![SCAMMERS ARE SWIPING BILLIONS FROM AMERICANS EVERY YEAR.WORSE, MOST CROOKS ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT](https://cdn.magzter.com/1400077361/1720654165/articles/lZX2d-uOA1720697839380/SCAMMERS-ARE-SWIPING-BILLIONS-FROM-AMERICANS-EVERY-YEARWORSE-MOST-CROOKS-ARE-GETTING-AWAY-WITH-IT.jpg)
Internet and telephone scams have grown “exponentially,” overwhelming police and prosecutors who catch and convict relatively few of the perpetrators, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Victims rarely get their money back, including older people who have lost life savings to romance scams, grandparent scams, technical support fraud and other common grifts.
“We are at a crisis level in fraud in society,” Stokes said. “So many people have joined the fray because it is pretty easy to be a criminal. They don’t have to follow any rules. And you can make a lot of money, and then there’s very little chance that you’re going to get caught.”
A recent case from Ohio, in which an 81-year-old man was targeted by a scammer and allegedly responded with violence, illustrates the law enforcement challenge.
Police say the man fatally shot an Uber driver after wrongly assuming she was in on a plot to extract $12,000 in supposed bond money for a relative. The driver fell victim to the same scammer, dispatched to the home midway between Dayton and Columbus to pick up a package for delivery, according to authorities.
Homeowner William Brock was charged with murder in the fatal March 25 shooting of LoLetha Hall, but the scammer who threatened Brock over the phone and set the tragic chain of events in motion remains on the loose more than three months later.
Brock pleaded not guilty, saying he was in fear for his life.
ADVANTAGE SCAMMERS
Online and telephone rackets have become so commonplace that law enforcement agencies and adult protective services don’t have the resources to keep up.
“It’s a little bit like drinking from a fire hose,” said Brady Finta, a former FBI agent who supervised elder fraud investigations. “There’s just so much of it, logistically and reasonably, it’s almost impossible to overcome right now.”
Denne historien er fra July 12, 2024-utgaven av AppleMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 12, 2024-utgaven av AppleMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![DEVELOPERS OF STALLED MINNESOTA COPPER-NICKEL MINE PLAN STUDIES THAT MAY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/D3hAdV3ZK1723720446816/DEVELOPERS-OF-STALLED-MINNESOTA-COPPERNICKEL-MINE-PLAN-STUDIES-THAT-MAY-LEAD-TO-SIGNIFICANT-CHANGES.jpg)
DEVELOPERS OF STALLED MINNESOTA COPPER-NICKEL MINE PLAN STUDIES THAT MAY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
The developers of a long-delayed copper-nickel mining project in northeastern Minnesota announced this week that they plan to conduct a series of studies over the next year on potential ways to improve environmental safeguards and make the mine more cost- and energy-efficient, which could lead to significant changes to the design.
![CALIFORNIA GOV.GAVIN NEWSOM NUDGES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RESTRICT STUDENT CELLPHONE USE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/WOBQayhnh1723720303457/CALIFORNIA-GOVGAVIN-NEWSOM-NUDGES-SCHOOL-DISTRICTS-TO-RESTRICT-STUDENT-CELLPHONE-USE.jpg)
CALIFORNIA GOV.GAVIN NEWSOM NUDGES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RESTRICT STUDENT CELLPHONE USE
California and South Carolina could become the next states to limit cellphone use in schools, with state officials taking up the issue this week.
![ELLIOTT SEEKS 10 OF THE 15 BOARD SEATS AT SOUTHWEST IN BID TO STRENGTHEN THE AIRLINE'S PERFORMANCE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/MKhgYdMX11723720203716/ELLIOTT-SEEKS-10-OF-THE-15-BOARD-SEATS-AT-SOUTHWEST-IN-BID-TO-STRENGTHEN-THE-AIRLINES-PERFORMANCE.jpg)
ELLIOTT SEEKS 10 OF THE 15 BOARD SEATS AT SOUTHWEST IN BID TO STRENGTHEN THE AIRLINE'S PERFORMANCE
Elliott Investment Management is launching a proxy fight with Southwest Airlines and plans to nominate 10 candidates for the 15-member board of an the airline where performance has lagged behind competitors.
![GOOGLE AND SELENA GOMEZ PARTNER TO FUND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CLASSROOM](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/AgU8bhy4l1723720024269/GOOGLE-AND-SELENA-GOMEZ-PARTNER-TO-FUND-TEEN-MENTAL-HEALTH-IN-THE-CLASSROOM.jpg)
GOOGLE AND SELENA GOMEZ PARTNER TO FUND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CLASSROOM
The unprecedented mental health crisis for children in the United States often surfaces where they spend much of their days: school.
![PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE TURNING TO AI APPS TO HELP WITH TASKS.EXPERTS SAY TRY IT CAUTIOUSLY](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/2eb0jKh471723719838944/PEOPLE-WITH-ADHD-ARE-TURNING-TO-AI-APPS-TO-HELP-WITH-TASKSEXPERTS-SAY-TRY-IT-CAUTIOUSLY.jpg)
PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE TURNING TO AI APPS TO HELP WITH TASKS.EXPERTS SAY TRY IT CAUTIOUSLY
Becky Litvintchouk didn’t think she’d be able to manage the mountain of tasks needed to become an entrepreneur.
![NEW MARS STUDY SUGGESTS AN OCEAN'S WORTH OF WATER MAY BE HIDING BENEATH THE RED DUSTY SURFACE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/fDx33npDH1723719742816/NEW-MARS-STUDY-SUGGESTS-AN-OCEANS-WORTH-OF-WATER-MAY-BE-HIDING-BENEATH-THE-RED-DUSTY-SURFACE.jpg)
NEW MARS STUDY SUGGESTS AN OCEAN'S WORTH OF WATER MAY BE HIDING BENEATH THE RED DUSTY SURFACE
Mars may be drenched beneath its surface, with enough water hiding in the cracks of underground rocks to form a global ocean, new research suggests.
![LOOKING FOR AN ACTIVITY THAT'S SOCIAL AND WILL GIVE YOU A WORKOUT? GIVE SPORT CLIMBING A TRY](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/HLyHKHB551723719504716/LOOKING-FOR-AN-ACTIVITY-THATS-SOCIAL-AND-WILL-GIVE-YOU-A-WORKOUT-GIVE-SPORT-CLIMBING-A-TRY.jpg)
LOOKING FOR AN ACTIVITY THAT'S SOCIAL AND WILL GIVE YOU A WORKOUT? GIVE SPORT CLIMBING A TRY
Watching climbing at the Paris Olympics makes it seem as if it’s a sport that would be completely out of the question for a weekend athlete.
![ARE YOU A CASH APP USER? YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PIECE OF THIS $15 MILLION SETTLEMENT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/3YylDq1HY1723719280975/ARE-YOU-A-CASH-APP-USER-YOU-MAY-BE-ELIGIBLE-FOR-A-PIECE-OF-THIS-15-MILLION-SETTLEMENT.jpg)
ARE YOU A CASH APP USER? YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PIECE OF THIS $15 MILLION SETTLEMENT
Current and former Cash App users could be eligible for a hefty piece of a proposed class-action settlement from the popular online payment service.
![CLASSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HELP SENIORS INTERACT WITH A WORLD ALTERED BY AI](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/u447H6F2L1723719119417/CLASSES-ACROSS-THE-COUNTRY-HELP-SENIORS-INTERACT-WITH-A-WORLD-ALTERED-BY-AI.jpg)
CLASSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HELP SENIORS INTERACT WITH A WORLD ALTERED BY AI
This is how older adults — many of whom lived through the advent of refrigeration, the transition from radio to television and the invention of the internet — are grappling with artificial intelligence: taking a class.
![THE PROS AND CONS OF BUYING A HYBRID VEHICLE OR PLUG-IN HYBRID](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6454/1799566/bR5ZhokPn1723718806046/THE-PROS-AND-CONS-OF-BUYING-A-HYBRID-VEHICLE-OR-PLUGIN-HYBRID.jpg)
THE PROS AND CONS OF BUYING A HYBRID VEHICLE OR PLUG-IN HYBRID
If you’re ready to move on from a purely gasoline-fueled vehicle but you’re not ready to go fully electric, you have two choices.