Scammers target veteran’s widow

April 24-- Apr. 24--The widow of a Vietnam veteran who passed away in March says scammers targeted her the day after her husband's funeral.

Jeanne LaFleur, who lives in the Baton area, says her husband, Leon LaFleur, served as a Marine in Vietnam in the late 1960s, then joined the Army reserves. At 73, he had been having ongoing health problems. He passed away March 5, and on March 7 Jeanne LaFleur reported his death to the federal government.

The day after his funeral, she got a phone call that appeared to come from the same number she had called to

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report his death.

"She stated her name was Sara," LaFleur said, and she said LaFleur hadn't reported her husband's death soon enough.

Then the woman transferred her to someone else, who said her name was Angela and that she was with the military. That woman told her that Leon LaFleur had a $30,000 life insurance policy that he got through the military, and if Jeanne LaFleur would pay $4,497, she would be able to receive the $30,000.

She was grieving at the time, and she wasn't thinking clearly. When the woman told LaFleur to take the money to Office Depot and buy nine Reloadit prepaid gift cards for $500 each, she did.

"I did think it was weird, but like I said, I'm just thinking of the life insurance policy for $30,000. It sounded so good, and I just figured it was the military because they were using that (phone) number," she said. "Had it been two or three days later I would have really thought it over a little bit more, but I just wasn't thinking. ... The day after the funeral, you're just not thinking."

The employees at Office Depot tried to warn her that it sounded like a scam. But the woman on the phone assured LaFleur, so LaFleur followed instructions and mailed the gift cards where she was told.

The next day, LaFleur's daughter-in-law called Reloadit. Three of the cards had not been cashed. The rest had.

LaFleur said she was told she'll get the remaining three cards back.

Now, LaFleur is embarrassed, but she wants others to know what happened to her. She wasn't sure who to call -- she tried the American Legion, the Veterans Administration and the funeral home, but now she feels distrustful of those who might call her back.

"I have been so afraid to even call the military," she said.

She said that she also feels stupid. She says she's not the type of person who is easily duped, but because the call appeared to come from a government number -- scammers have equipment that can display any number they choose, which is called "spoofing" -- it seemed legitimate.

"I don't understand how somebody could be so cruel. I couldn't live with myself if I did something like that to people," she said.

Capt. Aaron Barlowe of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said he hasn't investigated many scams that target the families of military veterans -- but scams in which callers demand money in the form of prepaid cards are common.

"The basic structure is going to be the same. You'll have different points that they are trying to sell to you. It's normally that they've won something or they're there to do a service for you. In every occurrence, it's going to be too good to be true," he said.

He said that scammers often target the elderly and use information that is publicly available, like an obituary or information posted on Facebook, to make the call seem legitimate. They use the information they find to form a convincing narrative.

He also said that it is particularly difficult to investigate these incidents because the scammers are often calling from other countries, and they would have to be extradited to the United States to be prosecuted.

He said no legitimate business accepts payment in the form of a prepaid card. Neither do any government officials.

"Another thing to watch out for: If it's too good to be true, it is untrue. It's not true at all," he said.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 828-610-8721.

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AVOID SCAMS

In March the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI and the AARP in North Carolina began a campaign to educate seniors about scams. Some examples of financial fraud targeting seniors are:

--Lottery phone scams -- in which the callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings.

--Grandparent scams -- which convince seniors that their grandchildren are in trouble and need money to make rent, repair a car, or even money for bail.

--Romance scams -- which lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose.

--IRS imposter scams -- which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes.

--Sham business opportunities -- which convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or investments.

Tips on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:

--Don't share personal information with anyone you don't know.

--Don't pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.

--Don't click on pop-up ads or messages on the computer.

--Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.

--Don't send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger.

--Don't fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or a lucrative business deal.

--If a scammer approaches you, take the time to talk to a friend or family member.

--Remember, it's not rude to say, "NO."

--A good rule of thumb is, if it's too good to be true, it's probably a scam.

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