Yesterday, my mother received a phone call from a person claiming to be part of the mafia. While she was skeptical, the person threatened to kill her daughter. The person correctly named my sister, Betsabe, and was asking for a money order of 20,000 dollars in order to keep her alive.

My mom’s first instinct was to call the police, but the caller said that bringing in the authorities would only make matters worse. To make my mom believe him, he put a woman on the phone who was crying and begging for her life, and in all the anxiety, my mother heard her daughter’s voice. At this point, my mom was scared for her daughter’s life and followed the orders of the caller.

The caller instructed her to deposit the number to an account in Mexico, and while my mother did not have 20,000 dollars, she deposited all that she had, in hopes that it would save her daughter. Later, she would find out that the story was all made up and that the person never had my sister hostage. In essence, it was a scam, but not a usual one.

My mother’s initial reaction was relief that her daughter was safe. But, as with all scams, feelings of regret and anger began to build up. My mom felt that it was her fault for losing all her money and felt worse when we found out that there was nothing we could do. Additionally, the whole situation was a traumatic experience for her. She is 65 years old and I can’t imagine how scared she was.

So, I profoundly ask, from the bottom of my heart if you are willing to help me return a partial sum of money to my mother. If you’ve met her you would know that she is one of the sweetest persons. She is a caring wife, mother, and grandmother. I appreciate it if you took the time to read this. Thank you.

Anything would help!