NEWS
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Ronald Spektor Sentenced to Up to 12 Years in Prison After Nearly $16 Million Cryptocurrency Scam
A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for his role in a phishing and social engineering scheme that stole nearly $16 million from approximately 100 users of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.
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AI-Powered Dating App Network Used More Than 4,700 Fake Personas to Target 25,000 People
Anthropic has disclosed a large-scale dating scam operation in which a China-based app studio used artificial intelligence to build and operate more than 20 dating apps, creating thousands of AI-generated personas that were presented to users as real people.
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12 Koreans arrested in Thailand over alleged voice phishing operation
Thai police arrested twelve South Korean nationals this week on suspicion of running a scam operation, after raiding a voice-phishing call center hidden inside a luxury home in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing the country's Foreign Ministry.
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Miami Man Admits Leading International Crypto Theft Ring in $245 Million Case
A 22-year-old Miami man pleaded guilty Tuesday to orchestrating the theft of nearly $245 million in bitcoin from a Washington, D.C. resident, a scheme federal prosecutors count among the largest cryptocurrency thefts ever carried out in the United States.
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Six Nigerians Linked to Black Axe Syndicate Extradited to US Over Romance Scam Allegations
CAPE TOWN — South African police handed six Nigerian nationals wanted in the United States over to FBI agents on Friday, extraditing men accused of running romance scams that defrauded more than 100 American women of over $6 million (£5 million; 100 million rand).
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North Carolina Woman Spent Nearly $35,000 on Online Romance and Was Left in Debt
A 74-year-old woman from Moore County, North Carolina, says an online relationship left her nearly $35,000 in debt after she spent her children's inheritance on communication with a man she met through a dating website.
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British Retiree, 68, Left Homeless After Romance Scam Drains His Pension and Savings
A 68-year-old British retiree has been left homeless and without his savings after falling victim to an online romance scam in Thailand. Simon Charles Hill, a former United Nations flight operator from Luton, moved to Bangkok about 11 years ago after retiring.
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Ukraine Police Shut Down Crypto Scam Targeting Victims in 20+ Countries
Ukrainian law enforcement has shut down a network of fake cryptocurrency investment platforms that investigators say were used to steal digital assets from people in more than 20 countries.
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Cyprus Man Loses €77,600 in Fake Crypto Investment and Recovery Scam
A 61-year-old man from Paphos, Cyprus has lost more than €77,600 after falling victim to two separate cryptocurrency frauds — first a fake investment scheme, and later a so-called recovery scam that promised to help him get his money back. Authorities in Paphos are now investigating the case.
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Man charged after $1M romance fraud involving multiple women: Durham police
A dog-training business and a local gym were among the places where Salvatore Malandrino allegedly met women later drawn into a romance fraud scheme worth more than $1 million, Durham police say.
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Maryland Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for $400,000 Dating-App Scam
Janey Sears, 72, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for defrauding a Montgomery County man she met on a dating app of more than $400,000. A jury found Sears guilty in July of a theft scheme involving more than $100,000, securities fraud and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary. The jury reached its…
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Man Posing as San Francisco 49er Charged with Defrauding Over Two Dozen Women Out of More than $1.3 Million
Two men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, have been charged by criminal complaint in Portland, Oregon.
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Michael Loses $180,000 in Deepfake Romance Scam
Michael, a 73-year-old retired psychologist, believed he had found a soulmate in Melanie, a softly spoken nurse from South Africa. Over a year, the two exchanged messages, emails and phone calls and spoke regularly by video.
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Taipei Indicts 57 in AI Voice-Cloning Romance Scam That Defrauded 20,000 Victims
TAIPEI, Sept. 2 (CNA) — Taipei prosecutors on Wednesday indicted 57 people accused of running a sophisticated romance scam that allegedly used voice-cloning technology to defraud more than 20,000 people of at least NT$900 million (US$28.32 million).
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Nigerian National Sentenced to 95 Months in Prison for Laundering $3.1 Million in Scam Proceeds
Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 95 months in prison for leading a conspiracy that laundered more than $3.1 million from business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance fraud schemes by funneling proceeds into cars exported to Nigeria.
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Hong Kong Insurance Professional Loses More Than HK$26 Million in Online Romance Investment Scam
A Hong Kong insurance professional lost more than HK$26 million after an online boyfriend introduced her to a purported investment expert, police said.
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Nana Takyiwa Adonu Sentenced in $1.6M Romance Scam
Nana Takyiwa Adonu was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for laundering more than $1.6 million received from romance scam victims.
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Derrick Van Yeboah Sentenced in $10M Romance Scam Case
Derrick Van Yeboah received 85 months in prison for romance scams that stole more than $10 million from victims across the United States.
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Perth Grandfather Loses $300,000 and His Home in Devastating Three-Year Romance Scam
An 80-year-old grandfather from Perth has lost approximately $300,000 and his home after falling victim to a romance scam that lasted for three years.
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Ghanaian influencer Abu Trica extradited to US over $8m scam targeting elderly Americans
A Ghanaian influencer known as Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, has been extradited to the US to face trial for allegedly running a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8m (£5.9m).
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AI romance scam impersonating Dubai prince ensnares victims
Maria met the scammer impersonating Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed, also known by his pen name Fazza, on a dating site before the conversation moved to a messaging app where he bombarded her with romantic messages.
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German court jails 12 members of Nigerian ‘love scam’ network
The scammers used fake identities, for example posing as a U.S. soldier stationed in the Middle East, to approach victims on social media or dating apps and dupe them into believing they were in a personal or romantic relationship.
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Nigerian Romance Scammer Sentenced to Five Years in U.S. Prison for $3.5 Million Fraud Scheme
A 42-year-old Nigerian national has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded eight victims out of approximately $3.5 million, U.S. authorities announced on Monday.
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25 Convicted in $215M International Scam That Defrauded Over 1,000 Victims
After a four-day trial, a federal jury found two men and a woman guilty of involvement with an international email hacking scheme that defrauded more than 1,000 victims out of approximately $215 million. The scheme spanned 47 states and 19 countries.
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Ghanaian Man Pleads Guilty to Role in $100 Million Romance Scam Scheme Targeting U.S. Victims
Ghanaian national Derrick Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to participating in an international criminal organization that carried out romance scams and business email compromise schemes, stealing more than $100 million from victims across the United States.
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U.S. Attorney Files Civil Forfeiture to Recover $327K USDT in Massachusetts Romance Fraud Case
The U.S. Attorney's Office files a civil forfeiture action to recover $327,829 in USDT linked to a money laundering scheme and online romance fraud targeting a Massachusetts resident.
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Webster Woman Reports Attempted Gift Card Scam Involving $1,800
A 63-year-old woman is sharing her experience after falling victim to a gift card scam that left her financially strained, even though the scammers never received her money
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Bay Area Widow Loses Nearly $1 Million in Crypto “Pig Butchering” Romance Scam
A sophisticated online fraud known as the “pig butchering” scam has struck yet another Bay Area residen, leaving a San Jose widow in her seventies facing financial ruin and the possible loss of her home. Margaret Loke believed she had found companionship online. Instead, she was manipulated into wiring nearly $1 million to overseas scammers…
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Dating App Fraud: Ugandan Man Cheats AIIMS Researcher of Rs 1.9 Lakh
All Abhishek Kumar (34) a researcher at AIIMS, Delhi was allegedly seeking was companionship. So, he created an account on a dating app in 2024. Soon after, he secured a match as well, said police. The woman he matched with was a foreigner. Borders no bar, the duo began talking in October 2024. Sparks flew,…
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Massive Cryptocurrency Scam: US Shuts Down Website Posing as Trading Platform
The Justice Department announced the seizure of a web domain used to target and defraud Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud (CIF) scams. The domain, tickmilleas.com, was used by those located at the Tai Chang scam compound (also known as Casino Kosai) located in the village of Kyaukhat, Burma.
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Cambodia Raids Scam Compound, Arrests 28 in Transnational Romance Fraud Crackdown
Cambodian authorities dismantled a major transnational online scam operation in Phnom Penh on Monday, arresting 28 suspects in a coordinated raid targeting a syndicate accused of romance fraud and digital extortion.
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Elderly Widow Loses $7,000 in Online Romance Scam, Police Warn Others to Be Cautious
The incident began in early November when Beverly Stern started receiving friendly messages from a man she had never met, who claimed to have found her on a dating app she says she never used. What started as casual conversation soon became a daily routine, with the man expressing love and promising a future together.
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Nigerian National Jailed in the U.S. for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Online Romance Scam
A federal jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina has found 34-year-old Nigerian national Saheed Sunday Owolabi guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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The Man Was Too Perfect: Narakorn Tiyayon, a Former Thai TV News Anchor, Escaped a $100,000 Romance Scam
Bangkok, Thailand – For Narakorn Tiyayon, a 57-year-old former television news anchor, the initial message on Facebook seemed harmless. The man who contacted her had a charming smile and an impeccable online profile. She had no idea she was stepping into a meticulously planned "pig butchering" scam, a cruel blend of emotional manipulation and financial…
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Online Romance Scam in Cambodia Leads to Prison for Two South Koreans
Judge Ji Hyun-kyung from Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 12 revealed that a man in his 30s, referred to as A, received a four-year prison sentence and was fined 22 million Korean won for fraud, joining a criminal organization, and participating in its activities. Similarly, B, a man in his 20s facing the same charges,…
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Three Thai women arrested for alleged involvement in Nigerian romance scam
The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has apprehended three Thai women suspected of leading a significant cross-border romance scam network, which has reportedly caused financial losses amounting to nearly 6 billion baht