[Zenmama18]

Originally Posted by maggie1

Unfortunately, there are a number of people that fall for these schemes. Not too many weeks ago a lady from The Villages was fleeced $20,000 by someone calling and saying her grandson was in jail and needed this for bail. She withdrew from the bank, and when asked by the teller why she needed such a large amount of cash, she (under the instructions of the con) said she was buying a new car. Instead of calling mom and dad, or the grandson to verify the story, she turned the money over to some guy that came to the house.

Our friend was screwed out of $1200 worth of gift cards over a false Amazon purchase. I can't relate the story in detail, but it was one of those scams where she should have known better, but didn't. Another one that's going around is a recorded call from "Social Security" advising how the person's social security number was being used in a criminal way, and their number was being suspended unless they responded to this phone call and talked with an "investigator" from their office. Social Security doesn't make phone calls, folks, so just hang up. There's a multitude of crooks just waiting to take your money, only these people aren't holding a gun to your head.

I tell them they'll have to talk to my lawyer. If they don't hang up I give them the number of the Fraud Hotline 866-966-7226.