Scammers are swiping billions from Americans every year. Worse, most crooks are getting away with it

Sophisticated overseas criminals are stealing tens of billions of dollars from Americans every year, a crime wave projected to get worse as the U.S. population ages and technology makes it easier to successfully perpetrate fraud. Kathy Stokes of AARP’s Fraud Watch Network says internet and telephone scams have grown exponentially and relatively few perpetrators are caught. Police in Ohio are still looking for the scammer whose calls to an 81-year-old homeowner set in motion a chain of events that led to the shooting death of an Uber driver. Some say law enforcement and industry need to join forces to fight fraud more quickly and efficiently.