Crypto scams are on the rise, and seniors, often with limited crypto knowledge, are becoming prime targets.
This week, 82-year-old Houston artist Richard Hall urged others to stay alert after falling victim to a crypto scam. The fraudster, impersonating a United States Federal Trade Commission agent, swindled Hall out of his life savings.
Retired Artist Loses $130,000 to Crypto Scam
Given his limited grasp of crypto and technology — a vulnerability often seen in the elderly — Richard Hall was an ideal mark for a crypto scam.
The scheme began in March. Hall received a call from an individual identifying as Alan Lee from the Federal Trade Commission. Lee convinced Hall that the agency was investigating potential hackers targeting his bank account. Soon after, Lee informed Hall about identifying several hackers, claiming further investigation was necessary.
Hall shared that the initially transferred amounts were minor, hovering around $4,000 or $5,000. Things took a turn when Lee persuaded Hall to install AnyDesk, granting the crypto scammer remote computer access. Lee sifted through Hall’s emails using this access, allegedly gathering evidence.
Read more: 15 Most Common Crypto Scams To Look Out For
Over subsequent weeks, Lee coaxed Hall into transferring funds between banks. Under the pretext of securing Hall’s money, Lee also persuaded him to purchase small amounts of Bitcoin to trap the purported hackers.
During their interactions, Hall and Lee chatted about personal matters, like food, further cementing Hall’s trust in Lee.
“I was so naive,” reflected Hall.
By early July, Hall had funneled $130,000 from his retirement account to a so-called “Bitcoin exchange” based on Lee’s guidance. It was not long before his bank raised an alarm about potential fraud.
Although Hall reported the incident to law enforcement agencies, they signaled the unlikelihood of retrieving the funds, now transformed into crypto.
A 350% Increase in Crypto Scams Targeting Seniors
In a related development, US District Court Judge Joseph LaPlante recently postponed the hearing of Ian Freeman, a libertarian activist found guilty of running an unlicensed crypto exchange. The delay will allow time to determine if restitution should be part of Freeman’s punishment.
Prosecutors are pushing for a harsher penalty due to Freeman’s consistent targeting of elderly victims. Emphasizing the age-linked vulnerability of many victims, the judge highlighted their heightened susceptibility.
Victims like Karen Miller, who lost her entire life savings — $300,000 — after being directed to Freeman’s platform by a scammer from a dating site, and Rebecca Viar, who went to the extent of taking loans and selling a personal asset to transfer funds via Freeman’s platform, shared their harrowing experiences.
Read more: Crypto Scams Push Deeper into the American Heartland
Data from the US Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) indicates a disturbing trend. Crypto-related losses among seniors surged by 350% in 2022. Investment fraud involving crypto saw a 300% spike, contributing significantly to an overall 84% increase in total financial losses for this demographic compared to the previous year.
In 2022, the IC3 received nearly 10,000 crypto-linked complaints from individuals over 60. This led to losses exceeding $1 billion, with crypto scams accounting for 66% of these losses.
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