Just when you think scam victims can't get any lower, you find they've sunken so far that they have to reach up to touch bottom. Such is case with my father, who is now laundering money for the scum who cleaned him out. It's official: My dad is a Money Mule.
Can I get a hee-haw?
His new role was exposed recently when I visited my mother on a rare day off. As luck would have it, I was present to sign for a suspicious Express Mail envelope addressed to my dad, who was gone at the time. I immediately excused myself and took the parcel straight to the nearest postal inspector.
My suspicions were confirmed when the agent opened the envelope and found cash, which to no one's surprise came from another scam victim.
Outraged by my interference, my father insisted that I give the money back on the grounds that it was rightfully his. Why? Because the crooks promised him that if he did them this one last favor (receive funds from other dupes and wire them to Jamaica), they would deliver the package containing his winnings. Never mind that similar commitments were made and always broken. Never mind that the dough wasn't his, that its rightful owner was a single mother running a day care center out of her home.
By my math that makes over 130 "last favors" my dad has done for the fraudsters, and one would think such generosity would have been reciprocated by now. It hasn't, of course, because altruism is one of many weaknesses exploited by the vermin running this game.
As for the cash: The USPS returned it to its rightful owner and put my father on a Mail Watch. Word has it that other envelopes were intercepted, and their contents returned to the sender.
Score one for the cat, who awaits the mouse's next move.
I have been dealing with this same thing for over a year now with my elderly mother. Nothing I say or do seems to get through to her because every month she is sure her winnings are comming. Now the latest thing is they are asking her to send two pictures of herself- one standing and one sitting(because she "won" two sweepstakes instead of one!). This worries me because I am not sure why they really want pics. Unless it is to send to other victims as part of their scam. I am getting a headache even as I write this.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am saddened to hear that your mother has become embroiled in this scam.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I think your take on the crooks' request for photos is spot-on. Though it is unlikely they will ever be used, by simply asking for the pictures they are perpetuating the illusion that your mom is a "winner."
Since your mother has been involved with this scheme for over a year and will not listen to reason, you must seriously consider taking legal action for her own protection. Specifically, hiring an attorney who specializes in Elder law, and petitioning the court to hire conservator to oversee her financial affairs. Your mom's inability to see through this charade is clear evidence that she is mentally impaired and in need of a guardian.
Thanks for posting, and keep fighting.