A 79-year-old Pikeville woman has been scammed out of over $23,000. Crossville Police were dispatched to a local bank on Wednesday where they contacted the victim. The lady said she had been in contact with a man claiming to be a friend of her deceased husband. The person said he wanted to visit Tennessee but needed money to travel from Alaska. Since October, the woman has sent this individual at least $23,260 in gift cards, cash and money orders. She only realized she was being scammed when the signature on the cashed money orders was not the same as the person claiming to be her husband’s friend.
Please talk to your elderly relatives about such scams. Tell them to never send money to anyone that they do not absolutely know, even if that person claims to be a friend or relative. And remind them to never give out their personal or financial information to strangers.