Laura Caballero McFarling, our 81-year-old Aunt, was recently scammed out of $37,630 – much of her life savings.

Ms. Laura was recently widowed. She spends her time taking care of her 42-year-old son, Jack, who has Down syndrome. Jack currently lives in a group home for special needs. But now their future is uncertain with the lack of financial funds - funds that were unjustly taken.

About a week before Thanksgiving, Laura received a white screen notification that looked to be official from “Microsoft technical support.” She had already been struggling with computer issues for months, so she was in a problem-solving mindset and hoping for help. When she called the number in the message, the person on the other end told her there were multiple “flags” on her Microsoft account. The scammer then gained remote access to her computer through a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and instructed her to log into her bank account. Once they saw her balance, they claimed her money was visible to outsiders and at risk of being “tampered with.” They insisted the only way to protect her funds was to move them into a different, supposedly safer, account. To make the lie seem legitimate, they transferred her to another caller pretending to be from another bank. Together, they manipulated her into going to her real bank and making a wire transfer, sending away her life savings.

The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) cannot do anything to insure her money back, since she authorized the transfer. Laura and her family members have tried other avenues, like EFTA (Electronic Fund Transfer Act) that protects you against scams. However, nobody can guarantee results. We are still looking into that.

Laura is a caretaker, always has been and always will be. Now, in this demanding season, Laura is the one who needs to be taken care of. She is in desperate need of a New Year miracle. Your generosity is greatly needed to help Laura get back on her feet so she will be able to provide for herself and her disabled son’s needs.

Please share this, and may God bless you!

Thank you!