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In The News: $10K, Family avoids scam, College student doesn’t

Woman Scammed Out Of $10K

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Thieves have scammed a Middle Tennessee woman out of $10,000.

Grocery store surveillance video showed two people approach Genese Carter.

They told her they found a packet of cash and she could have some of it if she paid taxes on it.

Carter went to the bank and withdrew $10,000 and gave it to the thieves who then vanished.

“She said she had to stop and use the bathroom at the KFC, and she went in and stayed and stayed and stayed,” Carter said. “When I went in, she was gone.”

Local Family Avoids Being Scammed

As stimulus checks head out into bank accounts over the next several weeks, the threat of related scams increases.

One local family has already been targeted by a similar scam, but they didn’t fall for it.

John Palmer says his sister was at home Thursday afternoon when she got a call on her cell phone.

The person said they were from the federal government, and they they owed her $2,500. They gave out her name, address, number and said all they needed was her bank account number so they could deposit the money.

College student scammed, held at gunpoint

Tampa, Florida – 23-year-old Sean Collins has learned a lot of lessons in college.

The senior is getting ready to graduate from the University of Tampa just days from now. Ironically, the most important lesson he ever learned in school wasn’t in the classroom.

And it’s something he’ll never forget.

Sean was the victim of a scam where two men are taking advantage of the kindness of strangers. A willingness to help nearly took Sean’s life.

The men, thought to be Nigerian, approach people at gas stations or convenience stores, acting like they’re lost. They ask for directions. They speak with a heavy accent.

Sean was approached by one of the men on Wednesday. The guy acted like he was lost and needed a ride to a local church.

“It looked for real. I thought this guy had just gotten here, and he didn’t understand,” he said.