PLEASE HELP!! Josie and Dana are victims of fraud!!

Josephine (Josie) Manley and her husband, Dana Norman, had their $14K savings wiped out in a cyberscam, Josie’s laptop was hacked when a warning flashed across the screen saying do not restart your computer, and to call Microsoft on the number at the bottom of the screen.

Josie called the number, and was given online instructions on how to put matters right. In actual fact she was enabling screen sharing – giving the scammer access to her PC.

A few minutes later there was a call from a man purporting to be a representative from the bank investigating a fraudulent attack on their joint bank account. He knew the bank account number, and exactly to the last cent, how much was in the account. He also knew both their social security numbers and their home address. He said a bank employee was at fault. This convinced the couple that he was genuinely from the bank.

This man gave instructions to withdraw all their money, and package it up, with their names on it, to hand to a plain clothes FBI agent who would go to their address to collect it for safekeeping. This agent would use a pre-arranged code.

Dana was hesitant, but the man on the phone made threats that they could be in trouble for hindering FBI investigations and mentioned money laundering. The money was handed over.

The couple are unlikely to get their money back. Because of the way it was done, the bank is unable to help. They had been saving for 6 years to raise the legal fees necessary for Josie to apply for her citizenship, to make a visit to her home country to tie up her affairs, and to move to better accommodation for them. Now they are left with broken dreams, and as seniors are unable to replace the money themselves.

As friends of Josie and Dana, we have started this fundraiser in the hope that they can realize their dreams, and help them to move forward from this disaster.

They are good people who fell victim to bad people, and are working hard to promote awareness so that other people are not scammed. There has been publicity about their case in the local press, and on television, and more upcoming awareness events in the near future.