This is really a sad story, and confusing one.

"You're not talking about a gullible person," said her daughter JoAnn Trivisonno, of Virginia. "You're taking about a fearless woman. If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone."

Mowle, a college graduate who raised three children as a single working parent, received the first letter promising a $2.5 million jackpot in October 2006. To collect, she had to pay $18,000 in fees, which Mowle sent. From there, the scam spiraled out of control with a barrage of phone calls from the con-artists who duped her into sending more cash.

As a former bookkeeper at Princeton University, Mowle kept meticulous records of her year-long deception by the phony Jamaican lottery officials.

Her daughter says "Ypu're not talking about a gullible person", yet she sent $18,000 in fees, and more cash after that. If she wasn't gullible why did she let it go so long and for so much?

The whole story on this should be interesting.

Something needs to be done about these internet scammers.  Exactly what, no one knows yet, but something.

I have to agree with your comments Coin Toss. You should never have to send money to claim a prize. It amazes me how people can fall these scams. She would have been better of going to a lottery retailer and purchasing a ticket. Chances are she would not have won, but at least you know they are legitimate.   

A curse on all the Jamacian scammers and their families. They deserve to boil in oil, every last one of them. With the amount of corruption in the government on that island, it will be a wonder if any of those s***bags are caught.

Her daughter says she wasn't a gullible woman.  It doesn't sound like she was with her education and background.  Those that do not sympathize with this story must consider this, I have received hundreds, literally hundreds of e-mails from these scammers and they make me laugh uproarously every time.  Their wording is amazing.  They actually make you think you've won. 

Adding insult to injury, I decided to take a few of the most persitent ones for a ride myself and act as though I'd taken the bait.  The results were hillarious.  It was almost as if I could hear the desperation in their voices, the greed was overwhelming.

When they thought they'd applied enough pressure, I'd hit them with an e-mail informing them that they'd been suckered by a fed up American.  That's putting it mildly.  I won't include the language I used.  You get the point.

Unfortunately, they won't be caught and pulling scams on Americans is their main source of income.  Why not?  It works wonders for them.  They prey upon our elders like vultures.  They can't be stopped that's why so many of them do these scams.

I have a small business on Amazon and they even try to pull scams on me to ship electronics overseas.  Amazon has my business listed as new so they seek out new companies to see if they'll take the bait.  The idea being that you ship items overseas, the items come up missing or undeliverable and they make an insurance claim.

It's a shame but it happens.

The newest scams they're hitting me with are ones that carry actual US company logos like Coca Cola, Pepsico, etc.  I always forward these scam mails to the companies.

If this happens to you, have some fun with them.  Tell them to send YOU money to assure they are open and above board.  Salesmen cannot handle partial agreement.  It drives them insane.  Human greed nails people every time. 

Orangeman

You are so right.  I hate to say it but that is what happened to this dear woman, human greed.

It's funny but right after I left here, I checked my e-mail and yep, I'd received yet another of those LUCKY WINNER scams.  The guy that sent it had the nerve to have the name, "Barrister Dan Jacker."

There are probably 50 people for every 1 person we read about getting scammed because they are embarrassed. Other than filling a report and warning others, there is little or nothing their Police Department can do.

I agree with all of you.  How can anyone believe she won $2.5 million from another country and send money?  But it happens all the time. 

It was probably the humiliation that killed her.  We will also never know what her family said to her.  I deleted my comment yesterday because I sounded so judgmental.  I understand what it's like to lose so much  (your home, money, health) and starting all over at age 72 can't be easy.  She must have been overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment.

However, not long ago I sat with someone who was very ill, but wanted to live so badly just long enough to see his new greatgrandson.  The woman in this article had a family, so I just don't understand why she felt she had nowhere to turn.  The depression from falling victim to the scam must have been too much for her to handle.  So tragic.

So - just this keep in mind everyone.  Unless you are in the final days of a debilitating illness crying in agony for the morphine (yes, I believe it's okay at that point) there is never, ever any excuse for taking your own life, especially over money, no matter how terrible things appear to be.  There is always another sunrise.

I wrote this for myself too.

Wow.

I can't agree with you more.

I've been there too.