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new york The magazine’s financial columnist, Charlotte Cowles, writes about everything from how people can lower their bills to managing credit card debt. But her Thursday report highlights that even the smartest financial thinkers can be fooled.
In his column, Cowles admitted that he “stuck $50,000 in a shoebox and gave it to a stranger.” This mysterious story explains how a conspiracy involving fake Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, and CIA officials led Cowles to believe he was under investigation. Money laundering.
She wrote that the schemers told her to withdraw $50,000 from her bank account to survive the impending freezing of her assets and Social Security number during the investigation. She then hands over the money to her agent, who takes it to the Treasury, which then mails her a check for that amount.
“I now know that this was all a fraud. A cruel and violating fraud that, in retrospect, is painfully obvious,” Cowles wrote. “What I don’t understand is why I didn’t hang up and call 911. Why didn’t I email one of the many others? Why did I hand over all that money, the contents of my savings account, just for emergencies, without a bigger fight? Did you do that?”
Cowles’ story detailed how it all started last Halloween when she received a call from a woman claiming to be an Amazon employee. Her employee told her that an Amazon account in Cowles’ name had spent $8,000 on an iPad and Macbook. After her Cowles told her he hadn’t made any such purchases, and when she checked her account and nothing showed up, she clicked “for more information.” forwarded to FTC investigators.
The spider’s web was larger than most spiders can weave in such rapid succession. Cowles’ name was linked to a rental car that was abandoned along the south Texas border, with blood and drugs splattered in the trunk. Bags of drugs and cash were discovered during a search of a New Mexico home affiliated with a rental car company. Cowles faced numerous charges for everything from cybercrime to drug trafficking. According to her column, she texted her husband, “I’m feeling really bad.”
Eventually she was instructed by a “CIA agent” named Michael to withdraw the cash while “investigators” looked into her case. Cowles notes throughout her work that she was skeptical in her long correspondence with Michael, but her confidence in her deception operations shows how much of an intimate relationship they had. She writes that it comes from knowing the details.
“The man who answered the phone knew my home address, social security number, the names of my family members, and that my 2-year-old son was playing in the living room,” she wrote. “He said my house was being watched, my laptop was hacked, and I was in immediate danger.”
After a daylong story that she kept secret from her husband, family, and lawyer, she finally came clean not only to her husband but also to the scammer.
“You’re lying to me. Michael was lying.” According to the article, she told a woman who claimed to be related to Michael, “You just stole my money and you’ll never get it back.” “No,” he reportedly said. “You’re a terrible liar.”
Officials reminded her that government employees never ask for money, but Ms. Cowles’ shame stems from how someone with her insight could be so successfully deceived. Was.
“I felt violated and untrustworthy. I couldn’t believe in myself. My tendencies toward people-pleasing, following rules, and avoiding conflict were more severe than I thought they would be. Could it have been much worse, even pathological?” Cowles wrote. “I tried to imagine other people’s reactions. She was always a little careless. She seems upset. I decided to keep everything secret. I was worried that my professional reputation would be damaged. I still do. “
Cowles has contributed to both fields. new york and new york times Over the past eight years, her work has often provided financial advice on everything from parents using their adult children as a retirement plan to post-vacation financial planning. The introspective nature of her Thursday column shows how easily the most financially conscious people can be fooled by the personal contacts of scammers, she said. is writing.
“While I still don’t believe that what happened to me could happen to anyone, I am beginning to realize that I am not the only one who is fallible,” she wrote. “Some of my friends felt strongly that if the scammers hadn’t talked about my son, I never would have fallen for this. I would do anything to protect him. Or they’re right that they’re going to pay.”
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