The fraud started in August 2023 as fear dressed up as urgency. Pop-up warnings began flashing across 86-year-old Nina Mortellito's computer screen, claiming her bank accounts had been hacked. What followed was a months-long tale of manipulation that ultimately drained her of $700,000 - her entire life savings. According to a lawsuit filed against Merrill Lynch in Manhattan Supreme Court, the Upper East Side resident who suffers from age-related memory loss was persuaded to make a series of withdrawals over nine months, framed as an act of "safekeeping."
When the mortgage request was submitted, the technology flagged the issue and forced the lender to seek confirmation from the legal owner. EquityProtect then contacted the daughter, halting the scam process. I was shocked when I heard from EquityProtect that my father was attempting to take out a mortgage on his home, as he has no need, the victim's daughter said.
