There is a special ring of hell saved for people who scam old people out of their dwindling retirement funds. One scam artist managed to dupe a grandma out of tens of thousands of dollars and even convinced her to fly out to meet them, pretending to be an MSNBC host.
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Now, I have to often question the sanity of the people being scammed. And I'm not the only one. Her family also expressed concern for the grandma.
Police are on the hunt for a scam artist who managed to convince Patricia Taylor, 73, of Marysville, that they are MSNBC anchor Ari Melber. Through messages on Facebook, they convinced her to send them money. They told her that they needed money for their sick dog, asking Taylor for help.
Her grandson, Joey Taylor spoke about the interaction his grandma had with the MSNBC scam. "My mom is saying, 'You're on TV. Don't you have money?" she asked. But, "He tells her he doesn't have access to this money. He tells her that it's for Penny. 'Please don't let Penny die." Somehow, this worked. So, she sent them over $20,000 in gift cards which could be redeemed for cash.
Grandma Is In Love With The Person Behind The MSNBC Scam
However, it doesn't stop there. The grandma actually tried to meet up with the scam artist posing as the MSNBC host. After speaking with them for months, and paying thousands of dollars, she did become suspicious. Her family had had two interventions, and her cautions were raised.
But, despite this, she carried on talking to them. They sent her an AI-generated voice message in the style of the MSNBC host, and the grandma scam continued. They stepped it up a notch and convinced Patricia Taylor they were going to get married, even going as far as sending a cheap $30 ring.
Finally, with the sham engagement, it was time to tie the knot. Taylor took a flight out to where the scam artist had planned to meet the grandma. However, her family, aware of her vulnerability and delusions, managed to intercept her in Portland using a phone tracker. They believe that she would have been taken hostage and used for ransom.
Even now she is still convinced the scam artist is MSNBC host Melber. Her family is doing their best to keep her locked down.
