‘How Could I Have Been So Stupid’: Washington Grandma Forced Out Of the Only Home She’s Known for 30 Years After Scammer Takes Life Savings During Fake Social Security Call

An 81-year-old Washington state grandmother says she was robbed of her life savings by a phone scammer who gained access to her bank accounts after claiming to be an agent with the Social Security Administration.Gladys Baxley said she was swindled out of $109,000 after being told that her private information had been exposed to bank fraud and that she needed to act immediately to secure her accounts.Sensing that something was off, Baxley asked the man to prove that he was indeed a federal employee.The man then sent Baxley an email containing an official-looking “certificate” from “The U.S. Supreme Court for the case of drug trafficking and money laundering,” according to WUSA 9, which reviewed the document.Baxley didn’t realize it at the time, but the information was phony. Still, it had the intended effect of instilling fear, claiming, “The Supreme Court House appeals Gladys Baxley to safeguard all assets within the time frame given by the in-charge officer before the existing Social Security number is suspended.”While sitting in the living room of her northeast Washington home, Baxley began to feel anxious and uncertain about what to do next.“I was getting these little thoughts that well, maybe, this isn’t legitimate,” she told...