Anatomy of a Scam
How Urgency and Secrecy Pull You In
By The Reverend Dr. Eileen Epperson, Project SAGE volunteer since April 2023
I had a rude surprise in early December 2025 when three extremely convincing cyber thieves defrauded me. I am on a mission now to enlighten younger and elder folks about the unpredictability and sophistication of these criminal teams which will only worsen with Artificial Intelligence unregulated.
I tapped on a message at the top of my emails: “3 More Messages.” Suddenly, there was a red screen that stopped everything. I know now that I should have shut off the laptop and visited my computer expert that day.
I called the Microsoft Office Support number in my phone which had been stolen by this group. I thought I was speaking to a Microsoft agent.
This was a team of three skilled shysters. The first man convinced me that foreign agents had stolen my identity. “Hackers have gotten into your computer, ma’am, and have control of your bank account. You pre-approved a withdrawal of $_____ within two hours to buy kiddy porn!” I was horrified. I was then sent to someone in the “Fraud Prevention Department” of my bank who was going to protect me.
The brilliance of this scheme was how this second man anticipated my objections in advance of everything he was advising me to do. He did so with authority and details. He stayed on the phone with me for three days directing all my actions.
This is a classic example of a swindle: urgency, secrecy, and trust-building by the schemer. I had to get my money out of my bank asap and convey it to a safe place (a Bitcoin machine). I should not tell anyone about this, including my partner. The specialist had leverage in the highest echelons of the Federal government.
The lessons: if a Bitcoin machine is mentioned, hang up. If urgency and secrecy are in the equation, hang up. If in doubt, hang up. Do not open anything you do not recognize on your phone or computer. We all must educate ourselves about the ingenious methods devised daily to fool us into giving away our money.