.co.uk
· 2026-09-27
Tennis legend Yannick Noah was among several celebrity victims of catfisher Whitney Walton (who used the alias Miranda Grosvenor), who deceived prominent figures including Robert De Niro, Billy Joel, and Quincy Jones over the phone into sending money and jewelry. Noah, a former French Open champion, was seduced by Walton's scheme despite never meeting her in person, though he has since moved past the incident. The scammer, who died in 2016, targeted wealthy celebrities by building romantic relationships entirely through telephone communication.
vietnam.vn
· 2026-09-27
Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi, founder of Prince Group, has been indicted by the US Department of Justice for operating forced labor camps in Cambodia that conducted "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment scams, defrauding billions of dollars from victims worldwide. The scheme involved contacting victims via text and social media with false investment promises, stealing their cryptocurrency, and laundering proceeds through gambling and crypto mining. Federal prosecutors are simultaneously seeking to seize approximately 127,271 Bitcoin (valued at $15 billion) as illicit gains—the largest asset seizure in DOJ history—with Chen currently at large.
cryptorank.io
· 2026-09-27
A 37-year-old Vietnamese national, Trung Nguyen Van, has been charged with money laundering after wallets linked to him received approximately $53.3 million from "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scams, including one U.S. victim who lost roughly $16 million in summer 2024. Pig butchering schemes involve scammers building trust with victims over time before directing them to fake investment platforms, with cryptocurrency enabling rapid cross-border fund transfers that leave blockchain traces helpful for investigation but difficult for recovery. The case demonstrates how crypto fraud networks have become increasingly industrialized, though blockchain records can provide investigators with transaction trails even as funds move through multiple wallets and exchanges before authorities interv
hoodline.com
· 2026-09-26
Oklahoma has enacted Senate Bill 2067, which takes effect in November and grants banks and credit unions legal immunity to freeze suspicious transactions and report suspected elder exploitation to authorities. The law addresses a growing crisis in which Oklahoma seniors lost $53.3 million to financial scams in 2025, including $24 million from investment fraud alone, representing a 32% increase in elderly victims year-over-year. The measure removes previous legal barriers that prevented financial institutions from alerting law enforcement and Adult Protective Services to potential fraud without risking privacy lawsuits or regulatory penalties.
watfordcitynd.com
· 2026-09-26
Americans over age 60 filed more than 201,000 internet-crime complaints in 2025 with losses exceeding $7.7 billion, representing a 37% increase in complaints and 59% increase in losses compared to 2024, with average losses of $38,000 per victim. Scammers target seniors through various schemes including grandparent scams, fake law enforcement calls, technical support fraud, and romance scams, often manipulating caller ID and using urgency to prevent victims from verifying requests. North Dakota residents and authorities have reported increasing incidents of these fraud schemes, and law enforcement urges families to establish safeguards and teach seniors that legitimate government agencies will never demand immediate
globalnews.ca
· 2026-09-26
A Winnipeg woman fell victim to a romance scam after meeting a man on Tinder who posed as a cybersecurity company owner, gaining her trust over six weeks before requesting money and using her credit card without permission. The scammer caused her approximately $2,700 in direct transfers, an $6,000 rental car bill, and attempted nearly $15,000 in fraudulent credit card charges before she reported the case to Winnipeg Police Service. The woman is speaking publicly to warn others about romance scams that typically begin on dating apps and involve scammers building trust before requesting financial assistance.
crowdfundinsider.com
· 2026-09-26
A Vietnamese national, Trung Nguyen Van, has been charged with money laundering for allegedly moving over $53 million in stolen cryptocurrency from pig-butchering romance scams between February 2018 and December 2024. In one documented case, a victim lost approximately $16 million after being lured to a fake investment platform called "Triangle," with Van accused of quickly funneling nearly $568,000 of those proceeds into private, untraceable wallets. The case highlights how cryptocurrency enables rapid movement of stolen funds outside regulated exchanges, making recovery difficult for victims who have lost billions globally to this increasingly sophisticated fraud scheme.
news.bitcoin.com
· 2026-09-26
A Vietnamese national was charged with money laundering in connection with a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded one victim of approximately $16 million between June and August 2024, with investigators tracing transfers through his digital wallets. The suspect's accounts received an estimated $53.3 million in cryptocurrency tied to wire fraud schemes targeting Americans between February 2018 and December 2024, which was then moved off the blockchain to conceal its origin. Pig butchering schemes manipulate victims by establishing fake romantic relationships online before directing them to fraudulent crypto investment platforms where they are encouraged to deposit increasingly larger sums based on fabricated returns.
aol.co.uk
· 2026-09-26
A 27-year-old man lost £600 in a romance scam after meeting a woman named Evie on a bus who claimed to need financial help with rent and then disappeared when asked for repayment. Romance scams have increased 24% over the past year, with reported cases among 18-24 year-olds jumping 59%, though victims aged 65-74 and 75-84 suffer the largest financial losses, averaging £4,078 to £9,051 respectively. Scammers typically build emotional connections through dating apps, social media, and traditional platforms before requesting money for various emergencies, leaving victims with lasting emotional damage beyond financial harm.
ua.news
· 2026-09-26
Pakistani authorities arrested 212 people during raids on three illegal call centers in Islamabad linked to an international online fraud network involving Chinese and Pakistani citizens. The operators allegedly used multiple scam schemes including Google impersonation, task scams (fake earn-money-quick offers), and romance scams targeting victims in Pakistan and abroad. Investigators seized over 300 mobile phones, 383 computers, and nearly 300 monitors and laptops, with ongoing investigation into financial connections to groups in India and Brazil.
berkshireeagle.com
· 2026-09-26
This article discusses how scam victimization results from both criminal activity ("homicide") and victims' own vulnerabilities ("suicide"), identifying three key factors that make people susceptible to fraud: hardwired behaviors like automatic compliance, curiosity triggered by clickbait, and emotional distortion that clouds judgment. The author recommends combating scams through financial monitoring, software updates, and adopting protective behaviors such as slowing down and questioning requests from unknown sources.
newswav.com
· 2026-09-26
A 50-year-old Malaysian farmer and agricultural trader lost RM1.15 million to a love scam after being befriended on WhatsApp by someone claiming to be a cybersecurity consultant offering gold investment opportunities. The scammer subsequently directed her through seven bank transfers under the guise of a "Veniec Lottery" platform meant to recover her initial investment, using her personal savings and family loans. The case is being investigated under Malaysia's Penal Code Section 420 for cheating.
ca.finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-26
A Keanu Reeves romance scam targeting a Canadian woman was exposed in a viral Reddit post, where the victim was deceived by someone impersonating the actor and sent money and cellphones before the family discovered the fraud. The scammer used classic manipulation tactics including fake passports, AI-generated media, and private messaging apps to build an emotional connection with the vulnerable victim. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, romance scams drain tens of millions of dollars annually from Canadians, with victims often vulnerable due to loneliness and the difficulty of breaking through the emotional manipulation.
money.ca
· 2026-09-26
A Canadian mother fell victim to a celebrity romance scam where a fraudster impersonated actor Keanu Reeves, convincing her to send money and cellphones while moving their communication to private WhatsApp chats. The scammer used fake passports and AI-generated content to establish credibility, exploiting the victim's loneliness and the actor's well-known generous reputation. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, romance scams drain tens of millions of dollars annually from Canadians, with experts recommending victims report incidents to police, freeze accounts, and approach affected family members with empathy rather than confrontation.
inkl.com
· 2026-09-26
Romance scam reports to Lloyds Banking Group surged 59% among customers aged 18-24 and rose overall by 24% across all age groups, with younger adults increasingly targeted through dating apps and social media despite their digital confidence. Victims aged 75-84 lost an average of £9,051, with people over 65 accounting for 55% of all money lost to romance scams, though the scammers typically build emotional trust before requesting funds.
ursinusgrizzly.com
· 2026-09-26
Collegeville, Pennsylvania currently does not use Flock license plate reader cameras, though the police department uses other types of LPR technology that have helped locate stolen vehicles, find missing elderly drivers, and identify suspects in crimes including jewelry store burglaries, robberies, and fraud cases. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislative measures to regulate LPRs with safeguards for data privacy and civil liberties, and Collegeville officials have indicated that Flock cameras may be considered for future implementation in the area.
rheaheraldnews.com
· 2026-09-26
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Marsha Blackburn's Romance Scam Prevention Act, which requires dating apps to notify users who have interacted with someone removed for fraud, addressing a growing problem targeting seniors. Romance scams cost victims $1.3 billion nationally in 2022, with Tennesseans over 60 losing $43 million in 2023 alone, as scammers increasingly target recently widowed or divorced elderly individuals who connect on dating platforms.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-26
Romance scams reported to Lloyds Banking Group surged 59% among 18-24 year olds and 39% among 25-34 year olds in the year ending August 2026, though older victims over 65 lost the most money, accounting for 55% of total losses with victims aged 75-84 losing an average of £9,051 each. These scams typically begin on dating apps and social media, where fraudsters build emotional connections before requesting money through claims of emergencies or personal crises. The Financial Ombudsman Service received over 500 romance scam complaints between January and March 2026, highlighting the need for caution when online contacts
nation.africa
· 2026-09-26
Nearly three in ten Kenyans using dating apps have encountered attempted scams, with Kenya ranking second in Africa for digital fraud victimization. Scammers typically build fake relationships over weeks before requesting money, gifts, or personal information, targeting women more frequently than men. Red flags include rapid professions of love, reluctance to video call or meet in person, overly polished profiles, requests to move conversations off dating apps, and escalating money requests starting with small amounts before fake emergencies.
nation.co.ke
· 2026-09-26
Nearly three in ten Kenyans using dating apps have encountered attempted scams, with over 80 percent of Kenyans reporting being targeted by digital fraud on their phones. Common red flags include scammers professing love quickly, refusing video calls or in-person meetings, using overly polished photos, moving conversations off dating apps to WhatsApp or Telegram, and making escalating requests for money starting with small amounts. Experts recommend using reverse image searches to verify profiles, meeting in-person early to build genuine relationships, and immediately ending contact if anyone requests money for emergencies, travel, or investments.
cryptonews.net
· 2026-09-26
Vietnamese national Trung Nguyen Van was charged with laundering approximately $53 million in cryptocurrency stolen from U.S. victims through romance scams between February 2018 and December 2024. The scams typically began on dating apps, social media, or text messages, with fraudsters gaining victims' trust before directing them to fake investment platforms like "Triangle" that displayed fabricated profits to encourage additional deposits. One Missouri victim alone lost about $16 million between June and August 2024, with investigators tracing Van's movement of stolen funds through various cryptocurrency wallets to conceal their illegal origins.
spokesman.com
· 2026-09-26
Fraud losses reported to the FTC reached a record $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from the previous year, with investment scams, romance scams, crypto scams, and impostor scams driving the increase. The article outlines 11 protection strategies including questioning unsolicited communications, trusting your instincts, avoiding phishing emails, using credit cards over debit cards, never sharing sensitive information like Social Security numbers or PINs, and being skeptical of spoofed caller IDs. Scammers increasingly use AI-generated fake websites, emails, texts, and videos to make their fraudulent schemes appear legitimate.
tradingview.com
· 2026-09-26
A 37-year-old Vietnamese national, Trung Nguyen Van, has been charged with money laundering after cryptocurrency wallets under his control received over $53 million linked to "pig butchering" scams, where fraudsters cultivate relationships with victims before directing them to fake investment platforms. One victim alone lost approximately $16 million after being deceived into transferring crypto through a fraudulent platform called Triangle. The case demonstrates how cryptocurrency enables rapid cross-border movement of fraud proceeds while simultaneously leaving blockchain records that investigators can use to trace the illicit funds.
kucoin.com
· 2026-09-26
This article does not contain information about elder fraud, scams, or fraudulent activities. It discusses U.S. Treasury yields, Federal Reserve policy, cryptocurrency prices, and bond market trends. As it falls outside the scope of elder fraud research, no summary is applicable.
cryptonews.net
· 2026-09-26
Vietnamese national Trung Nguyen Van, 37, was charged with money laundering after allegedly orchestrating a "pig butchering" romance scam that defrauded victims of approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency between June and August 2024, with investigators identifying over $53.3 million flowing through his wallets between 2018 and 2024 from wire fraud schemes targeting Americans. In the primary case, a victim was lured into a fake crypto investment platform called "Triangle" through an online relationship and wired $16 million in cryptocurrency after being shown fabricated returns. Van allegedly received over $569,000 from a single victim transfer and subsequently moved the funds through multiple wallets
finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-26
A North Carolina woman lost approximately $600,000 to a pig-butchering scam where she built a relationship with a fraudster online before sending him money from her retirement account. After discovering the fraud, she faced an additional $225,000 tax bill from the IRS for the withdrawn retirement funds, forcing her to file for bankruptcy. A bipartisan bill called the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, which would restore tax deductions for fraud victims lost in 2017 tax law changes, recently passed the House and awaits Senate action.
channelnewsasia.com
· 2026-09-26
In July, Malaysian police arrested 335 people in raids on alleged online scam operations at Forest City development, seizing computers and phones from syndicates involved in cryptocurrency fraud and romance scams targeting overseas victims. The raids and discovery of illegal gambling operations and unlicensed businesses have damaged the mega-project's reputation as it attempts to rebrand as an investment destination and Special Financial Zone, with concerns raised about property values, resident safety, and business confidence.
press-herald.com
· 2026-09-25
Webster Parish residents are reporting scams to authorities three to four times weekly, with scammers increasingly using sophisticated tactics including spoofing the Sheriff's Office phone number and impersonating law enforcement to solicit bail payments for arrested relatives. One notable case involved a local businessman losing nearly $500,000 in a fake Bitcoin investment scheme, while romance scams remain prevalent among older adults, with perpetrators sometimes spending months building trust before requesting money. Officials emphasized that skepticism, independent verification of requests, and consulting trusted contacts are critical defenses against these evolving scams, which are often perpetrated by overseas criminals.
mirror.co.uk
· 2026-09-25
Romance scams reported to Lloyds Banking Group surged 24% year-over-year, with reports from Gen Z victims aged 18-24 jumping 59% and those aged 25-34 increasing 39%, though victims over 65 lost the majority of total funds at an average of £4,078 per person. The oldest victims, aged 75-84, suffered the highest average losses at £9,051, with scammers using dating apps, social media, and traditional dating websites to build trust before requesting money. Experts warn that being digitally savvy does not protect younger adults from these emotional manipulation scams, which leave victims facing both financial loss and psychological distress.
kctv5.com
· 2026-09-25
A Vietnamese national was charged with money laundering in connection with a $53 million "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that targeted Americans through fake romance schemes on dating apps and social media. In these frauds, scammers build trust with victims and then direct them to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms displaying fake profits to coerce larger deposits that cannot be withdrawn. Federal authorities disrupted the international operation involving multiple jurisdictions to prevent further losses.
itweb.africa
· 2026-09-25
Cryptocurrency-enabled financial crimes in Africa are moving faster than law enforcement can respond, with illicit funds crossing borders in minutes while legal processes take months, according to Chainalysis data showing $17 billion stolen through crypto scams in 2025. Criminal networks are using shared infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions to launder proceeds from romance scams, investment fraud, trafficking, and other crimes, with AI-enhanced scams proving 4.5 times more profitable than traditional fraud. African agencies are urged to implement real-time fraud detection systems and increase cross-border cooperation, as demonstrated by a Ghana case where coordinated international effort froze approximately $15.1 million in illicit crypto assets.
aol.co.uk
· 2026-09-25
Romance scammers targeting people aged 75 to 84 have caused average losses of £9,051 per victim, with over 55% of all romance scam losses coming from victims over 65, according to Lloyds Bank analysis. These scammers build trust through false identities on dating websites and social media before fabricating emergencies to request money. Lloyds advises older adults to be suspicious of quick emotional connections, never send money to people they don't know well, and verify online identities through reverse image searches.
uk.finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-25
UK banks reported a 24% surge in romance scams over the past year, with reports from victims aged 18-24 jumping 59%, though older adults aged 75-84 suffered the highest average losses at £9,051. Romance scammers build emotional connections with victims on dating apps, social media, and dating websites before requesting money, targeting all age groups regardless of digital literacy. The average loss across all victims fell to £4,078, but over half of total money lost came from victims aged over 65.
crypto-economy.com
· 2026-09-25
A 37-year-old Vietnamese national, Trung Nguyen Van, faces federal money laundering charges for his alleged role in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded a victim of $16 million in summer 2024. The scheme involved fraudulent investment platforms like "Triangle" that displayed fake account balances and capital gains to lure victims into depositing funds, then blocked withdrawal access. FBI investigators linked Van's wallets to approximately $53.28 million in wire fraud losses collected between February 2018 and December 2024, indicating involvement in a transnational criminal network based in Southeast Asia targeting multiple victims.
cryptotimes.io
· 2026-09-25
A 37-year-old Vietnamese man, Trung Nguyen Van, was charged with money laundering for his alleged role in a cryptocurrency pig-butchering scam that defrauded at least one victim of approximately $16 million between June and August 2024. Investigators traced the victim's funds through multiple crypto wallets and found that Van's accounts received about $53.28 million in cryptocurrency connected to wire fraud schemes targeting U.S. citizens from February 2018 to December 2024. Pig-butchering scams typically begin with online contact through dating apps or social media, where scammers build trust before directing victims to fake investment platforms that prevent withdrawal of funds
cryptorank.io
· 2026-09-25
Vietnamese national Trung Nguyen Van was charged by federal prosecutors with laundering approximately $53 million in cryptocurrency stolen from U.S. victims through romance scams, with one Missouri victim losing $16 million between June and August 2024 after being directed to a fake crypto investment platform called Triangle. Investigators traced over $569,000 of the victim's stolen funds to a digital wallet linked to Van, who allegedly moved the proceeds through crypto investments to conceal their source.
floridabar.org
· 2026-09-24
A lonely Jacksonville widower lost over $450,000 in a romance scam orchestrated by a male scammer operating from China who posed as a woman on WhatsApp and promised investment opportunities. An elder law attorney successfully used Florida's new SB 106 law to freeze an additional $200,000 wire transfer by serving the scammer through the same WhatsApp platform used in the scheme. The case highlights the vulnerability of isolated seniors to romance fraud, with FBI data showing elder fraud complaints rose 59% last year with total losses of $7.7 billion nationally, including $709.8 million from Florida victims.
istotne.pl
· 2026-09-24
A 71-year-old woman from Poland lost over PLN 50,000 in a romance scam after developing an online relationship with a man claiming to be a Polish soldier stationed in Yemen. The scammer built emotional trust through weeks of affectionate messages before requesting money for supposed travel costs and communication expenses. Police warn that romance scams typically involve lengthy trust-building periods before financial requests appear, and caution the public against verifying identities based solely on photographs, uniforms, or online profiles.
Bank Transfer
finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
A 58-year-old woman lost approximately $600,000 in a "pig-butchering scam" after being contacted online by someone claiming to be from Brussels who posed as her friend over four months and convinced her to invest in a fraudulent business, withdrawing $400,000 from her retirement account and taking $200,000 in personal loans. The scammer then disappeared, and she faced an additional $225,000 tax bill from the IRS for the early retirement withdrawal, eventually filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy with monthly payments of $5,600 that will continue for several years.
moneywise.com
· 2026-09-24
A 58-year-old woman lost approximately $600,000 to a pig-butchering scam after being befriended online by a fraudster posing as someone from Brussels who eventually convinced her to withdraw $400,000 from her retirement account and take out $200,000 in personal loans for fraudulent investments. The IRS subsequently issued her a $225,000 tax bill for the retirement account withdrawal, penalties, and counting the stolen funds as taxable income, forcing her into Chapter 13 bankruptcy with $5,600 monthly payments.
bankingjournal.aba.com
· 2026-09-24
The Senate unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act requiring dating websites to notify users when accounts they've interacted with are banned for fraud, potentially involving false identities or attempted deception. The FTC and state attorneys general will enforce the law, which comes as financial regulators report approximately $12.7 billion in suspected romance and digital asset investment scam activity over a roughly two-year period beginning in 2023.
chattanoogan.com
· 2026-09-24
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act, which would require dating apps to notify users who have communicated with individuals removed for fraudulent activity. Romance scams targeting seniors have surged, with Tennesseans over 60 losing $43 million in 2023 and nationwide losses reaching $1.3 billion in 2022. The legislation addresses the gap created when scammers move conversations off dating platforms after their accounts are deactivated.
northernsound.ie
· 2026-09-24
Local Gardaí are warning of romance scams where fraudsters create fake online profiles to build trust with victims before requesting money. The scammers typically start with small requests that increase over time, using excuses like travel costs or business opportunities. Sergeant Joe Glackin, the Crime Prevention Officer for Cavan and Monaghan, advises people never to send money to individuals they don't know in person, and notes that many victims don't report these crimes due to embarrassment.
moneytalksnews.com
· 2026-09-24
Americans lost $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, with investment fraud being the costliest category at $7.9 billion in losses, and adults over 60 reporting significantly larger individual losses including six-figure amounts when victimized. Traditional scams—including penny stock schemes, grandparent impersonations, romance fraud, prize scams, and bank impersonation—have been refined through modern technology like text messaging, AI voice cloning, and social media to target victims more efficiently and at unprecedented scale. The article advises verification of financial advisors, use of family code words, skepticism of unsolicited money requests from strangers, and direct contact with banks using verified phone numbers rather
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
Daejon Love and accomplice Taylor Chan allegedly defrauded over 60 women through an elaborate romance scam in which Love impersonated an NFL player, convincing victims to invest in fraudulent accounts before blocking them. Romance scams resulted in nearly $1.5 billion in losses for Americans in 2025, with more than 70,000 victims, and the FBI warns potential victims to avoid sending money to people they haven't met in person.
asahi.com
· 2026-09-24
A Japanese government panel endorsed legislation allowing police to remotely hack smartphones used by criminal networks, citing record losses of approximately 325.7 billion yen ($2.1 billion) in 2025 from special fraud schemes including social media investment scams, romance scams, and robbery-murders. The proposed "remote analysis" system would require judicial warrants and notification to targets after data collection, with safeguards including oversight by public safety commissions. The legislation is expected to be introduced to the Diet in the next extraordinary session.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
Nigerian national Olamide Shanu pleaded guilty in federal court in Idaho to operating an international money laundering scheme involving sextortion and romance scams that targeted approximately 150 Americans and generated over $2.5 million in fraud proceeds. The scheme used fake social media identities to build relationships with victims and extort intimate images, with stolen funds laundered through peer-to-peer payment apps and cryptocurrency before being transferred to Nigeria. Shanu faces up to 20 years in prison at his December 15 sentencing.
tasmaniantimes.com
· 2026-09-24
Tasmanian victims lost over $1.5 million to scams over a three-month period in 2026, with funds deposited into cryptocurrency ATMs across the state as part of romance, investment, and recovery fraud schemes. Tasmania Police warns that cryptocurrency ATM users are increasingly being targeted by scammers who pressure victims to deposit cash after banks resist suspicious transfers. The number of cryptocurrency ATMs in Tasmania has grown from one in 2021 to 28, creating more opportunities for criminals to exploit vulnerable victims.
gov.uk
· 2026-09-24
The UK and Cambodia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly combat online scam centres, which are criminal operations that use sophisticated tactics like romance fraud to target thousands of victims simultaneously, often staffed by trafficked foreign nationals forced to commit fraud. The agreement enables intelligence sharing, coordinated law enforcement action, and capacity building in cyber investigations and digital forensics, with both nations working through the Global Fraud Taskforce to dismantle scam networks and trace illicit financial flows. This partnership addresses the fact that over two-thirds of fraud affecting the UK originates overseas, with Southeast Asia being a major hub for these operations.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-24
Americans lost $20.9 billion to internet-enabled crime in 2025, a 26% increase from the previous year, with seniors over 60 accounting for $7.7 billion of that total. Romance scams and social media-based fraud are driving the surge, with one woman losing nearly $1 million to a LinkedIn scammer impersonating a real man over two years. The crimes often involve sophisticated operations in Southeast Asia where scammers use AI and social engineering to persuade victims to voluntarily send money, making prevention challenging for banks and law enforcement.
ibtimes.co.uk
· 2026-09-24
A 58-year-old North Carolina woman lost $600,000 to a pig-butchering scam after a man posing as a Brussels-based contact on LinkedIn built her trust and convinced her to invest in a fake business, resulting in a $225,000 tax bill when she withdrew $400,000 from her 401(k) and took out two personal loans for additional funds. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 limited personal theft loss deductions, leaving fraud victims responsible for taxes on stolen retirement funds, though pending legislation like the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act aims to provide retroactive relief.
thecooldown.com
· 2026-09-24
Lori Flowers of North Carolina lost $600,000 in a "pig-butchering" scam after withdrawing retirement savings and taking on debt based on a fraudulent romantic connection initiated via LinkedIn. She subsequently faced an additional $225,000 in IRS taxes and penalties on the withdrawn retirement funds, sparking congressional efforts to pass the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act to prevent scam victims from owing taxes on stolen money. Americans aged 60 and older reported $7.7 billion in fraud losses in 2025, with many victims never reporting their losses.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
A North Carolina woman lost $600,000 in a "pig-butchering" romance scam after withdrawing retirement savings and taking on debt, then faced an additional $225,000 in IRS taxes and penalties on the stolen funds. The incident highlights a gap in federal tax law where the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the "casualty and theft loss" deduction for fraud victims, prompting Congress to consider the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act to prevent scam victims from owing taxes on stolen money. Americans age 60 and older reported $7.7 billion in fraud losses in 2025, with pig-butchering scams involving lengthy trust-building schemes
onesafe.io
· 2026-09-24
The FBI Crypto Crime Forum highlighted the growing threat of cryptocurrency-related scams, including the WaterPlum syndicate (affiliated with North Korea) which compromised over 30,000 devices and stole $10.7 million through impersonation and malware tactics. The forum brought together law enforcement and crypto-security experts to address emerging threats such as Tornado Cash manipulation and pig butchering scams, while the FBI launched its new Virtual Assets Unit to coordinate international cryptocurrency investigations across the U.S., Japan, Germany, and Australia.
cryptopolitan.com
· 2026-09-24
The FBI has operated an invite-only crypto crime forum called the Virtual Asset Technical Exchange for nine years, bringing together law enforcement, overseas investigators, and crypto-security firms to address threats including terrorist financing, fraud, trafficking, and North Korean hacking activity. Recent discussions at the September 2024 event in San Antonio focused on emerging threats such as pig butchering scams, Tornado Cash usage, and cartels' use of cryptocurrency, with attendance limited to about 50 private-sector vendors and hundreds of total participants. The initiative reflects the FBI's broader efforts to combat crypto-related crimes, including recent seizures of over $560,000 destined for Hamas and coordination with international agencies to identify North Korean cyberc
inkl.com
· 2026-09-24
A 58-year-old North Carolina woman lost $600,000 to a pig-butchering scam orchestrated through LinkedIn by a man posing as a Brussels-based investor who convinced her to withdraw $400,000 from her 401(k) and take out two personal loans for additional funds. Due to federal tax law restrictions on personal theft loss deductions, Flowers faces a $225,000 tax bill on the retirement withdrawal despite losing the money to fraud. Pending legislation, the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, could retroactively eliminate such tax liabilities for qualifying victims if enacted.
lbc.co.uk
· 2026-09-24
Romance scams reported to Lloyds Banking Group increased 24% over the past year, with reports from victims aged 18 to 24 jumping 59%, though older adults aged 75 to 84 lost significantly more money with an average loss of £9,051. Despite the rise in reports, the overall average loss fell 20% to £4,078, and more than half of all money lost to romance scams came from victims over 65. Scammers typically build emotional connections with victims before requesting money, with younger people encountering fraudsters on dating apps and social media while older victims were targeted through traditional dating websites.
independent.co.uk
· 2026-09-24
UK banks recorded a 24% increase in romance scam reports over the past year, with victims aged 18-24 experiencing a 59% surge in incidents. While younger adults reported more cases after meeting scammers on dating apps and social media, older victims suffered larger financial losses, with those aged 75-84 losing an average of £9,051 each, and over-65s accounting for 55% of all money lost during the period.
uk.finance.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
Romance scams reported to Lloyds Banking Group surged 24% year-over-year, with reports from victims aged 18-24 jumping 59%, though older victims lost significantly more money—those aged 75-84 averaged £9,051 in losses. While the average loss across all romance scam victims fell 20% to £4,078, over-55% of total money lost came from victims over 65, with scammers meeting younger victims primarily through dating apps and social media and older victims through traditional dating websites.
yahoo.com
· 2026-09-24
A new bill aims to protect people from romance scams, which target vulnerable individuals seeking relationships online. The legislation represents an effort to combat this type of fraud that often results in significant financial losses to victims who are deceived by scammers posing as potential romantic partners.
phemex.com
· 2026-09-23
Police in Hunan Province detained two suspects in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam that defrauded a victim of approximately 30,000 yuan. The scammers used social media to lure the victim into downloading a fraudulent app, purchasing USDT, and trading for a manipulated token whose price was artificially inflated before being dumped to zero. Suspect Li was arrested on August 19 and accomplice Lei, who collected illicit funds, was detained on September 17.
saharareporters.com
· 2026-09-23
A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Olamide Shanu, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy for his role in international sextortion and romance scam schemes that defrauded approximately 150 American victims and generated over $2.5 million in criminal proceeds. Shanu and his co-conspirators targeted male victims with sextortion threats using intimate images and older men and women through fake romantic identities on social media, laundering the proceeds through peer-to-peer payments and cryptocurrency before transferring funds to Nigeria. Shanu was extradited to the United States and pleaded guilty in Idaho federal court in September 2026 as part of the Department of Justice's
ky3.com
· 2026-09-23
Multiple fall scams are currently circulating, including Medicare enrollment fraud, mail scams, romance scams, and contractor scams targeting homeowners planning fall projects. The article advises consumers to be cautious during Medicare enrollment season and to ask thorough questions before hiring contractors for home improvement work. Specific dollar amounts and victim details were not provided in this informational advisory piece.
graphic.com.gh
· 2026-09-23
Romance scams involve perpetrators building fake emotional relationships over weeks or months through empathetic messaging and intimate details, eventually requesting money for emergencies or opportunities, with victims reporting losses ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beyond financial costs, victims experience shame, social isolation, and lasting distrust that can devastate families and communities, particularly in regions like Ghana where remittances are common. Public education and open family conversations about online relationships are critical to reducing stigma and helping victims seek help.
brokernews.com.au
· 2026-09-23
National Australia Bank opened a Community Hub in Cairns connecting customers with dedicated fraud and financial hardship specialists, as scam losses in Australia reached $2.18 billion in 2025, a 7.8% increase from 2024, with over four in five referrals in Cairns linked to scams and fraud. The hub is NAB's second Community Hub location following a pilot in Werribee, Victoria, and aims to provide customers access to support before challenges escalate into crises.
newsmobile.in
· 2026-09-23
A 35-year-old Nigerian national pleaded guilty to money laundering for operating an international cyber-fraud network that targeted approximately 150 Americans through sextortion and romance scams, generating over $2.5 million in illicit proceeds. The scheme used fake identities to build emotional relationships with victims or threatened to share intimate images unless money was paid, with stolen funds moved through peer-to-peer payment apps and cryptocurrency to Nigeria. Olamide Shanu faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for December 15, 2026.
whtc.com
· 2026-09-23
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet declared at an international anti-fraud summit that the country would not serve as a haven for transnational scam syndicates, citing government raids on hundreds of compounds that have deported hundreds of thousands of people over the past year. The country has emerged as a major hub for cyberscams—particularly romance scams and police impersonation fraud—operated by mostly Chinese-led criminal gangs, with Americans alone losing over $10 billion to scammers in the region during 2024. Skeptics, including analysts and opposition figures, question the effectiveness of the crackdown, arguing that politically connected figures remain untouched while criminal organizations have adapted by fragmenting into smaller
theeagleonline.com.ng
· 2026-09-23
A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Olamide Shanu, pleaded guilty to operating international sextortion and romance fraud schemes that defrauded approximately 150 Americans of over $2.5 million. The scams involved fake identities used to establish relationships with victims and threats to expose sexual images, with proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer payment apps to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Shanu faces up to 20 years in prison at his December 15 sentencing.
thestar.com.my
· 2026-09-23
Cambodia hosted a global anti-cyberfraud summit to demonstrate its crackdown on transnational scam operations that have cost Americans over $10 billion in 2024 alone, with the government claiming to have raided hundreds of compounds and deported hundreds of thousands of people. The country has become a hub for Chinese-led criminal gangs operating large-scale facilities where trafficking victims are coerced into conducting romance scams and police impersonation fraud schemes. However, analysts and opposition figures question the effectiveness of the crackdown, noting that politically connected figures remain untouched while criminal networks continue operating by fragmenting into smaller units and relocating operations overseas.
asiaone.com
· 2026-09-23
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet declared at a global anti-fraud conference that the country will not serve as a safe haven for transnational scam syndicates, as the government showcases its crackdown on the multibillion-dollar cyberscam industry operating in Southeast Asia. Cambodian authorities claim to have raided hundreds of compounds and deported hundreds of thousands of people over the past year, with the US estimating that Americans lost over $10 billion to scammers operating in the region in 2024 alone. However, analysts and opposition figures express skepticism, noting that high-level figures allegedly protecting these criminal networks have remained untouched while scam operations continue adapting by fragment
aberdeenlive.news
· 2026-09-22
A BBC docuseries features three women defrauded by a romance scammer posing as an Aberdeen oil rig worker named Scott Hall, who used fake profiles and love-bombing tactics to manipulate victims into sending money. The victims—from Connecticut, Ontario, and Frankfurt—lost a combined approximately $1.9 million, with one woman sending £1.1 million to the scammer using different names and stolen photos of LA makeup artist Brian Haughen. The scam is attributed to the "Yahoo Boys," an organized fraud group that has evolved their operations across social media platforms over the past two decades.
theguardian.com
· 2026-09-22
Music fans desperate to purchase sold-out concert tickets are vulnerable to scams, with 55% of fans reporting low confidence in spotting fake ticket fraud. Common scams include fraudsters selling counterfeit tickets through social media with pressure tactics and direct payment requests, catfishers impersonating friends or hacking accounts to pose as artists offering spare tickets, and sophisticated fake websites mimicking official ticketing sites. Consumers should verify seller legitimacy, use secure payment methods, confirm ticket details directly with sellers, and scrutinize URLs and website design before making purchases.
aberdeenlive.news
· 2026-09-22
Three women from Connecticut, Ontario, and Frankfurt were defrauded by romance scammers using the same fake profile of a man claiming to be an oil rig worker off the Aberdeen coast, with victims losing between $40,000 and approximately $1.5 million each. The scammers, part of a group known as the "Yahoo Boys," used stolen photos of LA-based makeup artist Brian Haughen to create fake identities and manipulate victims into sending money through love-bombing tactics. The BBC docuseries "Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" documents how these victims and the real person whose image was stolen worked together to uncover the extent of the fraud operation.
arabnews.pk
· 2026-09-22
Pakistani authorities detained 212 suspects, including Chinese nationals, during raids on three illegal call centers in Islamabad that were running international cyber-fraud operations targeting victims globally through impersonation of Google representatives. The suspects operated "tasking fraud" schemes where victims were tricked into depositing their own money for promised commissions, and "romance scams" designed to manipulate victims into sending money; investigators seized 306 mobile phones, 383 computers, and 299 monitors/laptops from the facilities. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining network connections linked to India and Brazil, though no specific fraud amounts were disclosed.
wideopencountry.com
· 2026-09-22
A 63-year-old Pennsylvania woman lost $384,000 in a romance scam after being contacted on TikTok by someone impersonating an up-and-coming country star. The scammer moved their conversations to the encrypted messaging app Telegram and repeatedly requested large sums of money via Apple gift cards. This case illustrates how romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly those less tech-savvy, can result in devastating financial losses.
pymnts.com
· 2026-09-22
In July 2026, 21% of consumers reported being scam victims in the past five years, with romance scams rising 22% and identity theft remaining the costliest at an average loss of $6,050, though travel scams top individual losses at $35,272 per victim. Scammers are shifting tactics, increasing SMS/text contact by 35% while reducing emails, and tailoring approaches by generation—Gen Z faces more text and social media scams while seniors are targeted through fraudulent links and fake ecommerce schemes. Millennials and Gen Z experience the highest victimization rates at 26% and 24% respectively, with these younger generations accounting for an estimated $314
uk.news.yahoo.com
· 2026-09-22
Actor Channing Tatum denied speculation that he was running a secret Instagram burner account called "Nonya Bidness" after fans noticed the account followed only him and made comments about his ex-fiancée Zoe Kravitz and other celebrities. Tatum clarified via Instagram Stories that he only maintains one account (@channingtatum) and questioned why he would follow his own burner account if seeking anonymity. The Nonya Bidness account was later revealed to be a previously deactivated Channing Tatum fan page that had been repurposed, and has since been deactivated.
japantimes.co.jp
· 2026-09-22
Cambodia is hosting an international conference this week with representatives from about 20 countries, including the U.S. and China, to demonstrate its efforts against online fraud operations. The country displayed a seized scam compound containing counterfeit currency and a fake police station as evidence of enforcement actions against the multibillion-dollar online scam industry operating across Southeast Asia. These scam operations typically target internet users through romance fraud and cryptocurrency investment schemes, often involving trafficked individuals forced to participate.
france24.com
· 2026-09-22
Cambodia hosted a global anti-fraud conference while showcasing a shuttered scam compound that reportedly employed 20,000 scammers, as the country faces international pressure over its role as a Southeast Asian hub for online fraud operations estimated to generate billions annually. Cambodian authorities claimed to have closed 663 scam sites and frozen $300 million in related accounts, though analysts remain skeptical about the sustainability of the crackdown, noting that criminal operations have adapted by dispersing to smaller locations and that key protection networks remain intact. The U.S. estimates that transnational scam organizations in Southeast Asia defrauded Americans of at least $18.2 billion in 2025 alone through schemes involving
mbiz.heraldcorp.com
· 2026-09-22
A South Korean woman whose husband was diagnosed with mild dementia fell victim to a romance scam and began transferring their life savings to an unknown stranger, prompting her to seek legal advice about divorce and asset protection. The husband's cognitive decline made him vulnerable to online deception, and he continues sending large sums of money despite the couple's significant financial losses accumulated over their lifetime. An attorney confirmed that divorce is possible and suggested measures like provisional seizure and limited guardianship to prevent further asset depletion, though recovering money sent to overseas scammers operating on encrypted platforms like Telegram would be difficult.
goodlander.house.gov
· 2026-09-21
The U.S. House passed five bipartisan bills championed by Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, including the GUARD Act to help law enforcement combat fraud targeting seniors, which costs Americans $20.9 billion annually with "pig butchering" cryptocurrency schemes accounting for $11.37 billion of that total. The legislation also addresses water infrastructure funding, utility rate protections, xylazine trafficking, and emergency radio access for New Hampshire residents.
dailyrecord.co.uk
· 2026-09-21
A BBC docuseries follows three women—from Connecticut, Ontario, and Frankfurt—who were defrauded by romance scammers using stolen photos and fake identities, with victims losing between $40,000 and approximately £1.1 million. The scammers, linked to organized groups known as "Yahoo Boys," posed as workers on oil rigs off Aberdeen and other professions to build romantic relationships online before requesting money for emergencies. The series also features Brian Haughen, a Los Angeles makeup artist whose photographs were stolen and used across multiple fake accounts to perpetrate the scams.
nypost.com
· 2026-09-21
A North Carolina woman lost $600,000 in a pig-butchering scam after being targeted by a Brussels-based fraudster on LinkedIn who posed as a friend needing investment capital. Beyond the stolen funds, Flowers faced an additional $225,000 tax bill from the IRS because her 401(k) withdrawal was treated as taxable income, forcing her to declare bankruptcy. Congress has recently approved the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act to protect future scam victims from tax liability on stolen funds, though it awaits Senate action.
techflowpost.com
· 2026-09-21
This article analyzes specialized jargon used in East and Southeast Asian cryptocurrency money laundering networks, specifically examining the term "Liao" (料), which refers to illicit fiat currency from fraud, extortion, gambling, and human trafficking awaiting conversion into untraceable cryptocurrencies or goods. The article describes common laundering methods such as Card-to-USDT exchanges and classifies illicit funds by risk level and victim type, including "pupil Liao" (money scammed from students), "part-time job Liao" (fake employment schemes), and "pig butchering scam Liao" (romance investment fraud), with higher-risk frontline launderers commanding
usatoday.com
· 2026-09-21
Lori Flowers lost $600,000 in a pig-butchering scam orchestrated by someone posing as a Belgian businessman on LinkedIn who convinced her to withdraw funds from her 401(k) and take out personal loans for a fake business investment. After losing the money in 2022, she faced an additional $225,000 tax bill from the IRS, which treated the stolen funds as income, ultimately forcing her to declare bankruptcy. The article highlights how Congress eliminated tax deductions for theft victims in 2017, and discusses proposed legislation to restore these protections for scam victims.
foxnews.com
· 2026-09-21
A 75-year-old South Carolina man with Parkinson's disease and a brain injury allegedly had his home transferred to his caregiver for $5 through a quitclaim deed after the caregiver obtained power of attorney, with the daughter claiming the vulnerable father may not have understood what he signed and that money subsequently moved from his bank account to the caregiver even after his death. The case highlights elder financial exploitation and the importance of monitoring property records and financial accounts for unauthorized changes, as the allegations involve potential undue influence rather than forged documents. Conway police are investigating the matter, though the allegations have not been proven in court.
metromode.se
· 2026-09-21
Swedes lost SEK 5.7 billion to fraud in 2025, with 232,862 reported offences across investment schemes (SEK 1.6 billion), romance fraud (SEK 551 million), phone/vishing scams (SEK 320 million), and card fraud. The number of fraud victims over 65 has doubled for women and increased 60% for men since 2019, with scammers typically creating artificial urgency to pressure victims into quick decisions. Banks must refund unauthorized transactions by the end of the next business day, but consumers may face liability up to SEK 12,000 if they were negligent or made payments themselves at the
legalbrief.co.za
· 2026-09-21
Six alleged members of the Black Axe organized crime network were extradited from South Africa to the US to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering related to romance scams and advance fee schemes that operated from Cape Town between 2011 and 2021. South African law enforcement agencies, including the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority, collaborated with Interpol and US authorities to bring the defendants to justice, where they face potential sentences exceeding 50 years in prison. The defendants allegedly led the Cape Town "zone" of Black Axe and defrauded victims through internet-based romance scams and fraudulent advance fee schemes.
instagram.com
· 2026-09-20
A California man named Daejon Love and alleged 18-year-old co-conspirator Taylor Chan are accused of operating a romance scam that defrauded women of over $1 million by impersonating a San Francisco 49ers player using fake social media accounts, fabricated workout videos, doctored bank statements, and AI-manipulated search results. Federal authorities have identified 35 additional potential victims across multiple states and are urging anyone who may have been targeted to come forward.
vietnam.vn
· 2026-09-20
A South Korean woman in her 30s lost approximately $23,700 to a romance scam where an imposter posed as actor Lee Dong Wook over eight months of online communication, convincing her they were in a romantic relationship and then claiming customs fees for a fake gift package. The scammer manipulated the victim into making multiple money transfers by fabricating an overseas filming location and customs delays, while never meeting or speaking on the phone with her. Lee Dong Wook's management company confirmed they never request money or personal information from fans via direct messages and are aware of multiple impersonation attempts on social media and messaging platforms.
themoviebox.net
· 2026-09-20
This article is about television show trailers and entertainment industry content. It does not contain any information about elder fraud, scams, or fraudulent activities. It cannot be summarized as requested because it is not relevant to the elder fraud research database.
usatoday.com
· 2026-09-20
Alison Walsh booked an Airbnb vacation rental in San Diego for spring break that drastically differed from the listing photos—featuring safety hazards like rusty nails and duct tape—which she suspected were AI-generated, and she had to scramble to find alternative accommodations while waiting a month for a full refund. A 2026 survey found that 52% of American travelers have booked rentals that looked significantly different from their listing images, with scammers increasingly using AI-generated photos, fake reviews, and bait-and-switch tactics to deceive guests.
pocket-lint.com
· 2026-09-20
This article describes Apple's new Impersonation Risk Detection feature in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, which uses on-device analysis to identify and warn users about potential scams and social engineering attacks. The feature analyzes patterns, timing, and context to flag risky actions at Unknown, Medium, or High risk levels, helping protect users from common scams like romance fraud, phishing, and impersonation of trusted entities such as banks or government agencies. The technology is designed to work with compatible third-party apps while maintaining privacy by analyzing data on-device and not sharing personal content with Apple's servers.
sciotocountydailynews.com
· 2026-09-19
A woman lost nearly $1,000 from three accounts after calling a number in a fake Geek Squad refund email, where scammers impersonated company representatives and convinced her to send money before admitting the fraud. In a separate case, another woman reported suspicious gift-card charges totaling over $78 connected to a man she was communicating with through a dating app, highlighting two common scam tactics: fake refund schemes and online romance fraud. The FTC warns consumers to verify company contact information independently rather than using numbers from unsolicited emails or texts, and to never send money to people met only online.
money.ca
· 2026-09-19
Close to 477,000 Canadians aged 65 and older have diagnosed dementia, with financial mistakes often being the earliest warning sign of cognitive decline before memory symptoms appear. Common red flags include missed bill payments, unusual spending patterns like large cash withdrawals or gift-card purchases, and memory lapses around finances—all of which can make seniors vulnerable to investment scams, romance scams, and financial exploitation. Financial experts recommend setting up automatic bill payments and establishing proper legal arrangements like powers of attorney while seniors are still cognitively capable, rather than adding adult children to joint accounts where funds can be withdrawn without permission.
abc45.com
· 2026-09-19
The Burlington Police Department is warning residents about multiple scam types including fake customer service, jury duty impersonation, malware pop-ups, sweepstakes, romance, and NFC/ghost tapping scams. Police advise residents to verify requests directly with official sources, never provide remote access or banking information to unsolicited callers, and report suspicious activity to avoid becoming victims of these evolving fraud schemes.
goodyfeed.com
· 2026-09-19
A 49-year-old Singapore man lost S$80,000 in a three-year online romance scam involving a fake business investment opportunity, then lost an additional S$9,126 in cryptocurrency to a recovery scammer posing as a lawyer. The man met a woman named "Yu Ting" on Facebook who claimed to be a Singaporean living overseas and eventually convinced him to invest in a fraudulent online store business, but when he couldn't complete a large order, he was told his account was locked and asked for more funds. After realizing the scam and seeking recovery help, he was targeted by another scammer impersonating a lawyer who promised fund retrieval but disappeared after receiving a cryptocurrency
wrestlingnews.co
· 2026-09-19
A 64-year-old Pennsylvania man lost $42,700 in March to a scammer impersonating WWE star Rhea Ripley through an unknown contact method. Celebrity impersonation scams typically involve building relationships through fake social media accounts before requesting money for emergencies or travel. No arrests have been made, and the victim has declined to cooperate with Pennsylvania State Police.
en.sedaily.com
· 2026-09-19
A woman in her 30s lost 35 million won ($25,000) to a romance scammer who impersonated South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook over eight months, claiming to be in a romantic relationship with her and repeatedly requesting money for customs clearance fees for a supposed gift package. The scammer built trust by sending selfies, offering career advice, and expressing affection, while the victim wired money to multiple accounts with different account holder names. Romance scams in South Korea have surged 73% in reports and more than doubled in losses, reaching 136 billion won ($97 million) in 2024, according to police data.
thetravel.com
· 2026-09-19
Global Affairs Canada issued a travel advisory warning Canadians about a surge in drugging and robbery incidents in Mexico involving travelers who met acquaintances through online dating apps and invited them to private accommodations. The advisory urges travelers to meet new online contacts only in secure, familiar locations and warns against sharing personal information, explicit photos, or leaving drinks unattended, as criminals have exploited dating apps to conduct romance scams, theft, and assault. Multiple Canadian tourist destinations in Mexico, including Cancún and the Riviera Maya, remain popular but require heightened vigilance against online dating-related crimes and other petty theft.
ground.news
· 2026-09-19
Artificial intelligence is enhancing rather than eliminating fraud operations, as scammers leverage AI tools to automate labor-intensive tasks like maintaining romance scam conversations and sustaining investment fraud identities. According to cybersecurity expert Ralph Echemendia, the problem lies not with AI technology itself but with humans developing it without adequate safeguards. The advancement enables fraudsters to operate at greater scale and efficiency than traditional manual scamming methods.
wilcosun.com
· 2026-09-19
In 2025, approximately 560,000 scams were reported across the U.S., resulting in $20.9 billion in losses, with Georgetown residents falling victim weekly to fraud ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Common scams affecting residents include phishing, romance scams, tech support fraud, government impersonation, investment schemes, and sweepstake scams, often initiated through unsolicited contact via phone, text, or email. Legitimate agencies typically do not request payment via phone or text and never accept gift cards or cryptocurrency as payment methods.
cryptoslate.com
· 2026-09-19
AI tools have dramatically increased the efficiency and profitability of scam operations, allowing criminals to automate labor-intensive tasks like maintaining fake identities and conducting fraud conversations. According to Chainalysis, scam operations linked to AI vendors generate an average of $3.2 million in revenue compared to $719,000 for operations without AI tools, while the FBI recorded approximately $893.3 million in AI-related fraud losses from 22,364 complaints in 2025. Scammers now use AI to scale romance scams, investment fraud, business impersonation, and extortion campaigns that once required larger criminal teams, with a single operator able to maintain multiple fake identities and conversations simultaneously.
dexerto.com
· 2026-09-19
A 64-year-old Pennsylvania man lost $42,700 in March 2026 to a scammer impersonating WWE star Rhea Ripley, with few details available about how contact was made or the victim's persuasion. This incident is part of a broader pattern of celebrity impersonation scams targeting older adults, including a 2024 case where a 74-year-old lost nearly $1 million to someone posing as WWE star Alexa Bliss. No arrests have been made, and the victim has refused to cooperate with police investigating the fraud.
cbsnews.com
· 2026-09-18
Priscilla Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty to defrauding a 90-year-old Colorado man out of $40,000 through a romance scam that began with grocery store encounters and involved false stories about a deceased fiancé and cancer treatment. Johnson is accused of running the same scam on multiple victims totaling nearly $500,000, including one man who was allegedly defrauded of $450,000 through a fake gold company investment scheme.
starnewskorea.com
· 2026-09-18
A 30-year-old woman was defrauded of approximately 35 million won by an imposter posing as actor Lee Dong-wook over eight months, who gained her trust through romantic messaging before demanding money for supposed customs fees and gift shipments. A similar romance scam involved another victim defrauded of approximately 500 million won by imposters using AI-generated photos of actor Lee Jung-jae over six months. Both celebrities' agencies have issued warnings that they never request money or personal information through private accounts.
news.bloombergtax.com
· 2026-09-18
Shane Vaia, an Ohio man who lost over $820,000 in a cryptocurrency "pig butchering" scam, has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit seeking a $130,000+ tax refund from the IRS for the 2024 tax year. The dismissal was filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, with Vaia covering his own legal fees. In a pig butchering scam, fraudsters build trust with victims over time before convincing them to invest money in fake cryptocurrency schemes.
news.bloomberglaw.com
· 2026-09-18
An Ohio man who lost over $820,000 in a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against the IRS seeking a $130,000+ tax refund for 2024. Shane Vaia dropped the case without prejudice and agreed to cover his own legal fees. Pig butchering scams typically involve fraudsters building trust with victims before convincing them to invest in fake cryptocurrency schemes.
thesun.ng
· 2026-09-18
Access Bank Plc launched a "Spot The Scam" financial crimes awareness campaign targeting teenagers aged 12-16 in Nigeria, prompted by rising cases of young people becoming victims or perpetrators of fraud including romance scams, hacking, and money laundering. The initiative, running until December 2026, combines financial crime education with a debate competition for secondary schools in Lagos State, teaching youth to recognize manipulation, question suspicious requests, and seek help when encountering fraudulent activities. The campaign addresses common fraud methods targeting young people such as fake giveaways, celebrity impersonation, fake job offers, and investment scams.
koreatimes.co.kr
· 2026-09-18
A woman in her late 30s lost 35 million won ($23,700) in a romance scam involving someone impersonating South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook over an eight-month online relationship conducted entirely through social media. The scammer manipulated the victim into believing they were romantically involved and in a relationship, eventually convincing her to send money under the false pretense of clearing customs fees for a package worth 700 million won. The incident is part of a broader trend of celebrity impersonation romance scams targeting fans, with Lee's management agency warning that its artists never solicit money or personal information through private messages.
ewn.co.za
· 2026-09-18
Six Nigerian nationals were extradited to the U.S. to face charges in a romance scam that defrauded over 100 women of more than R100 million, with cybersecurity experts warning that AI technology now enables scammers to create convincing fake identities using deepfake photos, videos, and cloned voices. Victims often become emotionally invested in fraudulent relationships and are reluctant to report due to shame, though experts emphasize that reporting to police, banks, and platforms is crucial. Red flags include reluctance to do video calls, sudden declarations of love, requests to move conversations to private platforms like WhatsApp, and inconsistencies in profiles.
biz.chosun.com
· 2026-09-18
A woman in her 30s lost 35 million won to an imposter account claiming to be actor Lee Dong-wook over eight months, after being manipulated through a romance scam involving fake gifts and customs fees. The scammer used AI-manipulated photos and posed as the actor on social media, exploiting the victim's fandom and romantic relationship with the fake account while instructing her to keep the financial transactions secret. Lee Dong-wook's agency, King Kong by Starship, issued a public warning that their artists never request money through personal messengers or social media accounts and urged fans to report suspected impersonation accounts.
sports.khan.co.kr
· 2026-09-18
Celebrity-impersonation romance scams targeting fans of Korean actors Lee Dong-wook and Lee Jung-jae, as well as international figures like Brad Pitt and Elon Musk, have defrauded victims of hundreds of millions of won by using AI-generated fake photos, intimate messaging, and false payment schemes. A woman in her late 30s lost approximately $26,250 to a Lee Dong-wook impersonator over eight months, while a woman in her 50s was defrauded of $375,000 by scammers posing as Lee Jung-jae. Scammers employ sophisticated psychological tactics including emotional manipulation (gaslighting),
independent.ng
· 2026-09-18
Access Bank launched the "Spot The Scam" nationwide awareness campaign targeting Nigerian teenagers and students aged 12-19 to combat growing exposure to digital fraud schemes including romance scams, hacking, and money laundering. The initiative, running until December 2026, was prompted by the EFCC's arrest of 792 young people in Lagos in December 2024 who were allegedly operating fraud schemes targeting victims outside Nigeria. The campaign aims to equip young people with practical knowledge to identify and protect themselves from financial crimes while building safer digital habits.
1075thefan.com
· 2026-09-18
Imposter scams cost Americans $3.5 billion in 2025, with victims often receiving no reimbursement because fraudulent transfers are legally authorized even when obtained through deception. Unlike many countries, the U.S. has no federal mandate requiring banks to refund scam victims, though regulatory pressure, lawsuits (including against Zelle, which lost over $1 billion to fraud between 2017-2023), and voluntary bank policy changes are gradually shifting the industry toward better consumer protection.