🔥 How Baltimore County residents and their loved ones can spot and avoid online scammers.

EDITORS NOTE: Our goal for this article is to create awareness for these types of scams, helping them know what to look for to be able to avoid them in the future. Please share this article with your loved ones, especially senior citizens who are some of the prime targets of these scams. Also if you or a family member has been scammed in this fashion we’d like to hear from by emailing us at [email protected]

Imagine answering a phone call from someone claiming to be your bank. The caller ID displays your bank's name. The person on the other end knows personal information about you, sounds professional, and warns that someone is trying to steal your money.

Naturally, you want to protect your account.

But what if the person offering to help is actually the one trying to rob you?

It's happening to Americans every day, and the financial consequences are staggering.

According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported losing nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crime last year, generating more than one million complaints. That's the equivalent of approximately $57 million stolen every single day.

And some of the most devastating losses involve older Americans. People age 60 and above reported losing more than $7.7 billion in 2025, with an average reported loss exceeding $38,000.

This isn't just a problem happening somewhere else.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Maryland ranked fifth nationally for fraud reports per capita in 2024, with consumers reporting approximately $199 million in fraud losses.

While comprehensive Baltimore County-specific victim totals are not readily available, Towson residents face the same sophisticated scams targeting people throughout Maryland.

For local families, these losses can mean more than an empty bank account. They can mean a retirement postponed, a college fund wiped out, or a parent losing the savings they spent decades building.

And here's what makes the problem particularly troubling: the people behind these scams aren't necessarily amateurs working alone. Many operate within sophisticated international criminal networks that have turned stealing from Americans into a highly organized business.

On October 12, cybersecurity investigator and YouTube personality Pierogi appeared on The Shawn Ryan Show to provide a fascinating, and sometimes frightening, look inside the world of international financial fraud.

Pierogi is the creator of Scammer Payback, a popular YouTube channel dedicated to exposing scam operations, disrupting criminal networks, and helping victims before their money disappears.

Perogi’s work has attracted millions of followers, but the mission goes far beyond entertaining viewers.

In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against 28 alleged members of a multinational fraud operation accused of stealing approximately $65 million from thousands of older Americans. Federal prosecutors specifically credited evidence documented by Pierogi's team with helping investigators identify three defendants.

It's an extraordinary example of how independent investigators can help law enforcement combat international fraud.

One of the most revealing aspects of Pierogi's conversation with Shawn Ryan is just how sophisticated these criminal operations have become.

Forget the stereotypical scam email filled with spelling mistakes and promises of a mysterious inheritance.

Today's scammers can operate out of organized call centers, use technology to disguise their identities, and follow carefully developed scripts designed to manipulate victims.

Some operations employ large teams of workers who specialize in different parts of the fraud process.

One person makes the initial contact. Another gains the victim's trust. A third convinces the victim to transfer money. Others coordinate the movement of stolen funds.

It's a coordinated operation with one goal: separate people from their money.

Pierogi describes how scammers use fake technical-support warnings, impersonated bank representatives, malicious documents, and remote-access software to gain control of victims' computers and financial information.

And increasingly, artificial intelligence is making these deceptions even more convincing.

Consider a situation that could happen to virtually anyone in Towson.

You receive a call that appears to come from your bank. The caller says your account has been compromised and that you must immediately transfer your money to a secure account.

The caller might already know your name, address, or other personal details.

They may even use technology to make the caller ID appear legitimate.

But the emergency is fabricated.

The so-called secure account belongs to the criminals.

Once the money is transferred, recovering it can be extremely difficult.

In fact, during Pierogi's appearance, Shawn Ryan described how a member of his own staff had reportedly lost her life savings after scammers impersonated her bank.

It's a powerful reminder that these criminals don't exclusively target people who are unfamiliar with technology. Anyone can be vulnerable when a scam is convincing enough.

Perhaps the most concerning development is the increasing availability of AI-powered tools.

Scammers can use artificial intelligence to write convincing messages, imitate voices, create realistic images, and build fake identities.

Imagine receiving a frantic phone call that sounds exactly like your son or daughter, claiming they've been arrested or involved in an accident and desperately need money.

Or receiving a video message from someone who appears to be a legitimate financial professional.

Technology that once required significant technical expertise is becoming easier for criminals to access.

For families in Towson, this creates a new challenge: we can no longer assume that a familiar voice, recognizable face, or official-looking message is authentic.

The good news is that understanding how these scams work can dramatically improve your ability to recognize them.

Here are seven practical steps worth sharing with your family:

There's something particularly compelling about watching scammers encounter someone who understands their technology better than they do.

Pierogi's investigations can be entertaining, but the underlying mission is serious.

Every scam interrupted potentially represents someone's retirement savings preserved, a family's financial security protected, or an older adult spared an emotionally devastating experience.

His team reports having prevented tens of millions of dollars in attempted theft during 2026 alone.

And his work illustrates an important truth: education is one of our most effective defenses against financial fraud.

The more people understand how these operations work, the harder it becomes for scammers to succeed.

The October 12 episode of The Shawn Ryan Show featuring Pierogi offers a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at an industry that profits from fear, deception, and misplaced trust.

It's particularly worthwhile viewing for anyone with aging parents, college-age children, or family members who regularly conduct financial transactions online.

Here at The Towson Torch, we believe that looking out for our neighbors means sharing information that can make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Sometimes that means celebrating a local business, highlighting a community success story, or introducing you to someone doing something extraordinary.

And sometimes it means helping ensure that a Towson family doesn't lose everything to a criminal on the other side of the world.

Watch the interview:
Pierogi — Shawn Ryan and Scammer Payback Troll Scammers LIVE | SRS #347

Learn more: Scammer Payback

The bottom line: If you take one thing away from this article, make it this: When someone unexpectedly contacts you and asks for money, access to your accounts, or personal financial information, stop and verify who you're dealing with.

That simple decision could save you, or someone you love, thousands of dollars.