Scam victims join with AARP to raise awareness among seniors

A simple phone call led to Jane Dean and Judith Boivin losing tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, respectively.

Draining their retirement funds and shriveling up their savings accounts, they unwittingly gave hard-earned money to scammers.

“For me they stole $25,600,” Dean said.

Boivin lost even more money.

“It was $595,958 and some cents,” she said.

When the first call came in, Dean thought Amazon was on the other end of the line — but it was a scammer. After five days of multiple transfer calls, the grifters convinced her she was sending cash over to attorneys that would protect her money and Social Security number.

So, she sent over her rainy-day fund.

“They don’t want to give you time to think about it or respond to it in any other way than to have a heightened emotional response where your logical mind is just subsumed by the panic and the anxiety and the fear,” Dean said.

Dean finally realized what had happened when a banker told her she was being scammed.

“The money’s gone,” she said. “I will never, ever see it. It’s like lighting a match to cash.”

Boivin recalled a similar story. Callers claimed to be the Rockville police chief. After months of engaging with the people she believed to be federal authorities, Boivin turned over her retirement savings. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were drained from her account. — the scammers had won.

“They said I was being accused of fraudulent money laundering,” Boivin said. “I denied it, of course. So, that’s ridiculous.”

Boivin, a retired nurse and social worker, believed that cooperating would help clear her name and catch those who she was told used her identity to commit crimes.

“And of course, I grew up believing FBI, police; these are real people and they’re doing good for society,” she said.

Boivin and Dean have since joined AARP’s Fraud Watch network, part of the organization’s Keeping Seniors Safe program. The Montgomery County residents also do presentations, advocate for stronger anti-fraud laws and have joined fraud survivor support groups.

United by their experiences and motivation to help save seniors from scammers, the two have become close friends. They’re ready to tell their stories to anyone who’ll listen.

“My advice to people out there is to stop!” Dean said. “Stop, pause, think. Do not respond in a highly emotional state.”

Though Dean hasn’t recovered any lost money, Boivin recouped roughly $50,000.

For information on spotting scammers and scam victim support, visit AARP’s website.