Woman Loses $29K in Scam After Falling for Fake Government Badge: HOUSTON After receiving a text message with an image of his government badge and speaking with a man claiming to be from the Social Security Administration, a Houston woman claims she lost $29,000.
She now recognizes that the man’s determination to keep her on the phone until the money is transferred should have raised her suspicions.
“I usually don’t answer the phone, but that day, that morning, I did,” indicated Wendy Tran.
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An Amazon representative called her to inform them that her account had been charged multiple times. She considered a man she knew as a potential assistant. The insignia he forwarded to her appeared authentic, bearing the Social Security Administration’s name, photograph, and seal.
“He truly frightened me,” she declared. “He said, ‘They can come get you and put you in jail, take all your money, everything you owe.'”
The man instructed Tran to transfer $29,900 to her bank account. He gave her advice on her demeanor and even helped her justify the money, which was meant for a kitchen renovation.
That occurred in March of last year. Tran subsequently filed a report with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI but requested assistance from KHOU 11 News when she did not receive a response from an investigator.
She is confident that her notes contain valuable information that could aid in apprehending the con artists, particularly because the funds were transferred to a financial institution in New York City. She was relying on that sum of money for her retirement.
“I work hard, you know, for my money and I don’t know why they’re taking from me,” Tran commented.
The sheriff’s office notified KHOU 11 News that they would assign an investigator to look into the Tran case. The Social Security Administration declined to verify whether or not the fraud artists were posing as actual employees. However, a spokesman claimed that con artists frequently employ this strategy.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning this month regarding a comparable fraudulent scheme.
A fraudulent request to transfer your funds to safeguard them originates from an unknown individual. If you suspect that your account is experiencing a genuine issue, please contact your bank. Hang up the phone and independently verify the information by dialing a number you are familiar with.
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