CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 22: One million dollars in $100 dollar bills is displayed at the Money Museum in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago June 22, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1914 the Chicago Fed is one of 12 regional Reserve banks that make up the nation's central bank which helps formulate the nation's monetary policy. Today the central bank said the economy will expand slower than previously thought, marking the second time this year that Fed officials lowered their forecasts for growth. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
A 74-year-old elderly woman living in the Chicago Suburbs of North Aurora was scammed out of $230,000 by a man known as “Andrew Hall” after receiving a call that she was being charged for crimes that she didn’t commit, CBS News reports.
Hall told Henriette Schmuhl that drug trafficking and money laundering were her charges. Hall also instructed her to deposit money into an unknown account to clear her name.
In May, the grandmother received a call from Hall, stating he worked for Homeland Security. Hall also gave her a badge number and a case number. He even told her that if she didn’t believe him, the retiree could contact the police department but have a lawyer with her.
I want to let you know there is a warrant out for your arrest. What?! I’ve never done anything.
I was so afraid. I was so afraid and lying.
Schmuhl made withdrawals for as much as $150,000 at a time. She would also go back and withdraw $30,000 at a time.
The fake federal agent also said they had to “move” her money before “changing her social security number.”
I’m saving you. I’m helping you out, Hall stated.
The older adult would even spend up to $17,000 on gift cards if she had issues converting her funds to bitcoin. After $230,000 later, someone disconnected Hall’s phone, and she never heard from him again.
Once the family notified authorities, they traced the call back to Malta, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Now, Schuml has created a GoFundMe to get her life back on track.
Roomies, do you know anyone who has been a victim of scams?
