The troubling rise of the romance scam
Kate Kleinert was home by herself one day in summer 2020 when she received a friend request from an attractive stranger on Facebook. He introduced himself as Tony, a Norwegian physician stationed in Iraq.
Eve Upton-Clark
SCRIPPS COLLEGE
Archa Dileep ’24 and Hannah Lak ’23 Research Scams, Fraud, and Catfishing
Archa Dileep ’24 and Hannah Lak ’23 have been working in Professor Wood’s lab since fall 2021 as part of a collaborative, passionate group studying psychological issues around scams and fraud.
Katie Hanson
Bloomberg
Pension Poachers are Targeting America’s Elderly Veterans
Larry Eber’s life was derailed when middlemen pledged to help him get supplemental benefits. Similar tales of alleged manipulation are playing out for thousands of former service members and their families.
Nick Leiber
San Francisco Chronicle
‘He held me hostage with no gun but with his words’: The phone scam gaslighting therapists
It started with a voice mail on Jaime Bardacke’s cell phone that sounded work-related.
Carolyn Said
SALON
How catfishers exploit basic human neuroscience
Science explains why so many smart people let their guard down in the realm of online dating
Dr. Stacey Wood
NBC
E! True Hollywood Story: Star Sisters
In episode 1 of Star Sisters, E! explores iconic sisters Beyoncé & Solange Knowles, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears, and Miley and Noah Cyrus, and Dr. Stacey Wood discusses how conservatorships play a role in some of these celebrities’ stories.
Dr. Stacey Wood
MacKenzie Scott Gave Away Billions. The Scam Artists Followed.
She has no large foundation, headquarters or public website. That makes it easier to dispense money on her own terms — and for others to prey on the vulnerable in her name.
Nicholas Kulish
Boom time for scammers
During the Coronavirus pandemic, people have been spending more time at home, and online, than ever before. This has given online scammers a golden opportunity to find new victims.
Business Daily
Column: Scam victims may feel stupid. And ashamed. And that’s perfectly normal
Getting scammed is bad enough. But what are victims then supposed to do with the feelings of foolishness and frustration that often accompany acts of fraud?
David Lazarus
Bogus Vaccines. Fake Testing Sites. Virus Frauds Are Flourishing.
By telephone, phishing emails, text messages or social media promotions, unscrupulous actors are using their warped creativity to separate people from their cash.
Ann Carrns
The New York Times
Americans Have Lost $145 Million to Coronavirus Fraud
More than 200,000 complaints of scams and fraud have been filed so far this year, data from the Federal Trade Commission shows.
Morales, Christina
The New York Times
Is Your Vaccine Card Selfie a Gift for Scammers? Maybe
You finally got your vaccine, and you’re excited to share the proof. Here’s why that may not be a good idea, and what you can do instead.
Christine Hauser
AARP
6 Psychological Tactics Used by COVID19 Scammers
Scam artists will stop at nothing to exploit the fear, social isolation and uncertainty fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sari Harrar
Salon
Here’s how scammers are exploiting coronavirus fears
Scammers are exploiting coronavirus fears: Every epidemic brings with it accompanying grifts. Here’s how scammers think.
Wood, Stacey, David Hengerer, Marian Liu & Yaniv Hanoch
Newsweek
Star Trek Icon Nichelle Nichols the Victim of Abuse
Court documents filed to the Los Angeles district of the Superior Court of California describe allegations of sustained elder abuse
Whalen, Andrew
Los Angeles Times
Britney Spears hasn’t fully controlled her life for years
In late April, Britney Spears delivered a plea to her 22 million Instagram followers. Fans insist it’s time to #FreeBritney. Los Angeles Times.
Newberry, Laura
Psychology Today
Reporting on elder fraud from the field and the lab
The Fraud Crisis: Reporting on elder fraud from the field and the lab.
Wood, Stacey
MarketPlace
What I learned by chatting with Chinese robocallers
Have you received a Chinese-language robocall lately? Or a hundred of them? Federal authorities say these computer-generated scams are on the rise again.
Tong, Scott
