Senior scam Coverage

Publisher's Clearing House scam tricks seniors out of thousands

A scam is tricking people out of thousands of dollars.

Nash County man allegedly scammed $143,000 from senior citizens with lottery scheme

A Nash County man is accused of scamming elderly Americans through a lottery fraud scheme.

Reformed 'romance scammer' gives tips on how to avoid being a victim

Romance scams have climbed to record highs in recent years. In North Carolina, 539 victims lost $17.3 million to romance scams in 2021. That's an average loss of $32,194 per victim.

Reformed 'romance scammer' from Nigeria shares how to avoid being a victim

Romance scams have climbed to record highs in recent years. In North Carolina, 539 victims lost $17.3 million to romance scams in 2021. That's an average loss of $32,194 per victim.

Keely Arthur, WRAL consumer reporter

'Don't trust anything in your inbox': Holiday is peak season for scammers, hackers

Holiday shopping season is the busiest time of the year for scammers and hackers. Here's how a security expert says you can protect yourself and your family.

Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

Seniors learn the bottom line to avoid scams: Pause before sending any money

Financial scams targeting older adults are widespread and costly. In 2021, older adults lost $1.7 billion due to fraud according to the FBI.

Keely Arthur, WRAL consumer reporter

Seniors learn how to avoid scams

On Tuesday, local advocates visited the East Wake Senior Center in Wendell to teach a session on the most common scams and how to avoid them.

Chapel Hill man faces 10 years in prison for targeting senior citizens seeking home repairs

A Chapel Hill man was sentenced in federal court for fraud offenses Monday after officials said he "manipulated" and "deceived" senior citizens seeking home repairs.

Senior citizen scammed out of nearly $7,000

Scammers often target the elderly for a multitude of reasons.

Uber driver foils scam on senior citizen

The scam began with a fake email notifying the woman that she owed Amazon $2,000 for previously shipped orders.

Durham Uber driver stops scammer's scheme against his senior passenger

The scam began with a fake email notifying the woman that she owed Amazon $2,000 for previously shipped orders.

Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/5 on Your Side reporter

Ways to combat senior scams

The elderly are a popular target for financial scammers...but there are ways to protect them.

Don't fall victim to these common phone and email scams

Phone and internet scams use current headlines like COVID-19 vaccines and tax season as ploys to steal your money. That's why state leaders hope to make seniors more aware of those and other high tech threats aimed at their savings.

Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/5 on Your Side reporter

Check on seniors to prevent scams

More than $10,000 lost to a scammer. A local family wants to keep it from happening to others. As 5 On Your Side's Monica Laliberte reports, they believe the battle starts with checking on seniors.

Be rude, hang up, research to avoid being drawn into scams

It started in March. The caller told the 78-year-old who answered, she'd won a car, TV and money.

Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/5 on Your Side reporter

Top Three Ways to Reduce Robocalls

With the rise of coronavirus, there has been a rise in scams related to the coronavirus. Phone calls are the #1 way scammers contact people. In 2019, those who lost money lost an average of $1,000. Here are the top three ways you can reduce robocalls and exposure to scams..

Liisa Ogburn

Help! Where do I start?

When a beloved senior starts to decline, the tasks that need to be handled can be daunting. Here are my top ten articles over the last two years on the most common questions and needs.

Liisa Ogburn

Apex police warn people to protect themselves against holiday crimes

In Apex and across the county, police have their eyes wide open going into the holidays as crimes tend to spike.

Mark Boyle, WRAL News reporter

5 On Your Side Extra: Protect yourself from scams

Think it couldn't happen to you, neither did any of these victims. 5 On Your Side shares some common scams and ways you can avoid getting taken.

Preventing Senior Scams

Did you know that one in ten American seniors lost money in a phone scam in the last twelve months? The average amount lost was $430. Furthermore, 954,000 seniors are currently skipping meals as a result of financial abuse.

Liisa Ogburn

'Spoofing' ban gets House OK

House lawmakers voted unanimously Friday to ban telemarketers from using fake numbers to get people to answer the phone or respond to a text.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Scams targeting elderly topped list of NC consumer complaints in 2018

Scams targeting senior citizens were the biggest complaint to the state Consumer Protection Division last year, Attorney General Josh Stein said Wednesday.

Elderly population a 'very high risk' for financial fraud

As people are living longer lives, predators seek to target seniors with financial scams.

Curtis Spring, freelance reporter

Man helps mother-in-law targeted by jury duty scam

A jury duty scam that has cost people thousands of dollars keeps snaring victims, including many who reached out to 5 On Your Side after a story on the scam aired Thursday.

Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/consumer reporter

NC joins fight against spoof robocalls

Attorney General Josh Stein announced this week he's joining 39 other AGs in calling on the FCC to take action against "spoofing" robocallers.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief