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Elderly Victim Warns About Phone Scams

Lois Morrow Thought She Won Jamaican Lottery

POSTED: 4:18 pm EDT June 29, 2009
UPDATED: 5:09 pm EDT June 29, 2009

An elderly Oakwood woman who lost her life savings in a telephone scam is warning others so they won't fall for the same ruse.

Lois Morrow, 86, said in an interview Monday that scammers in Jamaica called her and said she'd won $2.5 million, but she had to send smaller amounts to cover expenses.

Morrow said the scammers played on her Christian faith to win her trust and cheat her out of tens of thousands of dollars over about six months.

“They started out like they were Christians, because they brought God's name into it,” Morrow said.

Morrow said she already had plans for the money.

“In my mind, I knew where I was going to give the money to. I was going to help people with it,” she said, crying.

Ken Smith, special agent in charge of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Atlanta, said such scams frequently target elderly victims and have drained their bank accounts of billions of dollars over the years.

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