I believe most people are good.
Donation protected
My 84-year-old grandmother fell victim to a "grandparent scam" this holiday. To the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars.
She received a call from her "grandson" and his "lawyer" informing her that he was at fault in a horrible car accident and needed money to cover his legal fees. The voice pretending to be her grandson begged her not to tell his parents, and promised to pay her back.
So, she did what anyone would do in an emergency, jumped to help her loved one.
They triggered an emotional response and when she was totally blinded by emotion gave her the instructions on how to send the money. She needed to get a padded envelope, fill it with the requested cash, and then take that envelope to UPS. Once there, she over-nighted the envelope to the address she was given. She thought she was helping her grandson who was in trouble... she never mentioned the incident until days later in an effort to give her grandson time to get his affairs in order and pay her back.
She feels embarrassed and sad. Her Christmas has been ruined, this year will be tight on the purse strings, and her living expenses will need to be more carefully measured. But, more than that? Her heart is broken.
Please share this story with your own loved ones. There are TONS and TONS of resources out there to help explain these scams to your aging relatives and prevent these repulsive criminals from preying on those you love.
I shared a list of resources to spark conversation with your elderly loved ones on my blog at www.lovetheeveryday.com
and then, I started this GoFundMe page. I typically HATE GoFundMe pages. Asking for handouts makes me feel twitchy...but like I said, I already feel pretty terrible about this situation so...
Then, I thought: What if one-thousand people heard this story? What if one-thousand people were inspired to talk to their grandmother about this before she too were duped? We would potentially save ONE THOUSAND grandmas from losing their hard-earned money to scammers.
What if those same one-thousand people took it upon themselves to donate $5 to my gofundme page? -----As a thanks for reminding them to warn their grandparents, neighbors and friends. Or as a gesture of good will. Or to prove that I'm not wrong.
Really, most people are good.
**Proceeds from this GoFundMe page will go back to my grandmother's nestegg and will help to restore her faith in humanity. It will only put a small dent in the amount which was lost, but it would go far in filling the hole it has left in her heart.
Besides, a little good Karma never hurt anything.
Please warn your Grammie and your Granddad. And your neighbor. And the lady who sits next to you in church. Tell them now.
She received a call from her "grandson" and his "lawyer" informing her that he was at fault in a horrible car accident and needed money to cover his legal fees. The voice pretending to be her grandson begged her not to tell his parents, and promised to pay her back.
So, she did what anyone would do in an emergency, jumped to help her loved one.
They triggered an emotional response and when she was totally blinded by emotion gave her the instructions on how to send the money. She needed to get a padded envelope, fill it with the requested cash, and then take that envelope to UPS. Once there, she over-nighted the envelope to the address she was given. She thought she was helping her grandson who was in trouble... she never mentioned the incident until days later in an effort to give her grandson time to get his affairs in order and pay her back.
She feels embarrassed and sad. Her Christmas has been ruined, this year will be tight on the purse strings, and her living expenses will need to be more carefully measured. But, more than that? Her heart is broken.
Please share this story with your own loved ones. There are TONS and TONS of resources out there to help explain these scams to your aging relatives and prevent these repulsive criminals from preying on those you love.
I shared a list of resources to spark conversation with your elderly loved ones on my blog at www.lovetheeveryday.com
and then, I started this GoFundMe page. I typically HATE GoFundMe pages. Asking for handouts makes me feel twitchy...but like I said, I already feel pretty terrible about this situation so...
Then, I thought: What if one-thousand people heard this story? What if one-thousand people were inspired to talk to their grandmother about this before she too were duped? We would potentially save ONE THOUSAND grandmas from losing their hard-earned money to scammers.
What if those same one-thousand people took it upon themselves to donate $5 to my gofundme page? -----As a thanks for reminding them to warn their grandparents, neighbors and friends. Or as a gesture of good will. Or to prove that I'm not wrong.
Really, most people are good.
**Proceeds from this GoFundMe page will go back to my grandmother's nestegg and will help to restore her faith in humanity. It will only put a small dent in the amount which was lost, but it would go far in filling the hole it has left in her heart.
Besides, a little good Karma never hurt anything.
Please warn your Grammie and your Granddad. And your neighbor. And the lady who sits next to you in church. Tell them now.
Organizer
Molly Moe
Organizer
Aberdeen, NC
