The Guardian | People seeking connection have long been the target of criminals. But romance fraud is increasing, especially among older adults. Learn about the warning signs.

KHOU | The FBI is warning about fake websites designed to mimic the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The sites are designed to trick people into entering personal and banking details.

BBC | An Interpol operation has arrested 250 suspected cyber scammers across 14 African countries who used romance scams and sextortion to steal nearly $2.8 million from over 1,400 people.

University of Notre Dame | When banks can provide details about fraudulent activity, customers are more likely to stay. In fact, 62% fewer leave compared with those who hadn’t experienced fraud.

Futurism | Scammers are using SMS blasters to increase their phishing game. They move around with the portable devices, sending thousands of messages with dangerous links to nearby phones.

Reuters uses illustrations to tell the story of Oly, an IT consultant who flew from Ethiopia to Thailand to meet a friend for a few days. He was trapped in Southeast Asia for five months.

The New York Times | A person called a reporter, asking for him by name. The caller ID said “Chase Bank.” The scammer had a ready answer for every question the reporter asked. It almost worked.

Reuters | Reuters asked AI chatbots to draft e-mail messages for a phishing scam targeting older people. The results show how scammers can use AI to conduct fraud.

IT Brew | Experts say the US government isn’t doing enough to fight scams. The FBI has prevented $400 million in crypto fraud to date in 2025, yet US scam victims lost over $5 billion in 2023.

ASPI | In a new report, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute outlines what’s happening as Myanmar becomes a haven for transnational organized crime groups.

Cosmopolitan | After the investigation by Brianne and Cecilie, the romance scammer is in federal custody, facing charges filed by Operation Shamrock’s Erin West.

The Guardian | Operated by crime syndicates and fostered by the military junta, the number of massive scam complexes on the Thai-Myanmar border has doubled since 2021.

Fox 13 | After getting a series of emails that seemed to be too good to be true, Barbara did the right thing, she contacted law enforcement — and it paid off.

PYMNTS | Finding victims isn’t random luck on the part of scammers. They use data to align messages with a target’s age, income, and habits, then pick the contact channel where the person will most likely respond.

Forbes | Scammers trick people to believe they have a computer error, then pose as tech support to fix it. FBI reports losses to these scams hit $1.4B in 2024; a 87% jump from 2022.

Idaho News 6 | Police are warning parents about a new phone scam. Scammers are calling parents, pretending to be medics, and claiming their child has been injured.

KABC Eyewitness News | A California woman learned her mother had been sending money to a scammer who used deepfake videos to impersonate celebrity Steve Burton.

NBC News | It seemed simple: Invest a small amount in a high-tech scooter-sharing company. Use the app to see your profits rise as people rent scooters. But it was a scam.