Investment fraud is now the single biggest destroyer of older Americans' money — bigger than romance scams, bigger than fake government agents, bigger than anything else — and it increasingly arrives through social media. In this episode, host Mark Sullivan shows how a retirement built over decades can vanish in days: the fake gurus and "investment groups," the deepfaked celebrity endorsements promising to double your Bitcoin, the fake platforms that show imaginary gains, and the bedrock principles that separate real investing from a beautifully disguised trap. Backed by FBI and FTC data.

In this episode: why responsible savers are the prime target, how the fake-platform trap springs (and why a small "successful withdrawal" is just bait), why "guaranteed high returns" is always a scam, how to verify any investment professional for free through investor.gov and BrokerCheck, and the one rule that closes the door on nearly all investment fraud. (Note: Mark is not a financial advisor; this episode is about spotting fraud, not investment advice.)

Note: Online Scams — Real Stories of Fraud and How to Identify a Scammer has no partnership, sponsorship, or financial relationship with any organization, platform, or app mentioned in this episode. Mark Sullivan is not a financial advisor and this episode is not financial advice. Resources are shared purely for listener benefit.

• Investment scams = #1 loss category for older adults; social media is the top contact method. In 2024, older adults reported losing far more money to investment scams than to any other fraud type, often targeted on social media; consumers of all ages report social media as the most common method of contact for investment scams. FTC, "Protecting Older Consumers" report and FTC press release (ftc.gov), Dec 2025.
• Scale of investment-fraud losses. Investment fraud led to billions in reported losses and has been the largest driver of individual losses over $100,000. FTC press releases (ftc.gov); AARP summary of FBI/FTC 2025 data (aarp.org); FBI/IC3 (fbi.gov).
• Crypto investment scams. Cryptocurrency scams affected more than 42,000 older victims with billions in losses in a single year. FBI/IC3 data via Bitdefender (bitdefender.com).
• Deepfake celebrity endorsements / "double your Bitcoin" schemes. Scammers use deepfaked livestreams and fake giveaways (e.g., a famous figure appearing to "send free ETH" or double your Bitcoin) to lure investors. OpenClassActions summary (Medium); State of Surveillance (stateofsurveillance.org).
• Fake-platform mechanics (fake gains, bait withdrawal, withdrawal "fees"). Reflects FTC/SEC consumer guidance and the documented pig-butchering/investment-platform pattern. FTC consumer education (consumer.ftc.gov); SEC investor.gov; State of Surveillance (stateofsurveillance.org).
• Verification tools and principles. SEC's investor.gov and FINRA BrokerCheck for verifying registered professionals; "guaranteed high returns are a red flag" and "if it sounds too good to be true, it is" reflect standard SEC/FTC guidance. investor.gov; consumer.ftc.gov; confirm current wording before recording.
• Reporting resources mentioned. SEC (investment fraud) via investor.gov/sec.gov; CFTC (crypto/commodities complaints); FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov and consumer.ftc.gov; FBI: IC3.gov. AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline (free, non-members welcome).

"USPS: Your package couldn't be delivered. Click here to reschedule." You've gotten this text. So has everyone. According to the FBI, deceptive texts and emails — phishing and smishing — are the single most commonly reported type of fraud. In this episode, host Mark Sullivan breaks down the everyday text-and-email scam: the handful of messages you'll see over and over, what really happens when you tap that link, and the one simple habit that defeats the most common scam in the world. Backed by FBI and FTC data.

In this episode: what phishing, smishing, and vishing actually mean, the greatest-hits scam texts (fake packages, fake tolls, fake account alerts, fake prizes), how criminals build perfect counterfeit websites to harvest your password, why getting lots of scam texts doesn't mean you've been hacked, and the golden rule — never tap a link in an unexpected message.

Note: Online Scams — Real Stories of Fraud and How to Identify a Scammer has no partnership, sponsorship, or financial relationship with any organization, carrier, app, or website mentioned in this episode. Resources are shared purely for listener benefit.

• Phishing/spoofing as the most commonly reported fraud against seniors. Phishing and spoofing scams were the most commonly reported frauds targeting seniors; they arrive via convincing emails, text messages, or phone calls appearing to come from trusted organizations — banks, delivery companies, or even family members — with the goal of tricking victims into sharing passwords, financial details, or other sensitive information. Bitdefender summary of FBI/IC3 2025 data (bitdefender.com); FBI/IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report (fbi.gov).
• Scale of fraud and senior losses. Complaints from victims over 60 exceeded 201,000 with losses over $7.7 billion in 2025. FBI/IC3 (fbi.gov).
• Phishing/smishing/vishing definitions and mechanics. Reflects standard FTC and consumer-protection guidance on phishing (fake links, counterfeit websites, credential and payment harvesting, malware). FTC consumer education (consumer.ftc.gov); confirm current wording before recording.
• Reporting spam texts. Forwarding spam texts to 7726 ("SPAM") is a widely available U.S. carrier feature; scam emails can be marked as spam/phishing in most email programs. General consumer guidance (consumer.ftc.gov); confirm before recording.
• Recovery steps — password changes, two-factor authentication, card replacement, identity theft. Standard FTC guidance. consumer.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov.
• Reporting resources mentioned. FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, consumer.ftc.gov, and IdentityTheft.gov. FBI: IC3.gov. AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline (free, non-members welcome).

A blaring alarm fills your screen. A warning that looks like it's from Microsoft or Apple says your computer's been hacked and your information is being stolen — call this number now. It's the tech support scam, and it's consistently one of the top frauds reported by older adults. In this episode, host Mark Sullivan completes the FTC's "three lies" trilogy by dismantling the fake virus alert, the remote-access trap, and the cruel "refund" trick — and teaches you exactly what to do, calmly, when a scary pop-up takes over your screen. Backed by FBI and FTC data.

In this episode: why real tech companies never put a phone number in a pop-up, how a webpage fakes a "virus scan" it can't actually run, the single most dangerous moment (handing over remote access), the "I accidentally refunded you too much — send it back" trick, and a calm, step-by-step plan for getting out of a scary pop-up without losing a thing.

Note: Online Scams — Real Stories of Fraud and How to Identify a Scammer has no partnership, sponsorship, or financial relationship with any organization, website, app, or store mentioned in this episode. Resources are shared purely for listener benefit.

• Tech support scams among top categories for older adults. Tech support scams, along with government impersonation scams, frequently top the list of fraud categories and/or losses affecting older adults; they typically involve unsolicited offers to fix a "problem" with your computer from someone pretending to be from a legitimate software company like Microsoft or Apple. NCOA, "Top Scams Targeting Older Adults" citing FTC/IC3 data (ncoa.org); FTC consumer guidance (consumer.ftc.gov).
• The "three lies" — lie #3. These scams often start with a fake on-screen security alert that looks like it's from Microsoft or Apple, with a number to call, claiming there's a security problem with your computer. FTC press release, "FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase…" (ftc.gov), Aug 2025.
• Older adults more likely to lose money to tech support scams. Older adults were much more likely than younger adults to report losing money on tech support scams. FTC, "Protecting Older Consumers" report (ftc.gov), late 2025.
• Remote access and refund-scam mechanics; how to exit a scam pop-up. Reflects long-standing FTC consumer guidance on tech support scams (never call the number, never give remote access, real companies don't send pop-up alerts with phone numbers, restarting won't harm your computer). FTC consumer education (consumer.ftc.gov); confirm current wording before recording.
• Reporting and recovery resources mentioned. FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, consumer.ftc.gov, and IdentityTheft.gov. FBI: IC3.gov. AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline (free, non-members welcome).