Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Missouri woman was tricked into wiring about $4,000 to someone in England after receiving faked messages from a friend on Facebook asking for help, police said.
Jayne Scherrman of Cape Girardeau wired the money through Western Union after receiving what she believed were several requests for help from her friend, Sgt. Jason Selzer said.
Police were notified about the scam on 26 August, Selzer said. They believe someone took over the Facebook account of a Cape Girardeau County resident, Grace Parry, changed the password so she couldn't access it and sent out messages saying she and her husband had been detained in London and needed money.
Scherrman said received a message last Tuesday from Parry saying she needed help. Scherrman, a pediatric dentist, said Parry and her minister husband go on mission trips, so she didn't think it unusual that they might be in England.
She figured they really needed assistance if they could only reach her electronically, and expected they'd pay her back quickly.
She originally was told electronically they needed $600 for a hotel and taxis. Then she was told it wasn't enough with the exchange rate.
Finally, she was told by a caller that the couple had been detained and more money was needed to help them fly home.
Scherrman asked to speak with her friend, but was told she wasn't available. She also got a name from the caller and tried to get an address when she realized she might have been scammed. By then, she had wired nearly $4,000 through three Western Union transfers, she said.
Parry said another friend from Mississippi also sent $600.
Parry, who hadn't traveled to England in years, tried to access her account to warn other friends but couldn't.
She asked Facebook to suspend her account, and her husband posted warnings about the scam, including one Scherrman received after she'd sent the money.
Parry said she feels violated by what happened. "It's just sad because they work on people's compassion, and Jayne's a very compassionate person," she said. She said she had never posted a lot of information about herself online.
Selzer said people should remember to change their passwords often and to be careful about posting personal information.
Palo Alto, California-based Facebook said internet schemes like this one aren't uncommon.
Facebook has systems to detect suspicious behaviour tied to compromised accounts and blocks it when it possible, company spokesman Simon Axten wrote in an email.
"We're also working with law enforcement and with Western Union (a wire transfer company commonly used by the scammers) to investigate specific cases and improve education," he wrote.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments