How the heck is it disproportionate? The damage is incredible. In the case I cited, the relative likely would have DIED if not for having a medical alert pendant. (She collapsed at home and could not get up.)
Penalties are not disproportionate until they are more than needed to deter virtually anyone sane who would commit the crime. (MOST sane people would not commit murder. Thank God.) This is premeditated to the nth degree, too.
Wait until this destroys someone you love, like chains on them for the rest of their life. You’ll be wanting a terminal fire ant and honey “punishment” for the perp too.
You are very emotional over this issue because someone you love is the victim.
I said (paraphrased) it would be disproportionate for a scammer to get equal prison time as a murderer.
Now tell me, let’s say there was no scamming involved at all. None. Let’s say instead your loved one was brutally murdered. And the same day in court when the murderer got 20 years, a separate trial gave a scammer 20 years. How would you feel then?
A scammer should not get the same punishment as a murderer just because your relative COULD have died as a result. A good analogy here would be, let’s say a lady runs a red light and I had to swerve to get missed. SHE COULD HAVE KILLED ME! The emotional trauma was overwhelming. By all rights, she should have been charged with attempted manslaughter. By your standards, that is what should happen.
I’m sorry your loved one got scammed. I hope the jerk gets caught. I hope he gets his just due.
But until our cultural shift to the left gets corrected, it will only get worse.