14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Email scam could cost you everything

Email scam could cost you everything

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin

It's a scam that first started in the early 80's; millions of people have been duped, despite a large amount of publicity aimed at stopping the Nigerian letter scam.  

It's estimated victims are handing over more than a 100 million dollars each year to these scam artists, worldwide.

A Morganfield man is starting his life over again at the age of 46 after falling for one of the oldest scams around. He's not alone, there are many just like him hoping this is the answer they've been searching for to a better life.

Disabled truck driver, Randy Hoge, has had his share of ups and downs. But with the love of a good wife, and their own home, he thought he could make it through everything. He was wrong.

Randay says everything changed when a stranger contacted him through the internet, "He told me he worked for the bank of the BOC (Bank of China) and he lived in the UK."

This banker claimed he had a rich client who passed away with no living relatives. If Randy could help him transfer the money to banks out if his country, Randy and the banker would inherit the money instead of the corrupt government.

He was assured it wasn't illegal and he says he thought he had nothing to lose, "He sent me $5,000. Then it got me thinking, well maybe this isn't a scam. He put it in my bank account and everything."

So Randy did as instructed and sent a money order to who he thought were attorneys handling the money. Then the banker sent him another $5,000, and again he sent another money order.

Then, Randy says he got a call, "Ten days later, the bank calls me up and tells me I'm overdrawn by $10,000."

The checks weren't legitimate. Randy says he lost a lot to this scam, "It's made us lose our home..and my wife is still sticking with me over my stupidity."

He says telling her was the hardest thing he's ever done, "All the checks that I had wrote, for payments and everything bounced too."

They were forced to move out of their home, their three dogs and all into his mother's small home.

Randy says, "It is embarrassing, but you can't do nothing about it. A lot of people can afford to take something like this here and it don't bother them and they can be embarrassed about it and they don't want to talk about it, but I couldn't, I can't. I've lost what I've worked for all my life."

He called every law enforcement agency he could think of, but he says no one could help, "I was so mad. It just didn't make no sense that we couldn't do something about this."

KSP Leutenant Pat Isbill says they weren't really sure how to go after the scammers, "Is it federal, is it state? it's not even in our area, so how do you prosecute someone like that."

Lieutenant Isbill says rarely are these type of scam artists caught, "It is like a shotgun effect, they send so many out, and they know they are going to get so many victims."

Now the bank may pursue criminal charges against Hoge as a result.

Lietenant Isbill says there is no such thing as a free lunch, "You are opening yourself up. When you think you are getting something for nothing, it is like an organized crime."

Lieutenant Isbill goes on to say, "It is sad and I would advise anyone to not partake in it. You are not going to get free money, that's just not going to happen."

That is advice Randy says he wishes he'd listened to months ago, "I've lost the house that I've always wanted and dreamed of, I've really let her down."

Law enforcement warns that the letters sent out look professional and often claim to be from bankers, attorneys, or legitimate companies from various countries. They request your personal information and in return you get money for free.

Don't buy it, don't respond. If it sounds to good to be true, it definitely is.