CINCINNATI — Cincinnati resident Dan Bates knows first-hand the consequences of becoming of a victim of fraud.
“Next thing I know, I’m getting threatening text messages on my cell phone, and what scared me is that it was a local number. How close are they and who are they?” Bates said.
It happened after Bates said he was trying to buy something on Facebook Marketplace. Before he knew it, a hacker gained control of his account and found his phone number. Bates reached out to law enforcement immediately.
“Contacting the police right away, who know how to handle situations like this, gave me a great level of comfort,” Bates said.
Fraud cases, particularly financial scams and imposter…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.