Hello Community,

I am writing to share a distressing experience I had on social media, which I hope will serve as a cautionary tale for others.

I was approached in a religious group on social media by an individual who convinced me to donate $100 to a supposed needy family, promising a financial blessing in return. To facilitate this, he guided me in setting up a Cash App account and transferring the money to a specific woman.

Post-donation, he claimed that I needed to pay ‘clearance fees’ to receive the blessing. After complying, he congratulated me on an upcoming blessing of $2,000 but demanded a $50 transfer fee, which I paid, hoping to resolve the matter. Subsequently, he requested an additional $150 for ‘IRS fees’, at which point I recognized the scam.

Once I realized the scam, I reported it to the police, my bank, and Cash App. Despite my efforts, there seems to be little progress in taking action against this individual, who continues to harass and taunt me.

As a chronically ill person, this ordeal has been incredibly challenging. The scammer knew the money was intended for my medication but assured me of his legitimacy. I have saved the entire conversation as evidence.

I’m sharing this to warn others about such scams on social media, particularly those that exploit religious or charitable sentiments. If anyone has advice on further steps I can take or ways to handle the harassment, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Stay vigilant and protect yourselves from such malicious practices.

Best regards,
Patricia