Includes video report
A woman in Texas says she was the victim of a well-worn scam, but what was unique in her case was that the fraudulent pitch came to her through a Facebook "friend" and was allegedly endorsed by President Obama.
Kris White admits that she shouldn't have been fooled last week by the Facebook message saying she had won $250,000 in a "Facebook Powerball lottery," ABC News affiliate KTRK reported. She said she was shown documents that wrote United States with lowercase letters and included phrases with incorrect punctuation, according to the KTRK story.
But she was swayed when the person on Facebook showed her documents signed by Barack Obama that said, "This is a Real proof you won $250,000.00."
"Shame on me," White told ABC affiliate KTRK in Houston.
"I'm a sucker, I guess," she said. "I believed it."
Her gullibility and her eagerness to collect the $250,000 prize instead cost her $750.
The Facebook message that told her she had won appeared to have come from a friend at work. The "friend" told White to contact another person via Facebook to collect her winnings. In order to collect, however, she was instructed to make two wire transfers totaling about $750 to an individual in South Africa to cover the taxes. White said she was promised the money would be delivered to her home on Monday, KTRK reported, but the money never came. When she later asked her coworker about the lottery, he said he had no knowledge of it, KTRK reported.
White appears to have been the victim of what the FBI calls an "advance fee scheme." That's when a victim pays money to someone while expecting something of greater value, such as a loan or gift.
Adam Levin, chairman of Identity Theft 911 and security columnist for ABC News, said fee scams are quite common these days.
"Social networking sites have become petri dishes for those whose day-job is the exploitation of others," Levin said. "They are the new casino of dreams where the game is rigged against true believers, dreamers and perpetual optimists. Advance fee scams are but one common vial of snake oil in the many pockets of a con-man's overcoat."
The Harris County Sheriff's Office told ABC News that a complaint was filed on Tuesday and it was turned over to the criminal investigation bureau.
White could not be reached for comment by ABC News.
Facebook told ABC News, "Scams violate our policies, and we take action on accounts found to be spreading them." The spokesman pointed readers to the Facebook Help Center to avoid scams. "We recommend being suspicious of claims that sound too good to be true."
VIDEO: Watch the report
Africa??? Need I say more
Endorsed by President Obama should have been a big red flag too.
It wasn't Nigeria. I mean, who would be suspicious of South Africa?
Greed, Greed, Greed, with friends like that........
It's bad enough that they scam the elderly out of life savings, she looks like an intelligent lady that would not fall for something like that, I just don't understand people, who think that if you send money off to someone you've never met or seen that they will send you that kind of money back???????
"There's a sucker born every minute"
-P.T. Barnum
"There's a crook born every second"
-Ridge Runner
"She was PROMISED that the money would be delivered to her door but it never came"...
Was she expecting a Loomis truck to show up outside her residence to drop off K250?
What l would like to know is : Why did she not run this by her husband, children, grandchildren etc? As someone earlier posted " Greed"- the Gollum syndrome " its all mine, its my precious"...not!
Hats off to Todd for 1st Class entertainment!
Well Little Lady, Got some ocean front property in Arizona in case you get a hankering to cool off at the beach awhile.
For only a third of what you paid for nothing. Contact me via the intercom, I'll hear yah....!!!
Whaa whaaa whaaaaaaaaaaa
poor lady, next time she should go with her gut instincts, never heard of paying fees to collect a winning you won in the lottery
I was checking email earlier and noticed a mail in the spam folder w/ the subject line: "Facebook Lottery". I deleted it, along with the rest.
OMG...hello! South Africa? Taxes? FACEBOOK? Red flags anyone? Yes,folks...this is what greed gets you. $750 poorer.
people are stupid, because they are greedy. they deserve to get scammed
greed and stupid == loss
Holy, your comment can be taken out of context a little.
I wish that I could log on to my FB account so I could debunk this nonsense.
A $750 lesson. I really really really want to feel bad for her, but COME ON. There were about a million red flags here. At this point I can't even blame the scammers. They don't even have to try all that hard. I'm beginning to think scam artists will need to put THIS IS A SCAM in big block letters for people to stop sending their hard earned money in to these fake lotteries.
This lottery scam was endorsed by Obama...lol! I have a sneaking suspicion that this lady is a big supporter of good ol Barrack.
she probably the other bottle blonde still waiting on the big check for her votes
She's lucky she only lost $750. Others have lost thousands of dollars to these scams.
As for the idiot a few posts up trying to bring politics into it, that wasn't the point of this story and it has no place here.
Anyone who read the story should have the context.
"Facebook Powerball" lottery? Endorsed by Obama, but he has to send the taxes to Africa? Oh. Well, maybe she's one of those idiots.
This story is proof that "what you sometimes read on the Internet is not always true."
Why would anyone believe that the President, who has more important duties and pressing issues, even endorse this kind of message, which should have been a "red flag" .
Sorry to read that she sent the crooks $750.00.
Facebook is a marketing tool. MZ's concept of a "Friends" social media network is a clever endeavor, that has made him millions to his credit but we should use some common sense.
You can't fix "gormless"
I say the same about mainstream media on tv. "what you sometimes see on the tv news is not always true, or accurate"
Typical NY liberal
Why would anyone not believe Obama didn't take time off from golfing, vacationing and fundraising for crooks to put his stamp of approval on this "phony" scandal?
Politics was an important factor in her decision as the alledged endorsement of Obama appeals to his base. Anyone who doesn't agree with the president's idiology would have quickly ignored the solicitation. The victim was probably aware of Barrack Obama's African heritage which is why she fell for the scam.
You're the clueless idiot who couldn't make the relevant connection in this story.
Those who oppose Obama would have known better. It's his supporters who feel he is looking out for them and is the main reason other than greed to fall prey to such a comical scam.
It's greed.
People do not need to be stupid or greedy to be scammed... They just need to be human...
chrissy16,
Africa??? Need I say more
//////////////////////////////
LottoBoner,
Perhaps those running the scam simply avoided saying 'Nigeria'.
You're being way overly pc here.
Too bad I don't make predictions but if I did I would predict this will trigger several non-pc replies from you.
I agree, Drenick.
Mediabratwurst likes to start political arguments by nitpicking any obscure comment to find something to complain about.
It doesn't matter that Oblahblah was an integral part of the story. He doesn't want anything negative about him to be allowed to be mentioned anywhere, ever.
But the good part is, after you give mediabratwurst a good, sound thrashing, he goes away for a few months and everybody is happy again.
It's the same thing with KY "Jelly Man" Floyd. They're like gnats.
A sucker is born every minute, and that's not gong to change anytime soonEven though she got taken, she should consider herself lucky that she didn't get suckered for much more. I watch American Greed on CNBC, it amazes me how people get scammed for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If it were me that got taken for a ride with this scam, I'd be too embarrassed to appear on TV.
CT,
While you are probably correct, only those "with an agenda" would try to twist it into something that it isn't or was never intended to be. Neither you or I can fix the gormless but it is funny sometimes. Kudos to you, sir !!
Take a moment to thank all of our veterans this weekend both present and past
Amazing. Reminds me of my ex mother-in-law. I could sell that blond woman ice in the North Pole and the thing is that I have no doubt she would repeatedly thank me for it afterwards. She couldn't chew gum and walk at the same time. Dumb as a rock. Funny thing is she is married to an off the charts IQ guy who is an executive of one US senator's food processing plants. Opposites attract I guess.
and in speak of the widdle demon spawn
Your thinking is exactly what crooks figure as to justify stealing from people like her. Sad that (some) people think it is Ok to steal from hopeful people and that they must deserve it. NOT ok in my book. I hope you don't always believe they "deserve" it? A victim is a victim, and a crook is a crook, two separate people, two separate beliefs.
If it sounds too good too be true, than it probably is.
"Cupidity has led many a men to their doom!"
Foolish...
Unbelivable people still fall for this one.
Yesterday I got a call from someone with an Asian accent saying I had been entered in a sweepstakes and won. When I replied "so" they asked if I wanted to know what I had won and I said "No I'm not interested, you sound like a scam" and hung up. Afterward I wished I had said "No and tell your cheap ass boss to spend a little extra to hire someone who speak better English, he might attract more suckers".
DUH the moment you see Africa you need to just laugh and hit DELETE!!! I get messages from an African often. They all get deleted and BLOCKED.