Nov. 19, 2025 7:30p
(WGTD)---A 72-year-old Kenosha woman was bilked out of several hundred thousand dollars by a man claiming to be from the Social Security Administration.
According to a criminal complaint, the scammer convinced the woman that her personal information had been stolen and that thieves were in the process of emptying her bank accounts.
The man told her she should sell her home, close her bank accounts, turn the proceeds into either cash or gold and set the loot out for pickup. And she was told not to tell anyone.
The woman lost nearly half-a-million dollars before going to police.
A Kenosha investigator discovered that police in Addison, Illinois were investigating a similar scam and had actually set up a sting after a would-be victim apparently blew the whistle.
A 70-year-old man who showed up to claim the bait confessed to police that he'd been directed to pick up seven or eight similar packages, but had turned the contents over to a third party. For his efforts, the 70-year-old Hoffman Estates resident said he earned between $1,000 and $1,500 per trip.
He's now facing charges stemming from the Kenosha case. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
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