How a Financial Columnist Got Scammed Out of $50,000

[VintageBetter]

The newspapers are writing about this incident. I always feel so upset when I read or hear about these. I have been scammed in my life, but I will not mention the people or agencies that have scammed me lest they sue me for defamation. (It's not defamation if it's a proven fact, FYI.)

How I Got Scammed Out of $50,000

I can mention one auto mechanic I went to for a diagnosis on my old car, why it was behaving strangely. He wanted to sell me a whole new engine for over $2,000. I ignored him. Later discovered it just needed a new thermostat for under $200. I don't recall the name of that mechanic shop, but I sure remember what town he is in.

 

[Brookswood]

I read the article. I would not advise using this person for financial advice. The moment the person on the phone said not to tell anybody else, was a HUGE WARNING SIGN. Really. This is my opinion.

 

[CallMeKate]

I read the article. I would not advise using this person for financial advice. The moment the person on the phone said not to tell anybody else, was a HUGE WARNING SIGN. Really. This is my opinion.

Yep, yep. I was just going to say exactly the same, @Brookswood ... the article was sobering and frightening up to that point (although I'm pretty sure I've heard that Amazon will never call customers)... but as soon as that "you can't tell anyone. Everyone is a suspect" thing came up, the dude's ear would be ringing from me hanging up... loudly. (And then she actually told the guy how many bank accounts she has and how much money's in them??!! Lordy!)

 

[Brookswood]

Yep, yep. I was just going to say exactly the same, @Brookswood ... the article was sobering and frightening up to that point (although I'm pretty sure I've heard that Amazon will never call customers)... but as soon as that "you can't tell anyone. Everyone is a suspect" thing came up, the dude's ear would be ringing from me hanging up... loudly. (And then she actually told the guy how many bank accounts she has and how much money's in them??!! Lordy!)

Amazing. The writer should have let the caller talk to Mr. Buzz. Those of us who remember old land line phones know who Mr. Buzz is.

 

[VintageBetter]

I read the article. I would not advise using this person for financial advice. The moment the person on the phone said not to tell anybody else, was a HUGE WARNING SIGN. Really. This is my opinion.

She admits that she missed all the warning signs. I think she says it was like she was in a fugue state. Read what that is.

Maybe some of you have been blessed enough in life to never be taken in by a very bad person, but I have not been so lucky. PLUS, the more I have read about trauma, especially repeated trauma and what it does to the brain, the more I can see the evidence of trauma battering when people crack and do something uncharacteristic for them.

Our brains are fragile things. They really are. Frontline did a fantastic set of documentaries about CTE and how repeated trauma (TBI) irreversibly messes up the brain. CTE makes people kill themselves sometimes. League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis | FRONTLINE

But emotional trauma messes up the brain too. Yes, Emotional Trauma Can Affect the Brain. This is part of why crimes like DV and sexual assault are crimes - we recognize them as assaults to the SOUL, not just to the body.

Yes, Emotional Trauma Can Affect the Brain
Emotional Traumatic Brain Injury : Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
Brain Damage From Emotional Trauma

All this knowledge of how pain is not always gain is why the younger generations are asking America to make itself into a KINDER society: Less emphasis on killing all opposition and more emphasis on crazy things like housing everyone.

 

[VintageBetter]

Yep, yep. I was just going to say exactly the same, @Brookswood ... the article was sobering and frightening up to that point (although I'm pretty sure I've heard that Amazon will never call customers)... but as soon as that "you can't tell anyone. Everyone is a suspect" thing came up, the dude's ear would be ringing from me hanging up... loudly. (And then she actually told the guy how many bank accounts she has and how much money's in them??!! Lordy!)

Yeah, but you know what? On this very social media site, Seniors here have been answering questions about where you live and what kind of computer system you use. Plus adding your real photo to your profile.

You don't think thieves can track you down with those few bits of information, plus your IP address?

There's also a thread where people can write personal diaries in public! If it's in public, is it really a personal diary?

This site does not make that information mandatory, unlike some other sites. But members still share it as if the Internet is always a safe and wonderful place.

 

[Sunny]

Wow, what a story! Fascinating and horrifying. It could happen to anyone; these scammers are brilliant at what they do. Mentioning her husband and her 2-year-old, and having all those personal details about her family is what probably did her in. They were threatening her and her family.

I guess all we can do is have our "this is suspicious" antenna on alert at all times.