Explore documented scam networks, the tactics they use, and the agencies working to stop them. Find practical ways to protect your money, accounts, and devices, with local technology assistance from CCS in Canandaigua and the Finger Lakes.
DOJ reported Olamide Shanu’s guilty plea to a money-laundering conspiracy connected with sextortion and romance fraud.
What to watch for: If someone threatens you or pressures you to send money, stop responding and ask for help. Preserve the messages and report the demands.
DOJ · Sextortion and romance-fraud guilty plea
NCCIA reported 212 people detained at three locations in E-11 and G-10. Detention is not a conviction; the report describes an international fraud investigation.
What to watch for: Verify unexpected financial calls independently. A displayed local number does not establish where a caller operates.
Associated Press of Pakistan · NCCIA statement
DOJ announced action involving the Xinbi marketplace and about $52 million in cryptocurrency restrained that day.
What to watch for: Be skeptical of trading platforms introduced through private messages. Screenshots of profits are not proof you can withdraw funds.
DOJ · September 2026 Strike Force action
DOJ unsealed charges involving MediaLand and ML.Cloud, alleging infrastructure supported attacks and more than $62 million in victim losses.
What to watch for: Keep backups separate from your main computer and verify unusual business emails through a known contact.
DOJ · MediaLand indictment
The FTC reported $3.5 billion in 2025 imposter-scam losses. Fake security alerts can pressure people to move money.
What to watch for: A request to transfer savings into a supposed safe account is a reason to stop and call your bank directly.
FTC · 2025 fraud dataSelected reports available through October 1, 2026. These cards are curated by CCS and link directly to the original reports.
IC3 complaints received in 2025
Total reported IC3 losses in 2025
Complaints involving fraud carried out online or through digital technology
Reported losses from those fraud complaints
Reported losses among people over 60
These figures show losses reported to the FBI, not every scam that occurred. Many victims never file a report, and one person may submit more than one complaint. The FTC received separate reports totaling about $16 billion in fraud losses in 2025. Some incidents may appear in both agencies’ records, so their totals should not be added together.
FTC · 2025 fraud dataCriminal investigations identify specific networks and locations. A caller’s accent, nationality, or displayed phone number is not reliable evidence of fraud. Evaluate the request and verify it independently.
Indian call-center cases have involved fake government demands and technical-support claims. Ahmedabad appears in a DOJ sentencing case involving an operator convicted of coordinating calls to U.S. victims. FBI and local partners also describe an India-linked investigation affecting about 660 U.S. victims, with nearly $48.8 million in losses. Reporting on the joint investigation identifies raids in Delhi, Noida, and Kolkata in December 2025. These are locations named in specific cases, not a list of the cities with the most scams.
Recognize the tactic: If a caller asks you to install remote-access software, buy gift cards, or give cash to a courier, hang up. Contact the organization using a number you already trust.
FBI · Joint fraud investigationDOJ · India-based call-center sentencingWashington Post · India call-center investigationNCCIA reported three alleged centers in Islamabad’s E-11 and G-10 sectors on September 22, 2026. Separately, reporting from Lahore describes arrests involving alleged bank impersonation and an alleged center in Gulberg. The reports do not say whether these operations moved from India.
Recognize the tactic: Never provide card details or verification codes to an incoming caller claiming to represent a bank.
Associated Press of Pakistan · NCCIA statementThe Express Tribune · NCCIA investigationDOJ’s Qakbot case names an alleged organizer from Moscow. A separate indictment identifies MediaLand and ML.Cloud in St. Petersburg and alleges they provided infrastructure for malware, ransomware, and phishing. The charges describe the activities of those companies and defendants.
Recognize the tactic: Verify unexpected attachments, sign-in links, and changes to payment instructions before acting. Backups and updates reduce the damage a compromised device can cause.
DOJ · Qakbot indictmentDOJ · MediaLand indictmentDOJ has documented Chinese-linked criminal operations associated with scam centers in Myanmar and Cambodia. Some scam centers also hold trafficked people who are forced to contact victims and carry out fraud.
Recognize the tactic: Relationship-building followed by instructions to invest on an unfamiliar platform is a serious warning sign. If the platform demands another payment before you can withdraw your money, do not send more.
DOJ · Southeast Asian scam centersDOJ · September 2026 Strike Force actionINTERPOL’s Red Card 2.0 operation documented Nigerian phishing and investment schemes, Kenyan fake-investment activity, and Côte d’Ivoire mobile-loan fraud. A separate joint Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana investigation identified trafficking victims in Abidjan forced into exploitative pyramid schemes. A DOJ sextortion and romance-fraud case identifies a defendant from Lagos, Nigeria.
Recognize the tactic: Verify investment operators independently. Do not pay to release a loan or trust a dashboard showing money you cannot withdraw.
INTERPOL · Operation Red Card 2.0INTERPOL · Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana operationDOJ · Sextortion and romance-fraud guilty pleaOverseas schemes can rely on people and infrastructure inside the U.S. A DOJ case involving $65 million in alleged fraud describes a multinational network targeting seniors. A scammer overseas may use a U.S. phone number, bank account, or courier to make the request seem legitimate.
Recognize the tactic: Do not accept a job forwarding money or receiving unexplained transfers. A courier at your door does not make a caller legitimate.
DOJ · Scambaiters assisted fraud investigationScammers reach people through calls, texts, ads, social media, and fake computer warnings.
The sender impersonates a bank, employer, agency, friend, or technology company.
They rush you with threats, promises, or instructions to keep the conversation secret.
The scammer asks for account codes, personal information, remote access, or payment approval.
Funds go through transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or couriers.
After the first payment, they ask for more, calling it a tax, release fee, or charge to recover your money.
Scammers often combine these tactics. For example, a fake computer warning may lead to a caller pretending to be your bank.
A pop-up or caller claims your device is infected or a refund went wrong. They want remote access or a payment.
Warning signs: A browser alert gives a phone number, or someone asks you to log into banking while they control your screen.
Verify: Close the alert and contact a support provider you chose independently.
What to do after a scam
The caller claims your money or identity is at risk and tells you to move funds.
Warning signs: A “safe account,” arrest threat, secret investigation, or courier pickup.
Verify: Call the number on your bank card or the agency’s official website.
What to do after a scam
A new contact offers trading advice and directs you to a platform they recommend.
Warning signs: Guaranteed returns, fake profits, blocked withdrawals, and new release fees.
Verify: Research the operator independently and avoid platforms introduced through unsolicited messages.
What to do after a scam
An online relationship becomes a request for financial help or investment.
Warning signs: Repeated emergencies, avoidance of real meetings, or coaching you to send cryptocurrency.
Verify: Talk to a trusted person and do not send money to someone you have not independently verified.
What to do after a scam
A message imitates a vendor, manager, or employee to change payment instructions.
Warning signs: New bank details, urgent confidential requests, or a subtly altered email address.
Verify: Confirm payment changes using an established phone number and a second approval.
What to do after a scam
A recruiter offers simple paid tasks, equipment checks, or a job moving money.
Warning signs: You must deposit funds to continue, repay an overpayment, or forward transfers.
Verify: Verify the employer through its official careers page. Do not pay to unlock wages.
What to do after a scam
A buyer or seller sends a payment link, fake receipt, or overpayment.
Warning signs: Pressure to leave the platform or refund money that has not actually cleared.
Verify: Check payments in your own account and use the platform’s protections.
What to do after a scam
Someone threatens to distribute intimate images, sometimes using stolen information or a fabricated claim.
Warning signs: Demands for payment, escalating deadlines, or threats to contact friends and family.
Verify: Stop paying or engaging, preserve evidence, and report threats. For immediate danger, call emergency services.
What to do after a scam
A stranger claims they can recover lost funds or accounts for an upfront fee.
Warning signs: Guaranteed results, claimed law-enforcement connections, or requests for wallet keys.
Verify: Contact your bank, account provider, and official reporting agencies directly.
What to do after a scamFake government calls, tech-support scams, and bank impersonation can put retirement savings at risk. A trusted second opinion can help before large transfers.
Fake recruiters can exploit financial pressure. Verify the employer and reject tasks that require your own deposits.
Relationship scams build trust gradually. Discuss money requests with someone outside the conversation.
Sextortion threats can create overwhelming pressure. A trusted adult and official reporting channels can help; the victim is not to blame.
Invoice changes and compromised email can target staff who handle payments. Verify changes through known contacts.
Recovery scammers may approach people already harmed. A new promise to retrieve funds can be another fraud.
Anyone can be targeted. Fraud succeeds by manipulating trust and circumstances, not because victims lack intelligence.
Receive internet-crime complaints and investigate fraud and cybercrime. Reports can help connect related cases.
Visit the official websiteCoordinates investigations and prosecutions against transnational scam centers and their financial infrastructure.
Visit the official websiteInvestigates financial crimes and cyber-enabled fraud with domestic and international partners.
Visit the official websiteInvestigates transnational crime, including financial networks and trafficking associated with some scam operations.
Visit the official websiteInvestigates crimes involving the mail, including fraud and related money movement.
Visit the official websiteCollects consumer reports, issues warnings, and brings civil enforcement actions. It is not an emergency-response service.
Visit the official websiteUse financial sanctions to disrupt designated criminal networks. Sanctions do not themselves recover a victim’s payment.
Visit the official websiteSupport information sharing and coordinated cross-border operations among participating national authorities.
Visit the official websiteInvestigates cybercrime, including the recent Islamabad call-center case cited above.
Visit the official websiteThe Attorney General accepts consumer complaints. Local police can receive reports of threats, theft, and other crimes.
Visit the official websiteCCS is an independent local business and is not affiliated with these agencies.
Videos demonstrate scam calls and efforts to expose fraudulent operations. The videos show common tricks and warning signs to watch for.
Visit the YouTube ChannelScambaiting videos show how scammers manipulate conversations and impersonate support organizations. To report a crime, use the official agency links below.
Visit the YouTube ChannelPierogi’s channel documents scam disruption and efforts to warn the public. DOJ has credited Pierogi and Trilogy Media with helping investigators in a specific fraud case.
Visit the YouTube ChannelCreators can bring attention and evidence to investigations; law enforcement carries out arrests and prosecutions. Beware of accounts impersonating creators or promising paid fund recovery. Do not confront suspected scammers yourself.
DOJ · Scambaiters assisted fraud investigationReport internet crime and financial cyber fraud.
Open the Official ResourceReport scams, impersonation, and unfair business practices.
Open the Official ResourceGet a recovery plan and report identity theft.
Open the Official ResourceRegister for free to reduce sales calls from companies that follow the law. The registry does not block scam callers.
Open the Official Resource
Hands-on help with accounts, devices, and security concerns.
Explore ServicesPractical habits for spotting suspicious requests and protecting your digital life.
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Explore the Knowledge BaseCCS Scam Watch summarizes public reports for awareness and prevention. Source links accompany statistics, investigations, and case results. Charges and allegations are identified as such; defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted. Locations describe documented cases, not national character or a ranking of scam prevalence.
News dates identify the cited publication. Annual figures identify the reporting year. Updates are curated manually, and case outcomes may change. Seized or frozen funds are not described as repaid unless the source confirms they were returned to victims.
For a correction or a broken source link, contact CCS. Share the page or source reference, without including sensitive personal information.
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