“Volma didn’t specify how much money was in Richard’s account, but he said it was a “considerable amount.”
This account is a personal one and is separate from the GoFundMe the family uses to help pay for Richard’s care.”
I don’t know about anybody else, but if I found out that I had been donating money, albeit to a good use, and found out the guy had a few million in his account, I’d be thinking “how stupid could I be”.
I have email alerts for every transaction that occurs, whether it’s from my bank, brokerage, debit card, whatever.
You get them within seconds of the transaction.
I would expect this old gentleman to have a court appointed conservator for financial and possibly medical needs too.
It doesn’t sound like there was anyone closely watching the monthly bank statements besides the veteran himself.
It’s a disturbing notion that this 100 + y/o man ‘requires’
ongoing fundraising to meet his basic needs. How is that happening with Medicare, Veteran’s health insurance and other programs widely available for people just like him?
BE AWARE OF THE LATEST SCAM: a FReeper posted his wife’s SS/disability check hadn’t arrived.
When he inquired he was told hers and “many others” addresses had been changed.
The checks were now going to a Central America address.
Badly written story. If someone used this man’s money to purchase “savings bonds”, then if they are US Govt bonds, they cannot be cashed. They would be “frozen” by the Treasury.
However, the writer, the pisspoor one, didn’t tell us who “Treasury Direct” is, who runs its, and how it runs.
That would be the professional way to right a story.
I’ll give you a personal/professional example (modifying some names, etc because it is an ongoing project).
I have been helping an Indian tribe’s leader try to find millions of dollars worth of still outstanding “Railroad Bonds”.
We managed to find documents in the National Archives which not only listed those bonds but also the amount they would be worth at the end of their investment life, but also the years.
However, in order to “cash” in those bonds at a special US Treasury office, you have to have the “actual bond” in your hands. So far we have not been able to find them, but I think we will. The tribe could use the money for education, etc.
However, finding official government documentation that the bonds (as known) existed and were “cashable” makes the effort both legitimate and interesting.
I don’t get what happened.
It’s impossible to anonymously buy, sell, or hold U.S. Treasury debt.
If the “thief” tried to set up two accounts - one for funding purchases, and a second one to receive interest or asset sales - that would instantly set off flashing red lights at Treasury Direct.
Saving bonds must be held for a year before they can be cashed, so the money should still be recoverable. They don't issue paper bonds so the money must still be inside TD. This should be pretty easy to cancel the bonds and return the money.
Also when I set up a Treasury Direct account it required more ID verification than any other account. I even had to get a bank official to use the bank's medallion stamp to set up bank transfers. That's a step above a mere notary stamp. It may have changed since then, but it was a pain in the butt when I did it.
Doctors office, VA, telephone scam, pick one.