ray 2.png

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — A Highlands Ranch pastor is sharing a warning after he almost lost tens of thousands of dollars to a scammer.

92-year-old Pastor Ray Lane and his wife, Joyce, are residents at Wind Crest retirement community in Highlands Ranch. One day in September, they received a pop-up alert supposedly from Microsoft.

ray 2.png

Richard Butler

“Joyce was at her computer, and she pushed a button, and it says, ‘There’s a problem that you may want to take care of,'” said Ray.

Trying to address the issue, Ray dialed the number displayed. The individual who answered the call proceeded to inform the elderly couple that their credit card had been used for the purchase of child pornography in China.

The person told Ray they would have to go to their bank and put their money into a new account to protect their funds.

“We were to take that money and then start a new account with a bank, and that way we would save our money,” Ray said.

ray 4.png

Richard Butler

Faced with this alarming news, the scammer instructed Ray to fabricate a story to acquire a substantial sum of money. In response, Pastor Ray and Joyce quickly visited their bank and concocted a tale for the teller, stating they needed a large down payment as they were on the verge of buying a car.

“When it came to where I was going to be involved in a lie, I knew that there was something wrong,” the pastor said.

The bank teller and manager questioned Ray for a while before releasing the money. Once he had the cash, the scammer told Ray to start a new account at an ATM and deposit the cash into that new account. That was when Ray decided he had heard enough.

The pastor cut communication with the scammer and immediately went to the police.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning the public about holiday scams as we move through the holiday season.

“Demanding personal information like Social Security numbers, bank account information, passwords, chances are that’s a bad guy looking to do some bad things to your good name with that information,” said IRS spokesperson Raphael Tulino.

The IRS has these tips that can help protect you this holiday season and throughout the year:

  • Shop at online sites with web addresses that begin with the letters “https:” the “s” stands for secure communications. Also look for a padlock icon in the browser window.
  • Don’t shop on unsecured public Wi-Fi in places like a mall or restaurant.
  • Ensure security software is updated on computers, tablets and mobile phones.
  • Watch out and help protect the devices of family members who may not be technologically savvy, a wide range that goes from young children to older adults.
  • Make sure anti-virus software for computers has a feature to stop malware, and that there is a firewall enabled to prevent intrusions.
  • Use strong, unique passwords for online accounts.
  • Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.

Pastor Ray and Joyce want others to learn from their cautionary tale.

“It’s embarrassing, very embarrassing, to have this happen to you. But we’re telling people that can happen to you,” Ray said.

You May Also Like

First-round matchup: Akron vs. Arizona in NCAA men’s basketball tournament

The Zips received the No. 13 seed in the East Region and…

American consumers slightly boosted their expenditures in the past month amidst growing worries about the future of the economy.

WASHINGTON – US consumers increased their spending slightly in February following a…

Syria to participate in donor conference for the first time, a significant move by its new leadership

BRUSSELS – A donor conference for Syria is being held by the…

Discussion scheduled this week between Trump and Putin regarding the war in Russia and Ukraine, according to US representative

In West Palm Beach, Florida, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir…

Netanyahu plans to request the removal of the Shin Bet’s chief of internal security

The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian militant groups. Israeli Prime…

Understanding El Salvador’s large prison facility and its implications following the transfer of hundreds of immigrants by Trump

SAN SALVADOR – The crown jewel of El Salvador’s aggressive anti-crime strategy…

33-year-old Cincinnati police officer Marcellus Keyon Jones, originally from Cleveland, passes away from ‘medical emergency’

Marcellus Keyon Jones was born in Cleveland in 1991 and attended Success…

Teenage boy arrested for attempted murder for bringing explosive to Ponderosa High School

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A 15-year-old boy was charged in Douglas County…

Central Florida Welcomes Cooler Air Just in Time for St. Patrick’s Day

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida can expect cooler and drier air on…

Pro-Bolsonaro supporters rally on Copacabana Beach to show support amidst coup allegations

In Rio de Janeiro, a large gathering took place as thousands of…

Elbert County Sheriff’s Office deputies involved in fatal standoff on Wednesday evening

ELBERT COUNTY, Colo. — One person died in a standoff with Elbert…

Trump administration continues to send away hundreds of immigrants despite a court decision halting the deportations.

The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the Alien Enemies Act…