Learn How to Spot and Avoid Scams

The first person had $501,000 stolen in the scheme. The next one was defrauded out of $150,000, and the third lost $129,000.

All three were older New Hampshire residents, targeted by criminals in late 2023 in the “Phantom Hacker” scam, according to Bryan J. Townsend II, senior assistant attorney general with the New Hampshire Department of Justice Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit.

He says the crimes began with a computer pop-up window in which a scammer, posing as “tech support,” told victims their computers had been hacked and their bank accounts were at risk. Then the targeted individuals were passed to supposed government officials, who advised them to convert their money into gold bars and give those to a courier for “safekeeping.”

“The scammers want the funds converted into gold to make it more difficult to trace,” Townsend says. His office issued a consumer alert about the scam in December.

An official from his office will be among those participating in an AARP Scam Jam on Thursday, June 13, in Concord. The event will help participants learn about such schemes and get tips on how to protect themselves.

Overall, New Hampshire consumers reported 8,526 incidents of fraud in 2023, with total losses of $27.5 million, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The keynote speaker at the Scam Jam will be Paul Greenwood, who led the San Diego County District Attorney office’s elder abuse unit for 22 years. AARP Fraud Watch Network’s Liz Buser will moderate a panel that includes officials from the New Hampshire Better Business Bureau and the state insurance department.

Register at events.aarp.org/scamjam2024. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes lunch.

—Stacey Shepard