Uniontown couple in custody after scamming elderly Massachusetts woman
There was no inkling in Beverly Sweet’s mind that her life was about to change when she received a phone call announcing she won $1 million from the Publishers Clearing House.
The elderly Seekonk, Massachusetts, woman was more skeptical than excited. She turned down a request to send a blank check to a Uniontown address to release her prize money. She kept saying no, about every other day, for three months.
“I kept saying I don’t believe it because I never won anything in my life before,” she said. “He called so many times. He wore me down.”
In August 2014, about three months after the initial phone call, Sweet discovered more than $120,000 was missing from her home equity credit line, and she had only $120 in her checking account.
Robert Martin, 64, and Verna Martin, 62, both of 113 General Drive, Uniontown, pleaded guilty in Taunton, Massachusetts, court to larceny of over $250. They were given 90 days to pay $120,000 in restitution or face jail time.
But nearly six months later, Sweet has received only $17,000, said her son-in-law, Steve Silverman.
The Martins were arrested on probation violation warrants in Pennsylvania last week, according to Seekonk Police Department Detective Charles Mello. They are incarcerated and awaiting extradition to Massachusetts.
As Sweet awaits restitution, other family members are making monthly payments on the credit line so that the elderly couple can stay in their home.
“We’re trying the best we can to help our mother-in-law with whatever we can,” Silverman said. “Ultimately that involves every single family member continuing to pay back the loan to make sure the bank doesn’t call.”
Sweet, who spent decades of her life performing the business duties for her husband’s tree service, was too embarrassed to tell her family she was scammed for about one year, thinking she could fix the problem herself. She reported the scam to her bank, and then to the police.
“I think the worst thing for her isn’t the money,” Silverman said. “It’s the embarrassment.”
Despite this, Sweet said she was driven to share her story so that others understand how to protect their information to avoid falling victim to a similar scam.
“The police don’t think this is the first time,” Silverman said. “I can’t believe this was the first time they picked up the phone and tried to call someone.”
She said she received the first call in May 2014 from a man with a Jamaican accent. He identified himself as Mr. Christian, according to court documents. Investigators were unable to confirm the identity of the initial caller. He asked her to send a signed, blank check to Verna Martin in Uniontown. She was told not to check her bank accounts because this could delay receipt of her prize money.
Court documents indicate Sweet later revealed her social security number and bank card number. She realized something was wrong when she received a change of address notice on her bank card.
Investigators later discovered the Martins cashed two checks from her account in the amounts of $37,000 and $79,000.
Mello said the persistence of scammers often muddles the will of the victim.
“They may be lonely, and these people gain their confidence,” he said. “They talk to them multiple times and they build a rapport with them. They believe they won a lot of money, and they want to help their families out.”
Mello worked with Pennsylvania State Police to locate the Uniontown scammers. The Martins claimed that they were attempting to sell their business, Polynesian Hair Design & Tanning Salon in Lemont Furnace. They said Sweet contacted them on Craigslist, saying she wanted to buy the business.
Mello and other investigators spent months completing a tedious forensic analysis of Sweet’s computer and phones, searching for correspondence with the Martins that did not exist.
The detective said it is common for scams to happen across state lines, adding complexity to the investigation. If the money is transferred out of the country, the task is even more difficult. He said the U.S. Secret Service will only take cases for very large sums of money.
Banks will sometimes reimburse the lost sums, but often in the case of a scam the victim is considered at fault, Mello said.
He said to never reveal personal information, such as social security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers, over the phone. He said banks will never call a person for that information.
Sweet said she was grateful to Mello and the other investigators for finding those guilty of stealing her money.
But justice is not served until restitution is made, they said.
“I’ll be honest,” Silverman said. “I want to see them punished.”
He said the Martins missed a court appearance Aug. 22 in which they were required to pay another portion of the restitution. Throughout the process, he said they have claimed hardships and illness.
Meanwhile, Sweet said the court proceedings and thwarted closure are taking a toll on her health.
“I had open heart surgery this summer. I’m a nervous wreck and I’m anxious for this to get settled, but they don’t seem to cooperate with the court meetings and they never pay their restitution,” she said. “Now this has dragged on. They’ve already pleaded guilty to the charges but they haven’t kept up court appearances. It just goes on and on.”
She said she remembers the call every time her phone rings.
“I don’t believe anybody that calls me now,” she said. “I hang right up.”
Silverman said they are attempting to recoup the losses, but are not optimistic that Sweet will ever be fully repaid.
“I just don’t know why people would pick on the weakest people in society,” Silverman said. “Why they would do something like this, other than working and earning the money, is beyond my comprehension.”
He said his own parents get calls from potential scammers daily. He said it angers him that people would prey on naivete for greed.
“We’re talking about people in a different generation,” he said. “They don’t understand how people can change your life based on a phone call.”