I called a phone number listed as Facebook customer support after being locked out of my account following a computer security upgrade. A representative claimed someone was trying to buy $40,000 of goods using my identity and instructed me to move money between accounts. I followed directions to send funds to my daughter and to use Venmo, Apple Cash, and Zelle, and watched some transactions appear to be credited. The scam escalated quickly and resulted in a $6,000 loss. I avoided mourning the money but continue to feel shame, humiliation, and fear nearly a year later despite usually avoiding scams.
I needed help with my social media account, so I called what I thought was a customer representative. Two hours later, I ended a call having been scammed out of $6,000. While it was painful, I forced myself not to mourn the financial loss. Now, almost a year later, I find myself still struggling to recover from the deeper trauma of embarrassment, humiliation, and fear.
I'm no stranger to avoiding scams. I frequently get those texts about new job opportunities offering high salaries. I don't pick up phone calls from unknown numbers or respond to demands to pay random parking tickets. But I was caught off guard this time because, as my scammer reminded me, I called him. That's true. I'd been locked out of my Facebook account weeks earlier when my computer did an automatic security upgrade.
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