How to Avoid Online Romance Scams!
Read the wedding announcements in any newspaper, and there’s sure to be at least one couple who describes how they met through a dating site. Countless people have found love online, but meeting people virtually comes with risks: Scammers can easily use the anonymity of the internet to create fake personas and deceive people looking for romance.…
Identity Theft and Fraud Can Be Devastating. Here’s How to Avoid It
A federal judge called the case “Kafkaesque.” In January 2025, Matthew David Keirans, 59, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on federal charges of aggravated identity theft and making false statements. But this was no ordinary identity theft case: Keirans had so thoroughly assumed the identity of his victim, William Woods, whom he’d met…
Update: Man Sentenced for $174 Million Conspiracy
In an update to a May 21, 2024, story, Jamie P. McNamara was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Read a Department of Justice press release.
The National Veterans Golden Age Games are free, no matter what scammers say
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hosts free events like the National Veterans Golden Age Games to encourage older adults in the veteran community to get active for better health and wellness. But veterans are reporting finding websites or pages on social media that charge a fee to register for the games. These are fakes. Whether you’re…
Scammers Use Financial Grooming, Known as ‘Pig Butchering,’ to Steal Victims’ Savings
Her name, she said, was Jessie. Dennis Jones, 82, met her on Facebook. The divorced, beloved grandfather and father had chatted online with Jessie for months, and he felt close to her, even though they’d never met. On a family vacation, he revealed to his son and daughter that he was exploring a major cryptocurrency investment opportunity.…
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