# 60 yr old nurse scammed for nearly $340,000 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839 "2019-11-22T22:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/1 "2019-11-22T22:21:45Z")
A sad story, and this lady’s retirement plans are destroyed. She and her husband will likely have to work for many more years, unless some miracle happens. She shared her story so that others may benefit and not make the same mistake. Article: **Government Impersonations Net Millions for Scammers** – [Government Impersonations Net Millions for Scammers - The Crime Report](https://thecrimereport.org/2019/11/22/government-impersonation-net-millions-for-scammers/) It’s also in the Wall Street Journal, **Robocall Scams Exist Because They Work—One Woman’s Story Shows How** _A caller impersonating an FBI agent persuaded Nina Belis to drain close to $340,000 from her bank accounts_ [Robocall Scams Exist Because They Work—One Woman’s Story Shows How - WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/robocall-scams-exist-because-they-workone-womans-story-shows-how-11574351204) (subscription required) How can people be so gullible? And yet at times I can be very gullible. I hope this never happens. Damned scammers. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/2 "2019-11-22T23:28:00Z")
There oughta be a law! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/3 "2019-11-23T01:29:20Z")
Can someone please summarize the scam? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/4 "2019-11-23T01:33:31Z")
The scammer called this woman and claimed to be from the FBI. He told her that her identity and social security number had been compromised, and that the FBI would deal with the issue, but that she needed to immediately move all money out of her accounts to protect it from the identity thieves. He said that if she didn’t cooperate with the FBI she would be arrested. He kept her on the phone for many hours, told her that she couldn’t tell anyone about the scam, including her family, and gave her stories to tell her bank if they got suspicious or asked why she was moving large sums of money. He provided her with accounts to transfer the money to, some of which were in Panama. Over the course of two weeks, she transferred all of her savings and retirement money to the scammer’s accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/5 "2019-11-24T01:45:41Z")
Hell is too good for those people. How do they live with themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/6 "2019-11-24T02:43:27Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Hell is too good for those people. How do they live with themselves? Quite well, I’m assuming. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/7 "2019-11-24T13:28:06Z")
Good news, a Nigerian scammer is under [investigation](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50480495) for pulling off a $1M scam. So, he’s going to jail, right? No. He’s _already_ in jail. One million smackaroos … from jail. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/8 "2019-11-24T13:30:29Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Good news, a Nigerian scammer is under [investigation](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50480495) for pulling off a $1M scam. > > So, he’s going to jail, right? No. He’s _already_ in jail. > > One million smackaroos … from jail. Wow. That takes real talent. Imagine if that same talent and ingenuity were directed toward some effort that does GOOD in the world. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/9 "2019-11-24T14:25:09Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > The scammer called this woman and claimed to be from the FBI. He told her that her identity and social security number had been compromised, and that the FBI would deal with the issue, but that she needed to immediately move all money out of her accounts to protect it from the identity thieves. He said that if she didn’t cooperate with the FBI she would be arrested. He kept her on the phone for many hours, told her that she couldn’t tell anyone about the scam, including her family, and gave her stories to tell her bank if they got suspicious or asked why she was moving large sums of money. He provided her with accounts to transfer the money to, some of which were in Panama. Over the course of two weeks, she transferred all of her savings and retirement money to the scammer’s accounts. We’ve been getting these. Our social security number is compromised and we must call back RIGHT NOW to avoid legal action. I’m sorry she fell for this, but 60, quite frankly, isn’t that old. She should have known better. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/10 "2019-11-24T15:35:22Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Hell is too good for those people. How do they live with themselves? They do feel bad. At least sometimes. They just don’t feel like they have another way to make money. Even worse than the SSN fear based scam, or the Exiled Prince Needs Help Money Laundering scam (which is a variant of the much older Spanish Prisoner scam), is the current trend of posing as a (real) US soldier using their FB photos and profile info to sweet talk lonely women into a trusting relationship before money is ever requested, in small and then in larger amounts… > **[Facebook Connected Her to a Tattooed Soldier in Iraq. Or So She Thought....](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/technology/facebook-military-scam.html)** > > Renee Holland sent her Facebook friend thousands of dollars. She became entwined in a global fraud that the social network and the United States military appear helpless to stop. “Definitely there is always conscience,” said Akinola Bolaji, 35, who has conned people online since he was 15, including by posing on Facebook as an American fisherman named Robert. “But poverty will not make you feel the pain.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/11 "2019-11-24T15:36:51Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > We’ve been getting these. Our social security number is compromised and we must call back RIGHT NOW to avoid legal action. > > I’m sorry she fell for this, but 60, quite frankly, isn’t that old. She should have known better. Yeah, 60 today is not like being 60 20 years ago. People are better informed, or should be. 20 years ago my 60 year old sister was scammed by the “Hi, grandma, it’s me and I’m in trouble” routine. She ended up sending a Western Union money order for $2500. I was always sending her links to Snopes whenever she posted chain letter bullshit on FB. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/60-yr-old-nurse-scammed-for-nearly-340-000/843839/12 "2019-11-24T16:37:54Z")
I’m assuming the scammer in the OP spoke English like a native? If not, I’m pretty amazed that the victim fell for it. A person with a strong foreign accent could become an FBI agent, but I’d find it hard to believe they could have broken English, as do most of the phone scammers I encounter.