Older adults and the people they trust can take some measures to prevent being scammed, as well as to blunt the potential damage if a scammer is successful. Pause before reacting. If you receive an unusual, urgent message of any type, take a moment to reach out through a different and trusted means, in order...Read More
Two 21-year-old suspects were arrested Tuesday after sheriff’s deputies intervened in what authorities described as an attempted scam targeting an elderly Santa Barbara resident for tens of thousands of dollars. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the case came to light around 11:30 a.m. on February 24, when deputies responded to a call...Read More
Dear Savvy Senior: My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? — Almost 80 Dear Almost 80: Financial fraud is a massive — and rapidly growing — problem for older Americans. In 2024, scams...Read More
“Offenders knew that there was this prime vulnerable target all living together right here in this small area, and they were preying upon those residents there,” she surmises. The FSU researchers believe that fraud criminals targeting older people is likely a problem in retirement communities around the country. They’re testing that hypothesis in a joint...Read More
Grandma Mary answers the phone. “Grandma?” says a male voice. “Billy, is that you?” she says. “Yes, grandma it’s me, I’ve done something stupid and I need your help. I need $3,000 as soon as possible to make bail. Please don’t tell my parents. It’s just a big misunderstanding, I’ll explain everything later. Here, I’ll...Read More
A recent Fraud Prevention Night touched on some of the ways people can stay safe from fraud and scams in the southeast. The Estevan Police Service invited a number of financial institution workers to discuss some of the different topics related to scams. Cindy Thompson from Scotiabank highlighted senior citizens and how fraud can especially...Read More
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bipartisan Senior Security Act on Thursday. This legislation would create a Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer recommendations for strengthening protections and safeguards for older adult investors. The bill, which is endorsed by the...Read More
Senior financial crime leaders warn that while threats are increasingly global and sophisticated, domestic regulatory frameworks and information-sharing mechanisms are failing to keep pace. Australian financial crime executives have expressed concerns that they are being left to fight a rising tide of sophisticated, offshore-originated financial crime with one hand tied behind their backs, citing slow...Read More
Image: Public Domain Pictures That bright yellow crypto kiosk next to the lottery tickets and energy drinks isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a $333 million fraud factory. While your parents get targeted by phone scammers directing them to these convenience store machines, legitimate cryptocurrency infrastructure quietly powers institutional payment systems. Welcome to crypto’s two Americas: predatory...Read More
COLORADO (KOAA) — Scams and predatory tactics targeting the elderly across the United States and in Colorado continue to be a growing trend. The latest data available for scams in Colorado and the United States is from 2024. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime and is run by...Read More
