How to Protect Yourself From Rising Financial Fraud, According to an Expert – Kiplinger

Two in five adults experienced some kind of financial fraud or scam during the past year, a 34% increase over the same period a year earlier, a new Bankrate survey found. What’s driving this increase?

Financial scams are becoming more common because of the many different touch points you can have with scammers and the rapid proliferation of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence.

Sarah Foster, a U.S. economic analyst at Bankrate to dive into how fraudsters could be targeting your finances, and what you can do about it.

CLICK HERE to read the FULL How to Protect Yourself From Rising Financial Fraud, According to an Expert – Kiplinger article.

THE TD BANK INSIDER “BRIBE-FOR-DATA” SCHEME (USA)

Date: February 17, 2026 Perpetrator: Edward Low (Former Bank Employee)

Case Description: In a high-profile case of “Insider Threat,” Edward Low, a former employee of TD Bank in New York, pleaded guilty in a New Jersey federal court to accepting bribes in exchange for confidential customer data. Between 2021 and 2022, Low leveraged his internal access to harvest the personal details of high-balance account holders. He then sold this “hot data” to external fraud syndicates for as little as $26,700 in personal kickbacks.

The external fraudsters used the information Low provided to conduct “Account Takeovers” (ATO), creating fraudulent checks and falsifying bank records to drain over $500,000 from unsuspecting customers. Low even went as far as helping co-conspirators open shell company accounts at a second financial institution where he was later employed. He now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. This case has sent shockwaves through the global banking sector, highlighting that even the most robust external firewalls cannot protect against a “rogue insider” with administrative credentials.

Link to Original: US Dept of Justice – TD Bank Insider Plea