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  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 4, 2024 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , hostage, ,   

    Elderly Scam Victim Held Hostage by Deceit 

    Elderly Scam Victim Held Hostage by Deceit

    By Greg Collier

    In the quiet town of Covington, Louisiana, a routine welfare check by a St. Tammany Parish deputy revealed the terrifying reality of modern scams. For six hours, a 74-year-old woman found herself at the mercy of scammers who manipulated her into draining her bank account and held her as an emotional hostage, threatening her security.

    It all began when the woman, concerned about a potential fraudulent charge, contacted what she believed was a legitimate Apple Security number she found online. The call connected her to scammers who claimed that someone was attempting to purchase a $12,000 gold bar using her bank account. They offered to help prevent the transaction—but only if she followed their instructions.

    From that moment, the scammers took control of her day and life. They directed her to withdraw nearly $11,000 from her bank account and purchase gift cards, which were quickly cashed out by the criminals. To tighten their grip, they had her click on a link that allowed them to remotely access her phone, enabling them to monitor her every move. They could see, hear, and control everything, effectively cutting her off from any communication with her family. Any attempt to reach out, they warned, would endanger her loved ones.

    As the woman drove around, terrified and confused, the scammers continued to issue commands. She was directed to deposit more money into a Bitcoin machine at a gas station, despite being low on fuel, hungry, and without her medication. It was only the intervention of a concerned employee at the Bitcoin machine that finally raised the alarm. Sensing something was wrong, the employee questioned why she was trying to deposit money, and the woman began to realize the depth of the deception.

    When the deputy arrived for the welfare check, he found a woman on the brink, physically and emotionally drained. She recounted her ordeal, and the deputy quickly understood the gravity of the situation. His timely intervention saved her from losing even more than the nearly $11,000 she had already handed over to the scammers.

    The parish has seen an alarming rise in scams targeting local residents. These scams are sophisticated, often using the names of real officials to add legitimacy to their lies. The criminals exploit fear and urgency, convincing victims that they owe money for things like missed jury duty or that their bank accounts are under threat. Even those familiar with such tactics are not immune to these predatory practices.

    Unfortunately, these scams are difficult to trace and prosecute, especially when the perpetrators operate from other countries. They use fake phone numbers that appear as official government agencies on caller IDs, making it nearly impossible for victims to discern the truth.

    This woman’s story is a stark reminder that anyone can fall victim to these scams, regardless of age or experience. The emotional toll of such an encounter is profound, often leaving victims not only financially depleted but also deeply embarrassed. However, speaking out about these experiences serves as a vital warning to others.

    It’s crucial to remember that no legitimate government agency will ever ask for money over the phone. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately and verify the information through official channels. Awareness and education are the first lines of defense against criminals who prey on the vulnerable.

     
  • Geebo 9:00 am on November 18, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , hostage, , , ,   

    What is the Instagram hostage scam? 

    What is the Instagram hostage scam?

    By Greg Collier

    If you’re a regular reader of our blog, when you hear the words ‘hostage scam’ you may think it has something to do with the virtual kidnapping scam. Or since Instagram is involved, you might think it has something to do with your Instagram account being held hostage by scammers for money. However, it’s really an investment scam that forces its victims to help perpetuate the scam.

    While scrolling through Instagram, you may have come across posts of people claiming they’ve made a lot of money investing in cryptocurrency. If you have, you may have seen a victim from one of these scams. The scam usually starts when an Instagram user sees one of their friends make a post like this. The victim is directed to another Instagram user who can help them have the same financial success in investing.

    In one instance, a woman from Indiana was told by a so-called cryptocurrency expert, if she invested $500, she could multiply that investment. She sent the man $500 and later was told her investment ballooned to $5000. When she tried to get her money, the story took an ominous turn.

    The victim was told that if she wanted her money, she would first need to make a video where she has to say she made money through this investment scheme. This is where the hostage aspect of the scam comes in. Her money was being held hostage until she made the video. She did make such a video, but never received any money and was out her $500. But the story doesn’t end there.

    The video she made was shared by the scammers all over social media. This allowed the scammers to make their scheme appear legitimate, and they were able to lure in more victims. This led to the woman being harassed by other victims of the scam, thinking she was the scammer.

    Social media is not really a place where you should be taking investment advice. Considering how much misinformation is already shared on social media without verification, would you really trust investment plans from there?

    Unless you are already savvy about the ins and outs of cryptocurrency, it really should be avoided as an investment, as a recent crypto crash demonstrates. And as always, no investment is ever guaranteed a return. You should only ever invest money that you can afford to live without. There are no magical get-rich-quick investments.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: hostage, , , ,   

    The hurricane hostage scam 

    The hurricane hostage scam

    By Greg Collier

    Whenever there is a hurricane or other natural disaster in the country, we typically warn our readers about the usual scams. For example, we warn our readers that if they ever experience damage to your home from a natural disaster, be wary of contractors who drive up to your home offering to make repairs. Often these contractors are unlicensed and are looking to make a quick buck with shoddy work. We also tell our readers to be wary of unsolicited calls from FEMA or insurance companies. They could be scammers looking to get your financial or personal information. Our readers from outside the disaster area also get warned to be aware of fake charities claiming to be collecting for the victims, as they could be scams as well. For the first time, we now have to warn our readers about scammers who claim to have found a family member in the storms.

    A retiree from Florida did not evacuate her home in the days leading up to Hurricane Ian making landfall. She had survived many previous hurricanes in her home, and the hurricane was predicted to miss her area. The predictions were incorrect. The retiree was on the phone with her daughter during the hurricane while showing her daughter video of the flooding taking place in the home.

    The call then went silent. The daughter, who also lives in Florida, called everyone she could think of to try to assist her mother. She called 911, the Coast Guard, and people she knew in the area her mom lived in. As a last resort, she took to social media, hoping someone could help her find her mother. She received a text from someone who claimed to have found her mother. However, the text sender said that the daughter needed to send close to $600 first to cover the cost of a hotel. The daughter knew something was suspect about the text and asked the person for her mother’s middle name. The person didn’t know it and stopped communication.

    Thankfully, some of the people in the area were able to find the retiree, who was relatively unharmed.

    If this scam sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s the same scam that targets the owner’s of lost pets. It’s disturbing to think that there are people out there who are just waiting for someone to ask about a missing loved one in a hurricane, so they can try to scam them.

    The daughter handled the scammer about as perfectly as anyone could. She asked a question that only her mother would know. When confronted with that kind of questioning, scammers usually disappear.

     
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