‘This can happen to anyone’: US woman scammed out of over RM93,000 urges others to be aware

Despite consumer warnings and news stories and policy efforts to reign in scamming, in 2023, nationwide fraud losses topped US$14bil (RM65.55bil) for the first time, according to FTC data, a 14% increase over 2022. And, younger generations have been as affected as their older counterparts, if not more so. — Unsplash

Even three weeks later, it's hard for Judith Gage to reckon with the sense of violation and vulnerability she feels after falling for an elaborate scam that started with a message appearing on her frozen computer screen and ended many hours later with her giving US$20,000 (RM93,650) cash to a man at the bottom of her driveway.

"I can't even describe it. It was almost like being on a path to self-destruction that I couldn't stop and maybe knowing at some level how incredibly crazy it all was and doing it anyway," Gage said, her voice breaking.