Meet the Fraudettes: Fighting Fraud One Zoom at a Time

By Nancy Fraley, AARP Wyoming Volunteer

Hello! My name is Nancy Fraley, and I’m proud to be an AARP Wyoming volunteer—and now, a Fraudette! The Fraudettes are a newly formed group of volunteers dedicated to uncovering and discussing scams and frauds that are making headlines across the country. Our goal is simple: help folks avoid getting caught up in a scam before any money is lost or personal information is compromised.

There are three of us—Tracy Swaim, BJ Jibben, and myself—and we’re excited to bring you our new monthly zoom-meets-facebook-live series. Each month, we dive into recent scam stories, pick one or two that we think folks need to know more about, and talk through them in plain language with practical advice.

Our first event aired on March 20. We discussed two topics: romance scams and a sophisticated phishing attack on the Laramie County Library. If you missed it you can check it out at aarp.org/wyondemand under other workshops and lectures.

In the library case, a staff member received what appeared to be a legitimate email from someone they knew—complete with an expected attachment. Unfortunately, the sender’s account had been compromised, and by opening the email and entering login credentials, the attackers gained access to the library’s network.

From there, the criminals attempted to move laterally through the system—trying to access public and staff computers, file servers, and even backup infrastructure. They ultimately encrypted the library’s virtual servers and left behind a ransom note demanding payment to restore access.

Here’s the good news: no money was paid, no data was lost, and no patron information was compromised. Thanks to an off-site, immutable backup and quick response from the IT team, the library was able to fully restore its systems without ever engaging with the scammers. The attack was reported to the FBI and county cybersecurity partners, and stronger protections are now in place to help prevent future incidents.

The second topic, romance scams, highlighted just how emotionally manipulative fraudsters can be. These scams often involve building trust over time, only to ask for money once a relationship has been established. Our advice? Be cautious when someone you meet online starts asking for money—or pulls at your heartstrings with a too-good-to-be-true story.

🎧 Want to stay a step ahead of the scammers? Tune in to the Fraudettes podcast on the third Thursday of every month at 4:30 PM Mountain Time. You can register at aarp.org/wyevents keyword Fraudettes

Our next episode will air on April 18. We’d love for you to listen and share it with friends or family who could use a fraud-fighting tip or two.

Got a scam to report or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at aarpwy@aarp.org