Heartbreaking Tech Support Scam Costs El Cajon Mom $17,000 Set Aside for Disabled Son's Van

Tragic Loss for a Caring Parent

An El Cajon mom, Jana Flick, is devastated after falling victim to a tech support scam that cost her half of her family's savings—money she had been saving for a wheelchair-accessible van for her son, Brayden, who has cerebral palsy.

The Scam Unfolds

Flick's ordeal began when she noticed several unauthorized Netflix charges on her bank statement. In a state of panic and confusion, she searched for Netflix's customer service and called an 800 number that appeared in the search results. A person on the line, claiming to be a customer service representative, informed her that her phone had been hacked and instructed her to download an app to secure it.

A Series of Alarming Events

After following the instructions, Flick was connected to someone posing as a bank representative, who alarmingly mentioned additional charges involving child pornography. This shocking news caused Flick to panic. The faux bank representative advised her to create duplicate transactions at a Bitcoin kiosk to cancel the charges.

Financial Ruin

Trusting this advice, Flick withdrew nearly $17,000 and transferred the money into a Bitcoin wallet she believed she owned. Unfortunately, she soon realized the money was gone. Flick expressed her despair, stating, "My stomach dropped … I feel like I'm a failure. I let everyone down. I should have known better."

Not an Isolated Incident

Flick's experience is not unique. Eva Velasquez, President of the Identity Theft Resource Center, explained that these scams often involve fake customer service numbers and websites that mislead victims into believing they are contacting legitimate representatives. Velasquez warned, "They’re simply designed to get you to get in touch with them so that you feel that sense of, I initiated this contact, so I must be talking to the right people."

A Call for Caution

Flick has since filed a police report and cautions others to be wary of customer service numbers found online. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist her family in purchasing the much-needed van for Brayden. Victims of similar scams are urged to contact their financial institutions directly and avoid Bitcoin kiosks for resolving issues.

Official Statement

A spokesperson from Google stated that their systems are designed to surface official customer support resources at the top of search results and encouraged users to exercise caution when seeking important information online.