A Featured Phool Gets His Revenge Scam of elderly man goes so well, con artists strike again. But this time the Phool is ready for them.  — Two scammers stole $25,000 from a senior in Ventura County. But once they find their mark, scammers love to try again -- so they reached out a second time, but this time the victim was ready -- with the police. The scammers now face jail time and our Featured Phool got his money back. The moral of the story: shame is a scammer's weapon. They count on their victims to feel so much shame that they don't get help. This victim went to the police and successfully landed his scammers in jail.

Phishing exploits the gap between tools and trust  — Experts at Vanguard describe phishing scams today in a straightforward primer. The key insight: "While phishing is often framed as a single event, it can also mark the starting point for broader scams that evolve over time. In many cases, escalation is not driven by the message itself, but by the response—small actions that signal availability, trust, or willingness to continue the exchange." The most effective way to avoid being phished is to never engage. Don't respond and feed the interaction.

Woman loses nearly $1M in romance scam, shares red flags she missed | 7 On Your Side  — CONNECTICUT (WABC) -- Valentine's Day is next Friday! So, if you're single and looking for love, you may be trying to find your soulmate online. It's one of the top ways to connect, but unfortunately, dating apps are another avenue for online scammers to take advantage of others looking for romance. Romance scams are all over the headlines, often involving international rings of criminals to trick victims into sending them a lot of money. Who doesn't want to be loved? These types of scams are so successful because many of us are vulnerable, and it's not a quick, hit send me money for a plane ticket, and then they disappear.

The last time she spoke to her son was in a FaceTime cooking lesson. The next day she was the victim of a deadly scam  — Mario Hall last saw his mother on the other end of a FaceTime call, teaching him how to make pepper steak. She’d propped her phone near the stove in her kitchen in Dublin, Ohio, so he could see the pan. From his home in Columbia, South Carolina, he watched and followed along as she added peppers and seasoned the beef. “I’d told her I wanted some pepper steak, but I didn’t know how to make it. And that was one of the meals she used to make for me when I was younger,” Hall told CNN this week. “So she was like, ‘well, get on FaceTime and let’s just walk through it.’ ”

Sophisticated banking spoof callers drain local customers' accounts, nearly fool ABC7 anchor  — These customers lost thousands of dollars to fake bank scams. Remember that a bank will never call you and ask you to transfer money. When in doubt, hang up and call your bank directly.

Woman Loses $30K is Missed Jury Duty Scam  — Kristine lost over $30K to scammers posing as police in a jury duty scam. She’s not alone. Here's how to protect your money.

FBI Norfolk Warns of Romance Scams, Urges Public to Recognize Red Flags Ahead of Valentine’s Day  — “Romance scams are especially devastating because they exploit trust and emotion."

CEOs Bracing For An Explosion of Cyber-Fraud in 2026, Finds WEF  — According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, cyber-enabled fraud—particularly phishing, identity theft, and insider threats—will overtake ransomware as the biggest threat.

AARP Fraud Watch Warns Seniors to Be Especially Vigilant During the Holidays  — A new report from the AARP Fraud Watch Network warns that as the holidays approach and millions of people prepare to shop and donate online, scammers are preparing to capitalize. Fake shipping alerts, bogus charities, and gift card scams are just a few of the ways that scammers hope to steal your money and your personal information.

How to Avoid Scams in the Age of AI  — AI can be a powerful tool -- even for scammers. A cybersecurity expert provides tips to avoid falling victim.