An Augusta County couple was bilked out of $15,000 this month by sophisticated scammers who claimed they had won a clearinghouse sweepstakes drawing.
It all started with a phone call, when the scammers, who are likely based in the Philippines, told the Fishersville couple that they had won $500,000.
What they thought was one of the best moments of their life led to a turn of events that drained their savings all in an attempt to claim the fictitious jackpot.
The woman, 80, who spoke to AFP this week, asked us not to use her real name. She conveyed that she is embarrassed and feels “absolutely stupid.”
Like many other people who have been duped by professional con-artists, the scams are usually very convincing with repeated demands for money – until nothing is left.
Her husband had entered contests for years, and she thought his persistent efforts had finally paid off.
“We were in shock, and I didn’t believe it, but yet I thought, well, after all these years, he’s finally hit the jackpot.”
The caller, who used the name Odessa Blaine, claimed to be based in Pittsburgh, though she had an unusual accent. Odessa claimed to work for a law firm, Erickson and Blaine, who would reportedly facilitate the consumer clearinghouse jackpot funds for the couple.
The scammer, sensing her doubt, gave her a phone number to a fictional Federal Trade and Gaming Commission, where a co-conspirator confirmed the law firm was legitimate and that the clearinghouse jackpot was genuine.
“I was very skeptical, and that’s why she would keep giving me these phone numbers to call to verify things.”
In the end, the final straw was the so-called lawyer demanded she take out a loan to pay a $20,000 fee to complete the transaction. She was told the funds were stuck at the Richmond airport, and the airport had confiscated the envelope the money was in from the couriers.
By getting a loan and paying an additional $20,000, the envelope with the jackpot funds would be released, the scammers told her.
Ten days, multiple requests for money
The entire ordeal lasted 10 days and cost the couple $15,000, that against their best judgement, they sent through Moneygram, Western Union and Bitcoin.
“It started off with a request for $1,000, and it was going to the Philippines to a company that was helping with the transaction,” she said. “I didn’t understand it all, but I sent it by Western Union.
“After that, there was another $1,000 that they asked for to process something else.”
Later, they asked for an additional $2,000. And then, as the schemes go, even more.
“This is the part that I’m almost embarrassed to say, and I’ll regret until my dying day, I took $12,750 out of my account at the bank. She [the scammer] told me to go to a Bitcoin machine and buy Bitcoin so that’s what I did. Is that stupid or what?”
When she made the large withdrawal from the bank, she said the teller asked her what it was for, perhaps in an effort to protect her from an elder fraud scheme. However, she told the bank that it was to help a family member. She took the funds and purchased the Bitcoin at a convenience store in Staunton.
It was after she sent this large sum that the scammers asked for even more. This time, $20,000. When she told them she didn’t have any more money, they suggested she get a loan.
She knew at that moment that they hadn’t won a jackpot after all, and that their life savings was likely gone.
The realization that it was a scam
She confronted Odessa and said she knew it was all a scam, and the demands for money stopped. The 610-area-code number she had for Odessa now returned a busy signal if she dialed it.
The couple went back to the bank and told them they had been scammed, but the bank couldn’t return the money, she said, because they took it out willfully.
“Nobody stole it,” she said. “I took it out, and they can’t pay my money back.”
She reached out to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI and CIA. Someone from Adult Protective Services visited the couple at their home this week and said the information they collected about the scammers would be relayed to the FBI and state attorney general’s office.
In the end, she knows it is highly unlikely they will ever see the money again. She’s thankful that they receive Social Security and pensions and will get through this, but she also worries about others who may not be so fortunate that might be a victim of a similar scam.
“I’m trying to put it in perspective,” she said. “I don’t want to make this out to be something as serious as death or cancer, and I don’t want people to think the money is the only thing I’m concerned about. My losing $15,000 means nothing compared to what other people are going through right now.
“I’ve got to put it behind me and move forward.”
Telling her story to make others more cautious if they get a similar phone call is one positive thing she thinks can come from this.
“We had a little bit of a buffer to get us through if we needed it,” she said, “but now we’re down to almost nothing.
“We’re going to be fine. I just feel so bad it happened. I just want people to be aware. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Go straight to the Federal Trade Commission.”
ASCO: ‘You should never have to give money in order to receive money’
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office said the couple isn’t alone in their misfortune. While there haven’t been a ton of cases like this reported to them, they have met with numerous victims over the years.
“I would encourage people that if it sounds too good to be true, then it’s a scam,” said Lt. Leslie Snyder, an administrative lieutenant with ASCO. “You should never have to give money in order to receive money.”
Snyder recommends not giving out any personal information to anyone over the phone or email.
“If you get a call or email from someone that is trying to get information from you or make you give them money, hang the phone up or delete the email,” Snyder said.
Falling for a scam can be a source of embarrassment for older Americans and many victims do not report the crime out of shame or fear. The FBI said some elderly victims are afraid if they report the loss, their relatives may lose confidence in their abilities to manage their own affairs.
Sweepstakes and prize scams often include multiple requests for money from the fraudsters, with scams sometimes lasting months or years.
It is estimated that seniors lose approximately $3 billion to scammers every year.
The victim in this case said they’ve learned their lesson.
She said that she was on a phone call with Experian this week, and when they asked her for $1 to complete a transaction, she said no way and hung up.
“These people are very good. They are excellent … just unbelievable. These people have probably already moved on to their next victim. They’re enjoying our money.”
FBI: Tips to protect yourself or a loved one from scammers
Millions of elderly Americans fall victim to a financial fraud or confidence scheme each year including romance, lottery and sweepstakes scams, according to the FBI.
Criminals work to gain trust and communicate regularly with their victims. Seniors are often targeted because they are perceived as trusting and polite.
- Search online for the contact information and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action.
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings and door-to-door services offers.
- Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
- Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
- Disconnect from the internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on one.
- Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
- Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.
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Crystal Graham
