‘It was psychological manipulation:’ Haverford Twp. woman scammed out of $800K; FBI, police investigate

HAVERFORD TWP, Pa. - A Haverford Township woman is speaking out after she says she lost $800,000 in a scam that started with an alarming pop-up window on her laptop and turned into months of psychological manipulation. 

What we know:

FOX 29 concealed the woman’s face and voice for her safety.

She says the pop-up alerted her that her social security number was on porn and gambling websites and told her to call a number. The person on that line ultimately told her to call her bank.

"I thought I was talking to the fraud department in my bank, and so it kind of unfolded from there," she says.

She says two scammers convinced her they were with the fraud department and the Social Security Administration, sending her official-looking letters, and told her she needed a new social security number.

"These people were posing as investigators, and then they started convincing her, in order to cooperate, that she had to turn over money," says Deputy Chief Joseph Hagan of the Haverford Township Police Department.

The victim says the scammers were posing as investigators that work to take down fraudsters. They repeatedly told her that this was a governmental operation, and not to tell anyone.

"They really hooked me in by making me feel like I was doing something, I felt like I was part of a team, I felt like I was helping," she says. "Every step of the way they knew exactly what to say to keep me hooked."

The scam continued for months. At one point, they convinced the woman to transfer her money to gold, and on at least three occasions, couriers came to her house to get the gold, according to police.

In total, she lost $800,000, and so far, has not gotten any of it back because she technically made the transactions.

"It was such a psychological manipulation," she says. "I was saving the money for my family so that’s been very hard.  I realized I was a victim, I was a victim, so I stopped being hard on myself, it just isn’t helpful, I just realized I need to be proactive."

Dig deeper:

Police say the scam could be connected to others across the region.

"The scheme is basically the same as a previous arrest that was made in Pennsylvania, so that’s why we’re working with the FBI," says Deputy Hagan. "It may have a nexus up to the New York area."

The victim says she documented everything and is using the horrific ordeal as an opportunity to be grateful about everything else she has. She’s hopeful she will be able to recover at least partially, and in the meantime, wants to spread the word, anonymously.

"This is a social problem, this is a governmental problem, this is a problem with the banks and it’s the victims who are taking the brunt of this and I think that’s really unfair," she says. "The AI is out of control, the internet is out of control and if we can’t get ahold of that, I don’t know what’s going to happen."

What you can do:

Haverford Township Police are urging the public, if you get a similar pop-up or anything that appears to be a scam, to not engage and call 911.