Jean lives in the Midwest. She’s smart. She’s done well for herself. The kind of woman you’d think could spot a scam a mile away. Btw, that’s not her picture. It’s what I envision her looking like after talking to her.
But this fraud blindsided her, and four years later, it’s still haunting her.
It started with a man online
She was lonely. He was charming, attentive and said all the right things. Jean, like so many others, was pulled in by the connection. When he asked for help moving some money, she said yes, thinking she was doing a favor for someone she cared about.
Then came the big ask: Could she help him turn a pile of cash into Bitcoin?
It was urgent, complicated and she was the only one he could trust. Over time, Jean moved $300,000 in cash to Bitcoin for him. She didn’t know it, but she had just become a money mule in a massive scam.
The fallout was catastrophic
The Secret Service raided her home. She’s now under indictment for money laundering, facing 29 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines. She lost $200,000 of her own money to the scammer and has spent another $250,000 in legal fees just trying to stay out of prison.
This wasn’t just a scam
It was a full-blown takedown of her life. Here’s what you need to take away from Jean’s story:
- Never send money or move money for someone you’ve never met in real life. Period. If you haven’t shared fries or made awkward eye contact in person, you definitely shouldn’t be sharing routing numbers.
- If someone asks you to convert cash into Bitcoin, run. That’s a favorite trick of scammers. Once that crypto’s gone, it’s gone.
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