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Shop NowA phone fraudster from Jamaica who made his living duping and threatening senior couples was caught just recently after targeting the WRONG victims, KSAZ-TV reported. William and Lynda Webster aren’t your normal senior couple. William was a long-time public official who previously functioned as the director of both the CIA and FBI. He’s the only individual ever to have actually held both positions. (Could they have picked a worse mark? Ooops.)
When a phone fraudster called him and his partner making outrageous claims– and later on, threats– the Websters understood their rights and how to secure themselves.
They put together evidence against the fraudster and notified federal authorities, who tracked the caller to Jamaica. Later on, when the fraudster foolhardily came into the U.S. on a trip, agents were there to apprehend him. Now, the Websters hope their story will assist others to stop fraudsters, too.
In an interview with the local news outlet, Lynda Webster recounted, “A scammer identified himself as David and called back repeatedly and told my husband he had won $72 million in a scam.”
In reaction, she flatly declined to send out any cash and cautioned the fraudster never ever to recall. Rather than taking her guidance, the fraudster supposedly continued. He even began to make violent threats against her and her husband.
“He said he would kill me, kill my husband, he was going to burn our house down and that our white brick house would look lovely with the brains of my head on the wall,” Lynda recalled.
Thankfully, William said, “we had a lot of cooperation from the FBI, so that made things easier.” It’s also not every day that a scammer goes to such lengths as to make death threats.
The couple is now intending to raise awareness about the occurrence of monetary scams plans targeting senior Americans. It’s a growing number. According to the FBI’s newest Elder Fraud Report, in 2021, more than 92,000 victims were targeted, for total losses of around $1.7 billion.
That latter number is up a massive 74% from 2020.
Lynda included that everybody can participate in assisting to prevent such outright scams from taking place.
“You don’t want to spy on Mom and Dad and Grandpa, but you kind of have to. You have to listen to the other end of the phone, peek at the mail and the checkbook occasionally,” she told the outlet.
The FBI notes that elderly victims of fraud can report financial fraud by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
H/T The Blaze
