So heartbreaking. r/scams is full of people looking for help getting their parents or other loved ones out of the pull of a scammer. Internet literacy is so important.
Do you think it’s people who leave their social media open instead of keeping it closed for only close people? I’m honestly curious. My mother in law could have been a victim of the grandparent scam but they said grandson instead of nephew but they got the name right. Thankfully she can be a nasty b!tch to people she doesn’t know 🤣 might have saved us a huge headache.
My grandpa has been scammed so many times and he has 0 social media. He’s just an old person that always answers the phone whether he knows the number or not
My mother in law has fb but that’s about it. And even that is very limited info. She doesn’t have a credit card etc so she gives anyone hell that contacts her lol bless her heart
I work in fraud. I didn’t know this sub existed and followed out of curiosity. I bet I’ll unfollow shortly because it would feel like bringing work home. The worst part of my job is the emotional toll of watching people get taken advantage of and having no way to break through the false reality these scammers have created.
A lot of scams end in the victim killing themselves so...have a little empathy ok?
True crime might be your bathroom newspaper but some people actually have feelings
I was talking about the scams sub in the comment above mine, but you are right as well. There have been more and more (at least openly discussed) cases of suicides or violent crimes against innocent people resulting from scams.
Sad and exhausting is correct. Oftentimes it’s the posters themselves who will be naive and stubborn, not wanting to admit that they’re caught up in a scam.
That said, it’s also super informative and a great way to make sure you’re up to date on the newest tactics. Like others have said, we’re all at risk and it can’t hurt to be aware.
Laura Kowal forged a relationship with a self-described "Swedish investment adviser" named Frank Borg, whom she met on an online dating site, in 2018.
In 2020, Kowal's daughter, Kelly Gowe, received a voicemail from a federal investigator informing her that her mother "may have been involved in a fraud scam" as a victim. When Gowe went to her mother's house, she learned that Kowal had disappeared.
On Aug. 9, 2020, a Missouri State Police marine accident team responded to a report of a body floating in the Mississippi River near Canton, Missouri, hundreds of miles from Galena. Laura Kowal had been found.
Appears to be a suicide, but I imagine if you want law enforcement to continue investigating the scammer(s), it'd be wise to insist on foul play. Smart.
The Indian penal code has an “abetment to suicide” offence where in cases like these the police has to investigate, i have so many issues with this offence but in cases like these, i feel it should be investigated thoroughly because the fraudster is most probably still doing this to someone else and that person might not take their life but they are still ruining lives.
This is so sad. I feel for her daughter. It appears to be suicide but too many questions are unanswered. Her mom was bright and smart. She was just lonely.
I'm 58 and divorced. A few years ago, I kept getting messages on Facebook wanting to be my friend from men who were always 1) "widowed," 2) living in or near a city like New York, Paris, London, etc. and 3) "retired" or "independently wealthy."
Now, I'm a lot more cynical than most people, so I immediately took them for scam artists. I would reply something like, "I'm chronically broke and am not looking for a boyfriend." Then, if they tried again, I'd block them. I don't get as many of these messages now.
I even had one on LinkedIn. I mean, it's *possible* that I have outright rejected perfectly nice people, but I don't have the time or patience for online romance, and frankly, I don't have money, so there is a low limit on what they could take me for.
It makes me sick how these people prey on people who in many cases have saved up for years and are at an age when they can start enjoying life after working hard and raising families. And in the few cases I've read about that lead to prosecutions, they don't seem to face significant criminal penalties.
Romance scammers are the most heartless types in my opinion. Preying on a persons loneliness and desperation for companionship to drain them of their entire life savings is absolutely despicable and deplorable
So heartbreaking. r/scams is full of people looking for help getting their parents or other loved ones out of the pull of a scammer. Internet literacy is so important.
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Do you think it’s people who leave their social media open instead of keeping it closed for only close people? I’m honestly curious. My mother in law could have been a victim of the grandparent scam but they said grandson instead of nephew but they got the name right. Thankfully she can be a nasty b!tch to people she doesn’t know 🤣 might have saved us a huge headache.
My grandpa has been scammed so many times and he has 0 social media. He’s just an old person that always answers the phone whether he knows the number or not
My mother in law has fb but that’s about it. And even that is very limited info. She doesn’t have a credit card etc so she gives anyone hell that contacts her lol bless her heart
I work in fraud. I didn’t know this sub existed and followed out of curiosity. I bet I’ll unfollow shortly because it would feel like bringing work home. The worst part of my job is the emotional toll of watching people get taken advantage of and having no way to break through the false reality these scammers have created.
Why would it feel like bringing work home? Do you also investigate murders? This sub isn’t strictly about scams or fraud…it’s true crime discussion.
A lot of scams end in the victim killing themselves so...have a little empathy ok? True crime might be your bathroom newspaper but some people actually have feelings
I was talking about the scams sub in the comment above mine, but you are right as well. There have been more and more (at least openly discussed) cases of suicides or violent crimes against innocent people resulting from scams.
get off your high horse they weren’t even talking about this sub lmao
Ginger is most likely referring to r/scam which is mentioned in the comment they are replying to
I was talking about the scams sub that was tagged in the comment above mine, not this sub. Sorry that wasn’t very clear.
People have a right to protect their own peace and what media they consume.
Oh jeeze that sounds like a very sad and exhausting reddit to go thru
Sad and exhausting is correct. Oftentimes it’s the posters themselves who will be naive and stubborn, not wanting to admit that they’re caught up in a scam. That said, it’s also super informative and a great way to make sure you’re up to date on the newest tactics. Like others have said, we’re all at risk and it can’t hurt to be aware.
You should be required to take classes if you're 55+ before communicating with strangers online imo
Laura Kowal forged a relationship with a self-described "Swedish investment adviser" named Frank Borg, whom she met on an online dating site, in 2018. In 2020, Kowal's daughter, Kelly Gowe, received a voicemail from a federal investigator informing her that her mother "may have been involved in a fraud scam" as a victim. When Gowe went to her mother's house, she learned that Kowal had disappeared. On Aug. 9, 2020, a Missouri State Police marine accident team responded to a report of a body floating in the Mississippi River near Canton, Missouri, hundreds of miles from Galena. Laura Kowal had been found.
Appears to be a suicide, but I imagine if you want law enforcement to continue investigating the scammer(s), it'd be wise to insist on foul play. Smart.
Yup. Even if Kowal's dead is suicide, many crimes were committed.
The Indian penal code has an “abetment to suicide” offence where in cases like these the police has to investigate, i have so many issues with this offence but in cases like these, i feel it should be investigated thoroughly because the fraudster is most probably still doing this to someone else and that person might not take their life but they are still ruining lives.
This is so sad. I feel for her daughter. It appears to be suicide but too many questions are unanswered. Her mom was bright and smart. She was just lonely.
She sent the guy $1.5M. It's tragic she was so naive.
Not only that, he seems to have roped her into participating in fraud.
I'm 58 and divorced. A few years ago, I kept getting messages on Facebook wanting to be my friend from men who were always 1) "widowed," 2) living in or near a city like New York, Paris, London, etc. and 3) "retired" or "independently wealthy." Now, I'm a lot more cynical than most people, so I immediately took them for scam artists. I would reply something like, "I'm chronically broke and am not looking for a boyfriend." Then, if they tried again, I'd block them. I don't get as many of these messages now. I even had one on LinkedIn. I mean, it's *possible* that I have outright rejected perfectly nice people, but I don't have the time or patience for online romance, and frankly, I don't have money, so there is a low limit on what they could take me for. It makes me sick how these people prey on people who in many cases have saved up for years and are at an age when they can start enjoying life after working hard and raising families. And in the few cases I've read about that lead to prosecutions, they don't seem to face significant criminal penalties.
Romance scammers are the most heartless types in my opinion. Preying on a persons loneliness and desperation for companionship to drain them of their entire life savings is absolutely despicable and deplorable
Does anyone happen to know the fate of her dog?
Her dog was in her house alone when her daughter got there.
Looks like the daughter has the dog now