Fraud & Scams
Financial fraud, phishing, identity theft, scam alerts, data breaches, and how to protect yourself and your accounts.
Latest in Fraud & Scams
Federal prosecutors charged 19 people in a $4 million scheme that billed Medicare and Medicaid for home care never given
Federal prosecutors unveiled charges on August 4, 2026 against 19 defendants accused of billing Medicare and Medicaid for home care that was never delivered, a...
Another data-breach settlement pays a no-proof $80, or up to $5,500 for losses, before September 5
A data-breach settlement involving the health-benefits administrator Lucent Health Solutions is paying eligible people a flat $80 with no paperwork, or reimbursing documented losses of...
A China-based ring stole $2.2 million from 28 older victims across 17 states using fake Apple Pay alerts
Federal prosecutors say a fraud operation run partly out of China drained about $2.2 million from at least 28 older Americans, using a fake warning...
One data-breach settlement pays up to $7,500, or a no-proof cash payment, before September 10
A single class-action settlement now on the table pays as much as $7,500 to people who can document their losses, or a smaller no-proof cash...
Federal prosecutors charged 30 people in a $65 million scheme that drained older Americans’ savings
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 30 people in a $65 million fraud and money-laundering operation that emptied the bank accounts of thousands of older...
Medicare is warning seniors about a “new card” scam demanding your number before benefits switch
The call follows a familiar script. A voice claiming to be from Medicare tells the person on the line that a new card, or a...
Anyone who used the Flo period-tracking app can claim from a privacy settlement by October 15
Unlike a typical data breach, where criminals break in and steal records, the $59.5 million Flo settlement stems from information the company allegedly shared on...
Doxim data-breach victims can claim $100 with no proof of loss before October 13
Most consumers have never heard of Doxim, yet the company quietly handles sensitive financial paperwork for banks and credit unions across the country. That obscurity...
A Lands’ End data-breach settlement pays $60 with no proof, or up to $5,000 for documented losses, until October 22
A data breach that reached into Lands’ End’s computer systems in December 2024 has produced a proposed class-action settlement, and the retailer’s affected customers now...
A grandparent scam can cost a retiree tens of thousands in a single call, and the caller often knows the grandchild’s name
The call usually opens with a sob and a familiar voice: a grandchild in a car crash, an arrest overseas, a medical emergency that demands...
Port-out scammers hijack your phone number to break into your bank account
Most account takeovers require a stolen password, but a growing category of theft skips that step entirely by stealing something harder to change: the victim’s...
Zelle’s member banks now reimburse customers tricked into wiring money to a scammer posing as their own bank
For years, one of the most punishing banking scams left its victims with almost no way to recover a cent: money sent through a payment...
A Mexican cartel scammed more than 6,000 older Americans out of $400 million in a timeshare scheme, and five bosses now face U.S. charges
Federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against five senior leaders of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, tying the group to a timeshare fraud operation that authorities...
A free credit report from all three bureaus is now available weekly at AnnualCreditReport.com
Checking a credit report used to be a once-a-year ritual for most consumers, but the rules have quietly changed in a way that strengthens one...
Concord Hospital patients whose records leaked can claim a cash payment by September 11
No hacker broke into Concord Hospital’s systems. Instead, a class-action lawsuit alleged that the New Hampshire health system’s own websites quietly shared visitors’ information with...
Customers in the 700Credit data breach can claim $50, or up to $2,500, before an October hearing
Few car buyers have ever heard of 700Credit, but the company operates quietly behind the scenes at thousands of auto, RV, and marine dealerships, running...
Farmers Insurance robocall victims can claim up to $160 by September 14
Marketing calls and text messages sent on behalf of insurance agents are the basis of a class-action settlement that could put up to $160 in...
The real IRS and Social Security never demand payment in gift cards
No federal agency accepts payment in gift cards. That single fact is enough to identify one of the most persistent scams aimed at older Americans,...
Scammers posing as fraud investigators tell seniors to move savings to safety, and that instruction is the scam
The most dangerous sentence in a phone scam often sounds like the most helpful one. A caller claiming to be a fraud investigator, a bank’s...
A free credit freeze at all three bureaus blocks thieves from opening accounts
Identity thieves usually need one thing to open a credit card or loan in someone else’s name: a lender’s ability to pull that person’s credit...