Woman scammed, warns others
Published 12:49 am Thursday, April 28, 2016
An Andalusia resident is speaking out in hopes that others don’t fall prey to a scam she did.
Jean Thomas said she received a phone call last Thursday morning from a man alleging to be from the Social Security Administration.
Thomas said the man told her they had mailed a form to her because the SSA was changing the dates in which they deposit monthly checks.
“I told him that I didn’t get a form,” she said. “He told me that today was the last day. Then he told me not to worry that his supervisor could help.”
Thomas said another man came on the line and said he’d be glad to help her fill out the form.
“They made it sound so real,” she said. “Stupid me, I gave him all of my information. I even asked him if this was a scam. He said, ‘no.’”
The telephone number on the caller ID even said Social Security and was 1-800-772-1213, which shows up as a SSA number online.
Worried, Thomas said she cried all night long.
Thomas said she visited her local bank, who told her they would help her keep an eye out for fraudulent charges.
“Yesterday, I had $500 came out of account,” she said. “People need to be aware. Now I have to worry about getting my money back, and I have to change my bank account. I knew better than to give them my information. They didn’t sound like these foreign people who are trying to get you. The bank is going to see what they can do.”