Feds Bust $5M Elder Scam

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August 13, 2025

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In Today’s Brief

  • Smithsonian: Trump directive

  • Alaska: Summit site

  • Ohio: Comeback bid

  • Perplexity: Chrome offer

  • Hall and Oates: Legal resolution

... and more

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The Top Tip

‘Cold-hearted’

Thirteen foreign nationals are accused of scamming hundreds of grandparents out of millions.

  • What happened: Federal prosecutors charged 13 people -- all from the Dominican Republic -- with bilking older people out of a combined $5M. Nine alleged fraudsters are in custody and four are still at large. There are over 400 victims, the Justice Department said.

  • The details: Grandparents in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York received calls claiming their grandkids had either been in an accident or had been arrested. The calls then tricked targets into giving them significant amounts of money for reasons related to the fake incidents.

  • Go deeper: Prosecutors said the “cold-hearted and cruel” scam ring was sophisticated and operated out of call centers in the DR. English speakers were hired to impersonate grandchildren and lawyers. The ring also employed people in the U.S. to collect money from targets in person. Authorities say families should set verification "safe words" to protect older people.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • The White House instructed the Smithsonian to conduct a "comprehensive internal review." The order calls for compliance with President Donald Trump's directive to "celebrate American exceptionalism" ahead of next year's semiquincentennial (More)

  • An Army sergeant faces attempted murder charges for last week's Fort Stewart shooting. Five soldiers were wounded; the accused also faces aggravated assault and domestic violence charges (More)

  • Cops in California recovered $30K worth of stolen Labubus. The trendy Chinese stuffed animals were found at a home in Upland; it is unclear if any arrests or charges have occurred yet (More)

World News

  • President Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson this week. The military installation is on the northern edge of Anchorage; CNN reported Hungary was the runner-up site for the summit (More)

  • Mali's government is apparently alleging an attempted military coup. Dozens of soldiers, including two high-ranking generals, have reportedly been arrested in recent days; the African nation faces myriad crises (More)

  • A Swiss man faces a $110K fine for speeding. He is reportedly a wealthy repeat offender; traffic penalties are based on various factors including income and net worth (More)XXX

Political News

  • Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown will run in 2026, seeking a return to the chamber. Alabama Rep. Barry Moore, a Republican, will run for Senate next year (More | More)

  • Texas Democrats plan to return to the state after Gov. Greg Abbott ended a special legislative session. About a dozen lawmakers fled to prevent a quorum amid a GOP bid to redraw congressional districts (More)

  • President Trump endorsed Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' gubernatorial bid. The Republican will run to replace Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term limited; Chris Carr, the state attorney general, is the other GOP candidate (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher yesterday after inflation was 2.7% YoY in July, beating expectations. The Dow Jones was up almost 500 points (Dow +1.10%, S&P 500 +1.13%, Nasdaq +1.39% | More)

  • AI startup Perplexity offered $34.5B to buy Google Chrome. The Justice Department said the tech giant should divest the web browser last year as a result of an antitrust case (More) 

  • Kodak may go out of business. The 133-year-old photography company said it is currently unable to pay about $500M in upcoming debt obligations (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • Daryl Hall and John Oates privately resolved their legal battle. The former musical duo started litigation in 2023 when Oates tried to sell half their joint venture to Primary Wave Music (More)

  • Actor Daniel Day-Lewis will appear in his first film in eight years. The three-time Academy Award winner co-wrote Anemone with son Ronan Day-Lewis, who directed; the movie will debut this fall at the New York Film Festival (More)

  • America's Cup teams will carry a "guest" crew member in the 2027 competition in Naples. The rule will place celebrities, sponsors and others into the regatta, the world's oldest international sports event (More)