As some of you may know, this week, my youngest fell victim to a fraudulent job scheme (criminals posing as Belay Solutions) and was bilked out of $12,700 within a couple of days. For anyone that amount of money is hard to lose, but for a young adult, it is particularly devastating.

To date, Sam has filed fraud reports with the FTC; the USPS Mail Fraud division, (this is a federal crime since mail crossed state lines via FedEx); his bank; Apple Pay (who is launching their own fraud investigation); PayPal; and the Long Beach Police Dept. He has alerted all three credit bureaus, and notified Social Security. We've been told over and over, the likelihood of Sam recovering his loss is slim to none.

Upon reading Sam's story on the Bixby Knolls Community page several people encouraged me to open a GoFundMe, so here it is. Please know that we don't really expect to raise the full amount of the loss, but any donation will be greatly appreciated.

For those who missed it, here's a short version of what transpired:

Sam posted his resume on Career Builder and received an email from people posing as Belay Solutions (a real, legitimate company that offers Virtual Assistant services to companies). He interviewed and was hired through a Zoom session. Like a real company, they forwarded him information on how to set up his office, and all the supplies he would need etc. He even filled out a W9.

Sam was then given instructions on how to set up his office and a list of approved vendors to purchase the needed equipment and supplies. The company sent checks, three total, to cover these expenses. (One came via FedEx, the other two were e-checks.) Not knowing any better, Sam deposited said funds, and proceeded to "buy" the supplies from the "approved vendors." All smoke and mirrors. No real vendors, no equipment or supplies, just his checking account emptied.

As you might imagine, Sam is sick over this loss. We tell this to you so that you will be aware that scammers lurk in every corner, even where people are just trying find work.

Again, we appreciate the time you've taken to read this, and if you donate - great! If not, no worries. Just be safe out there and watch out for the bad guys. Thank you.