Oct 9, 2024
Lois, an 83-year-old woman living in East Bay, California, was home one Friday night when she got the call no grandmother should get from someone claiming to be her grandson.
Through tears, her alleged grandson told her he'd been driving while intoxicated. He went the wrong way down a one-way street, hit a car and was arrested. He begged her not to tell anyone, even family. Lois, who asked her last name not be used, agreed to help with bail.
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"He said the court has devised a way for people to pay for bail because a check takes too long. We have an account with Coinstar," she told reporters at ABC 7.
Thinking she was helping her distraught grandson, Lois went to her local store and fed $100 bills into the Coinstar machine. Following instructions from the man on the phone, she sent the money to a crypto account.
Scams rely on emotional manipulation
The next day, Lois received another call. According to her grandson, the prosecutor had added more charges after the woman he hit had a miscarriage, and he needed another $15,000. Lois went back to the Coinstar machine, fed even more $100 bills in, and sent them to the crypto account. Then another call came, asking for help with attorney fees and court costs.
"What I was to do then just say, 'Oh, I'm going to abandon him.' I couldn't do that," Lois told reporters.
Despite several on-screen warnings from the Coinstar machine and questions from her bank's manager, Lois sent a total of $50,000 to fraudsters and has no way to recoup her money.
In a statement sent to ABC 7, Coinstar partner Coinme shared: "While we work hard to protect our customers through multiple full-screen warnings at various stages of the transaction process … we understand the emotional manipulation scammers use to deceive individuals ... in cases like this, transactions are instantly sent outside of Coinme's platform, making the funds unrecoverable."
Lois even said she'd heard of this type of scam before, but it never occurred to her that it would happen to her.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost $10.3 billion to fraud in 2023, with a median loss of $500. However, that median is much higher for older people. People between the ages of 70 and 79 have a median loss of $804 per fraud, while those 80 years and older have a median loss of $1,450.
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How crypto scams work
Crypto scams, like the one Lois fell victim to, work well because crypto operates in a decentralized, anonymous system that makes it impossible to trace funds once they've been sent. There is no central authority, like a bank or credit card company, that can step in to reverse the transaction.
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Scammers rely heavily on emotional manipulation, especially when targeting older adults. In Lois' case, the tears and sobbing meant she couldn't hear her grandson's voice. Scammers know when people are emotional, they're less likely to think critically or question suspicious situations.
Fraudsters also create a sense of urgency that doesn't give victims time to think clearly. The scammer's story keeps evolving, creating more emotional distress. Even when Lois' bank manager asked her what the money was for, the scammers had already created so much fear that she wouldn't back down.
How to protect yourself from similar scams
Lois' story shows how quickly crypto scams can escalate. She says she now wants to warn others and hopefully prevent others from falling victim to similar scams.
One of the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones is to always question urgent requests for money, especially if they request payment through unconventional means like crypto. Scammers may claim they need money for bail or that their loved one has been kidnapped. Even if you hear your loved one's voice, be wary. Call the person directly or another family member before sending money.
Scammers often ask victims to send money through hard-to-reverse methods like gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers. If you're asked to send money through any of these methods, it is most likely a scam.
Educate your loved ones about the signs of a scam. Older people are especially vulnerable to scams, so talk to them about the warning signs. Ask them to call you or another family member before sending money.
If you think your loved one is susceptible to these types of scams, consider whether they're still able to make independent financial decisions. Safeguards like establishing power of attorney, creating a trust or limiting financial access can help protect them from fraudsters.
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Danielle is a personal finance writer based in Ohio. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Motley Fool and Business Insider. She believes financial literacy key to helping people build a life they love.
