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New York Magazine Financial Advice Columnist Gullibly Scammed Out of $50,000
Newsbusters ^ | February 20, 2024 | P.J. Gladnick

Posted on 02/20/2024 12:12:39 PM PST by PJ-Comix

Whenever elite media folks act as if they are smarter than the yahoos in the sticks, please keep the sad yet hilarious story of Charlotte Cowles in mind. She is the financial advice columnist of the New York magazine The Cut section and previously a weekly columnist in the Business section of the New York Times. She revealed on Thursday how, with a incredible level of gullibility, she handed a box containing $50,000 of most of her savings to a scammer in "The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: financialadvice; gullible; scam
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To: Mustard
I’m calling BS.

Agree. Now she needs to report that she gave away a gift of more than $17,000, and pay taxes on it.

21 posted on 02/20/2024 12:44:24 PM PST by aimhigh (1 John 3:23 "And THIS is His commandment . . . . ")
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To: nevadapatriot

loving the humor!!!


22 posted on 02/20/2024 12:46:27 PM PST by YouGoTexasGirl ( )
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To: Ann Archy

...there is some credibility in your assessment......she might have done something foolish w/ the money so she was forced to concoct a story of an elaborate ruse.


23 posted on 02/20/2024 12:46:33 PM PST by Liz (Political correctness is tyranny with manners. Charlton Heston.)
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To: Mustard

Dana and Greg on the Five think so too. Too much missing information. Either she should no longer be giving financial advice or the paper made up some fake news.


24 posted on 02/20/2024 12:51:56 PM PST by mware
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To: Liz
...there is some credibility in your assessment......she might have done something foolish w/ the money so she was forced to concoct a story of an elaborate ruse.

What could be more embarrassing than proclaiming to the world that you are so incredible stupid and gullible that you handed over $50,000 in cash to a complete stranger because a guy on the phone claiming to be from the CIA told you to?

25 posted on 02/20/2024 12:52:31 PM PST by PJ-Comix (Yes, I am the Toxic Troll Terminator)
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To: Liz

If it went down as she said, she should NEVER WRITE ANOTHER COLUMN ABOUT MONEY HANDLING!


26 posted on 02/20/2024 12:53:34 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: PJ-Comix

not the brightest bulb. who ever gets a call from Amazon customer service - and then she’s switched over to the FTC? click then, for sure.


27 posted on 02/20/2024 12:54:21 PM PST by avital2 ("n)
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To: PJ-Comix

Rather be seen as STUPID AND NAIVE THAN BEING BLACKMAILED OR SOMETHING ELSE!


28 posted on 02/20/2024 12:55:38 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Liz

I got a email a few months purportedly from the irs about my tax return; which I had not filed yet. I called H&R block and they told me that the IRS never calls you. Needless to say I didn’t even bother answering the email.


29 posted on 02/20/2024 1:01:37 PM PST by Jean2
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To: PJ-Comix
“If you talk to an attorney, I cannot help you anymore,” Michael said sternly. “You will be considered noncooperative. Your home will be raided, and your assets will be seized. You may be arrested. It’s your choice.”

This is what happens when the government raids homes and seizes assets of innocent Americans. It becomes believable that it will happen to you when a scammer calls claiming to be from the government.

30 posted on 02/20/2024 1:03:38 PM PST by Bubba_Leroy ( Dementia Joe is Not My President)
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To: PJ-Comix

People who don’t believe that the elite can be stupid and gullible are themselves stupid and gullible.


31 posted on 02/20/2024 1:04:54 PM PST by sergeantdave (AI is the next iteration of a copy and paste machine.)
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To: nevadapatriot

Alternatively,

Casino or Dot


32 posted on 02/20/2024 1:06:45 PM PST by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: All

she should have caught on when she gets a call from Amazon
customer service - and then gets switched over to the FTC


33 posted on 02/20/2024 1:09:14 PM PST by Liz (Political correctness is tyranny with manners. Charlton Heston.)
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To: PJ-Comix
Considering that they knew this about her,

The man on the phone knew my home address, my Social Security number, the names of my family members, and that my 2-year-old son was playing in our living room. He told me my home was being watched, my laptop had been hacked, and we were in imminent danger. “I can help you, but only if you cooperate,” he said. His first orders: I could not tell anyone about our conversation, not even my spouse, or talk to the police or a lawyer.

my first thought was that her computer HAD been hacked. Especially the part about her 2-year old playing in the living room.

34 posted on 02/20/2024 1:11:55 PM PST by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: Liz

Because she probably was guilty of something.

I still can’t figure out the part where they had her take the cash out of her account (to live on), and then she gave it to them in exchange for a US government check.

Wasn’t the whole point of taking money out so she can use it for living expenses in case her account was frozen? Cash is perfectly sufficient for that, why would you exchange it for a check which you then need the a bank to deposit in and might have it frozen again?


35 posted on 02/20/2024 1:16:20 PM PST by Truthsearcher
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To: Truthsearcher

Yeah.....doesnt add up.


36 posted on 02/20/2024 1:18:01 PM PST by Liz (Political correctness is tyranny with manners. Charlton Heston.)
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To: nevadapatriot

Neither


37 posted on 02/20/2024 1:20:04 PM PST by Osage Orange (I miss Rush)
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To: ClearCase_guy

The sad part is that many of our politicians are just as inorant and dumb lacking common sense. No wonder this country is in trouble.


38 posted on 02/20/2024 1:50:20 PM PST by Saintgermain
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To: Liz

Thank you for doing business with Stratton Oakmont.

(Wolf of Wall Street reference)


39 posted on 02/20/2024 1:56:56 PM PST by glorgau
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To: ClearCase_guy

It is immoral to allow a fool to keep their money.


40 posted on 02/20/2024 2:27:54 PM PST by cuban leaf (2024 is going to be one for the history books, like 1939. And 2025 will be more so, like 1940-1945.)
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