Last month, the Ohio Department of Commerce issued a warning to Ohioans to be on the lookout for imposter scams, or people calling or texting pretending to be someone they are not.

With 47 percent more reports of imposter scams from residents this year, this warning came at an important time. This rise in scams is not being driven by random internet pranks. Instead, it’s coming from organized crime syndicates where trafficked workers are being used to scam Americans by any means necessary.

Whether it’s stolen cryptocurrency, wires, gift cards, retirement accounts, or more, the theft all starts the same way. Scammers form fake relationships with their victims, and over a period of time, they steal as much money as possible. Then, they disappear without a trace before any restitution can b

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