HOUSTON — A Houston woman says she lost $29,000 after a man claiming to be with the Social Security Administration called her and texted her a picture of his government badge.
The man wouldn't let her get off the phone until the money was transferred, one of the things she now realizes should have been a red flag.
"I usually don't answer the phone, but that day, that morning I did answer," Wendy Tran said.
At first, the person calling told her they worked for Amazon and that she had several charges on her account. She was connected to a man, who she was told could help. The badge he sent her looked real with a name, photo and seal of the Social Security Administration.
"He really scared me," she said. "He said, 'They can come get you and put you in jail, take all your money, everything you owe.'"
The man instructed Tran to go to her bank and transfer $29,900. He coached her on how to act, and even on what to say the money was for, a kitchen remodel.
That was last March. Since then, Tran reported it to the Harris County Sheriff's Office and FBI, but called KHOU 11 News for help because she hadn't heard from an investigator.
She's hoping something in her notes will help track the scammers down, especially since the money was transferred to a bank in New York City. It was money she was counting on for retirement.
"I work hard, you know, for my money and I don't know why they're taking from me," Tran said.
KHOU 11 News called the sheriff's office and they said they would assign an investigator to look into Tran's case. As for the Social Security Administration, they would not confirm if the scammers were impersonating a real employee. However, a spokesman said that is a common practice among scammers.
This month, the Federal Trade Commission sent out an alert about a similar scam.
If someone you don't know is asking you to move your money to protect it, it's a scam. If you think there's a real problem with your account, contact your bank. Hang up the phone and call a number you already have to verify the information on your own.
If you have a problem and need help, email GraceCanHelp@khou.com, call (713) 521-HELP or fill out the form below.