Text Scam Costs Long Island Woman $15,000: Police Warn of Rising Phishing Schemes

Authorities on Long Island are warning residents about a rising wave of text-based phishing scams after a 78-year-old woman lost $15,000 to fraudsters.

The Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit says scammers are increasingly targeting seniors through text messages. In this case, Lucille Daileader, a retired art teacher, received a text claiming she had been charged $126 via Apple Pay. She deleted the text, but the scammers soon followed up with a series of phone calls pretending to be from Apple and her bank.

Daileader says she was convinced her bank account was compromised and was instructed to withdraw $15,000 so the “bank” could open a new account in her name. She withdrew the cash, returned home, and handed it over to a man who provided a password. He then disappeared with the money.

“It seemed legit because he had the password,” Daileader said.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, texting scams surged five-fold last year, with victims reporting combined losses of $470 million. Experts say many of these cases go unreported.

Law enforcement officials urge residents to ignore and delete suspicious texts, avoid responding to unknown callers, and never hand over cash. Litigation attorney Andrew Leib says in cases like this, “Call the police immediately. A civil litigator can’t do much to get it back.”

Daileader says she now wants to warn others: “I feel embarrassed that I fell for it, but I need to get the word out so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Credit: CNN Newsource

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