JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s Lieutenant Governor is launching a new initiative that aims to protect seniors from scams. Florida is home to more seniors than almost any other state, and senior scams are claiming more victims and more dollars every year. Americans over the age of 60 lost nearly $5 billion to scams in 2024,...Read More
The calls start about 7 a.m. and continue until 6 or 7 p.m. On a recent afternoon, Steven Kurutz flipped through his phone’s call log. They were coming about every 14 minutes: 10:39 a.m., 11:03, 11:06, 11:25, 11:37, 11:55, 12:06, 12:18. When Mr. Kurutz, 80, answered, a recorded message asked about his Medicare coverage. “My...Read More
A multi-agency investigation led by the FBI San Diego Field Office made 19 arrests Wednesday as part of an investigation into an alleged international criminal network believed to have scammed senior citizens out of more than $40 million, authorities reported. A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of...Read More
CHICAGO (WLS) — Holiday scams targeting thousands of people every second. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch Every year the ABC7 I-Team finds the biggest holiday scams. This holiday season criminals are finding new ways to trick you: all because of artificial intelligence. AI is making it extremely difficult to spot...Read More
Image Source: Pexels Scammers have gotten smarter and smarter over the years. Unfortunately, the targets of many scams are vulnerable adults. Recent data shows older Americans are losing billions each year, with reported fraud losses jumping from about $600 million in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024. Even more alarming, some seniors are losing tens or...Read More
Florida’s lieutenant governor came to Jacksonville on Tuesday to announce a new free alert system to help prevent scams against senior citizens. Operation Senior Shield will teach senior citizens to avoid telephone or internet scams that cost them thousands of dollars, sometimes their entire savings, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a news conference at...Read More
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida leaders announced on Tuesday Operation Senior Shield (OSS), a statewide initiative to combat scams and financial exploitation targeting older adults. The launch comes as law enforcement reports a troubling rise in sophisticated fraud schemes that have cost Florida seniors hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the news release. Lieutenant...Read More
Several years ago, Paul Griffo helped a member of his church who was scrambling to wire money. The man had received a call that his son had been arrested in a foreign country with drugs in his car and needed bail money. “He’s obviously upset … in that state of emotion,” recalls Griffo, who promptly...Read More
The FBI says older Americans lost $4.8 billion through fraud in 2024, with reports of theft through fraud jumping 43% in just one year. “Elder fraud is a huge concern for us,” Michael Ratta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New York criminal division. Couple lost $500,000 to alleged con artist Carlos Velazquez, 78,...Read More
Florida’s lieutenant governor on Tuesday announced a new free alert system to help prevent scams against senior citizens. Operation Senior Shield will teach senior citizens to avoid telephone or internet scams that cost them thousands of dollars, sometimes their entire savings, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a news conference in Jacksonville. People who sign...Read More
