Contact 6: Son offers advice after mother loses $20K in scam
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A caller says you've won millions of dollars. Of course, you're excited, but FOX6's Contact 6 says you should be asking what's the catch?
"My mother was very embarrassed. She is a proud woman and can`t believe she was scammed like this," Krist said.
Krist says his mother paid out $20,000 to scam artists who promised her millions of dollars and a new car if she sent them money in a lottery scam.
"In the beginning of the scam they couldn`t be nicer. They called my mother sweetheart and darling and were so kind. Then when the money didn`t arrive they became increasingly agitated," Krist said.
"They were very persistent in calling her and wanting her to send money," U.S. Postal Inspector Samantha Knoll said.
When Krist's mother eventually began sending large amounts of cash by mail, U.S. postal inspectors spotted the packages.
"I received a call from U.S. postal inspectors saying they had intercepted two large shipments of cash that had been sent from my mother," Krist said.
Krist broke the news to his mother that she had been duped.
"We closed several bank accounts, changed her home phone and cell phone numbers," Krist said.
It was the smart thing to do, because just a few months later: "Someone had tried to withdraw $20,000 from her account. Fortunately, my wife and I had closed. They weren`t able get to any of the funds," Krist said.
Krist has good advice for children with older parents.
"As they get older, you need to monitor their mail, you need to monitor their phone, you need to monitor their finances to make sure they aren`t in a scam like this," Krist said.
Of the $20,000 Krist's mother sent through the mail at varying times, postal inspectors were able to retrieve about half of it.