It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Monday April 13, 2026.
Who can resist a call for help from a son, a mother or a friend? Don’t be tricked! It could be a scam.
More cyber scams are targeting seniors. It’s getting harder to recognize them as scams. And it’s important to make sure the request is real before sending funds.
Jesse Jones notes that Alaska’s isolation provides unique opportunities for scammers. He works for Infragard. It’s a 30-year national partnership between the FBI and private-sector professionals to combat scams.
Improved internet access has exposed rural populations to global cyber threats. This shift has made awareness and cooperation among professionals and residents vital.
Bitcoin kiosks make scamming easy. These machines make cryptocurrency accessible. Scammers use them to exploit victims. The scammers phone the victims. They pose as banks, law enforcement, or loved ones. The scammers instruct victims to withdraw cash from their banks and deposit it into a bitcoin ATM for safekeeping. It’s too easy.
Bitcoin kiosks are beside ATMs in many places.
The money is transferred to criminals. It’s often impossible to recover. At some bitcoin kiosks most transactions are fraud. This raises the need to regulate them better.
These scams have grown rapidly.
Psychological manipulation is often at play. Victims can be so convinced by scammers that they continue the transaction even when bystanders or police intervene. The scammer may remain on the phone to coach the victim. The transaction continues.
Jones explains that artificial intelligence is making scams more convincing. Criminals now use AI to generate emails without the spelling and grammar errors. These used to be the red flags.
More troubling, scammers can clone voices using audio from social media. They impersonate family members in distress. These calls rely on emotional pressure and urgency. Claims of accidents or legal troubles push victims to act without verification.
Jones says awareness is the key defense. Be cautious of an urgent request involving money or personal information. Hang up and call a trusted number to verify the request. This is critical.
Caller ID is not enough. Jones notes that phone numbers can be spoofed. Jones encourages families to establish code words to confirm identities during emergencies.
It’s not just seniors anymore. Scammers are targeting younger individuals. Reports show increased cybercrime affecting minors. These include coercion and extortion schemes.
In 2025, thousands of cases involving youth resulted in millions of dollars in losses.
Cybercrime continues to grow despite rising awareness and reporting. Jones stresses the importance of community conversations. Share knowledge with friends, family, and neighbors to prevent others from becoming victims.
Scams are likely to become more sophisticated. They can combine multiple tactics such as romance and investment fraud. Efforts to combat them include AI tools for detection and FBI programs that identify and warn victims in real time.
Jones emphasizes that while technology increases risk, strong local relationships—like those in Alaskan communities—can be a powerful defense. Face-to-face verification and trusted connections remain the safest way to avoid becoming a victim.
The full interview with Jones aired last week on Valley Edition. Find it on bigcabbageradio.org under Valley Edition in Podcasts.
Summit Stories: Lessons Learned from over a decade of All-Women Ski Mountaineering Expeditions in Remote Alaska with Mary Gianotti is at the Mat-Su Health Foundation on Crusey Street in Wasilla tonight. Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts at 7. No registration is required and the event is free.
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This Page Two article was reported by Mike Chmielewski and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday April 13, 2026.
(image from infragard.fbi.gov)