Description

A Facebook friend (probably a fake account) sent me a message asking if I had seen a previous message about the WFA Foundation Money she had just received. When I said I had not, she sent me Facebook contact information for an "Agent James Smith". This is the address: https://m.facebook.com/Agent-James-Smith-100778909223397/:ref=bookmarks (Incidentally, my son thinks the picture of "Agent James Smith" is actually a picture of Mitch McConnell.) I then had a Messenger chat with "Agent James Smith", in which he gave information about a non-public Covid-19 benefit program, but it required $3000 up front, in cash, and then US Mail postage to send that money in cash to an address he provided (see above for the address). Then, I was supposed to send another $7000, also in cash, that was to be provided by Agent James Smith once I had withdrawn the money. My son became suspicious of this program, and did a Google search and found a Notice from the HHM Dept saying that a scam like this was out there, and they would never have a program that required applicants to provide money, let alone cash, up front. My son and I were looking for further confirmation that this is a scam. I tried to reach out to my Facebook friends to ask to talk via phone. We guessed that she would know nothing about this, which would confirm that the Facebook/Messenger profile that was used to contact me about this WFA Foundation money, is fake. The phone number I was able to get for her was no longer in service. When I asked her via Messenger to please call me, she declined saying that she had some kind of throat issue, was in the hospital, and couldn't talk. This further confirmed for my son and me that this is a scam. The $7000 that was requested was never sent. We have captured the full Messenger conversation with "Agent James Smith", and can provide that if needed. We can also provide the full Messenger conversation with my Facebook friend's fake Messenger acct. Please let me know if there is anything further I can do. And, if there is any way that I can get my $3000 back.