We all know the scammer stories right? Well, I actually had to witness it first hand tonight.

My co-worker's mother-in-law came in Saturday and sent a Walmart money-gram (if you don't know it's similar to Western Union) to Jamaica for $400. No one in her family, including herself, knows anyone there. Nothing is said until she comes back in later that evening and sends $500. So they tell my co-worker about what is going on and later that night she calls the MIL (Mother-in-law) and asks her about it. The MIL says that she can't say anything about it just yet. My co-worker drops it so she doesn't make any waves.

So Monday comes, and she asks her son for $600 because it's a matter of life or death for a friend. And, you guessed it, she comes to Walmart and sends the money to Jamaica again. The associate doing the transaction even says something to her about it possibly being a scam, but the MIL get's upset so the associate finishes the transaction.

So now she is up to $1500. So today, we are told to notify my co-worker if the MIL decides to send any more money. She does. $200 more! By now my co-worker is getting really upset, is contacting the family, and the family can't get a straight answer out of the MIL even though everyone is convinced by now that she is being scammed.

Well, tonight the MIL comes back in saying that the person who it was sent to can't get the money and that the money was sent to the U.S instead of Jamaica. So we are trying to explain to the MIL that it was sent to Jamaica but to put her mind at ease, we will call MoneyGram to verify, that it was definitely sent there. So after verifying some information, the MoneyGram guy tells us that the transactions were flagged as being a scam and that they were not allowing the money to be picked up. So we hand the phone over to the MIL so she can hear firsthand that she was a victim of a scam but that she can at least get the $200 back in a refund.

Now up until this point, I'm feeling really bad for this woman. She's in her late 60's and of course living off of her Social Security. So we give her the refund of the $200. And do you know what she does? After hearing first hand that this whole thing was a scam, she goes ahead and resends the money!

I couldn't believe it. She was so convinced that what she was doing was right, that no one could tell her otherwise. I'm just wondering what it is going to take for it to finally sink in.

Usually clicks when they hear it from a banking institution...outside of that, unfortunately she will end up having to be in debt in order for it too click.

Probably won't help much, but anyway: http://www.moneygram.com/MGI/EN/ConsumerProtection/index.htm?CC=JM&LC=EN

Pretty much an explanation of how not to get scammed using moneygram, pretty basic and I can't find information about a scam involving moneygram and Jamaica.

Thanks for that info Fear. I'm going to print it out and take it to work for my co-worker. The thing is, we can't figure out how she has been contacted because she doesn't have a computer. But one thing her family did say was that she was very big on entering Sweepstakes, so that may have been the scam.

Keep in mind that just because she doesn't have her own computer doesn't mean she doesn't have access to one.

Sounds like she is being secretive, this could be another secret.

alot of sweepstakes are scams

I get what you are saying, but she is the type of person who doesn't really care much for modern technology. She doesn't own a car or a TV, and the only reason she has a phone is because her son got one for her so he could make sure she was alright on a daily basis.

She is really a sweet woman, who I guess is really easy to take advantage of.

This might be what she is intwined with: http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Telemarketing/Outbound/Major/jamaican_bust.htm

Typically you do not get stuff like this in a phone call, and if you get a letter with an offer like this it is a safe bet to take it too your local law enforcement office and have them look at it. Usually the rule of thumb with stuff like this is if you didn't enter you cannot win.

Stupid is as stupid does. If the lady can't figure out that she's being scammed out of her money, then there really IS no helping her.

It's like the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

There are several anti-love scam websites. They offer advice on how to confirm a scammer. They also offer support to those who have been victimized.

This type of thing just breaks my heart when it involves the Elderly/Lonely...


I do know of quite a few who have been scammed in this manner...

PLEASE! DO NOT SEND MONEY to someone that you CANNOT VERIFY through a REALISTIC Mutual Friend! ... NOT someone you have met on the "Net"!

I know some who have lost as much as $5,000, a little at a time to what is probably the same person, using different Usernames...





**PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT meant to reflect on Mingle2... It is in your e-mails and OTHER 'Dating -Sites'...
NOT JUST HERE!!!

This is why I sit at my computer as much as 18 hrs a day, 7 days a week... to help curb this junk...

It does mine too.

But that is why the MoneyGram Associate wanted to speak to the woman himself so she could hear first hand that it was definitely a scam.

So then why on earth, after hearing that, did she resend the money? What kind of hold do these scammers have on these people that possess them to do this after given proof that it's a scam?

I just don't get it.

The Elderly tend to be easy prey for scams because they tend to get lonely, and everyone knows the capabilities of a lonely heart.

I know I've never been scammed, but I can tell you the thousands of dollars I've spent so foolishly, even when I was completely aware of the situation I was in.

also, You'd be surprises at what elderly people are capable of. Don't forget that the library's offers free internet access, as well as free classes on how to use a computer.

there's a sucker born every minute