Marie’s Story 

My name is Marie, and I’m 72 years old. I spent my life preparing for retirement, only to have over $1/2 million stolen from me by serial con artist Mr. XXX. This man had been disbarred from the practice of law and defrocked of his securities and financial investor licenses—but I knew none of this. He seemed so likable that only now do I see him for what he is: a con artist who stole my savings. 

The SEC Can’t Recover the Money

The SEC has already brought multiple lawsuits against Mr. XXX and his related companies… and WON. But after agreeing to pay restitution, Mr. XXX simply walked away. With only $½ million involved, the SEC will not invest additional time or staff to collect the money that Mr. XXX stole from me and other elderly victims. 

You + Technology = The Answer

A team of data scientists can locate the web of Mr. XXX’s conspirators and recover my savings. But the investigation costs money. I am looking for help to cover the costs. Please donate to help me and other elderly victims get back our savings and end this nightmare.

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The Real Story

Marie’s story is real, only her name has been changed.  If she used her real name, she risks becoming an online target.  Con artists prey on Marie and thousands of other senior citizens each year.  The FBI’s Common Fraud Schemes webpage explains:

• Senior citizens are most likely to have a “nest egg,” to own their home, and/or to have excellent credit—all of which make them attractive to con artists.
• People who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these individuals to say “no” or just hang up the telephone.
• Older Americans are less likely to report a fraud because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed. Elderly victims may not report crimes, for example, because they are concerned that relatives may think the victims no longer have the mental capacity to take care of their own financial affairs.
• When an elderly victim does report the crime, they often make poor witnesses. Con artists know the effects of age on memory, and they are counting on elderly victims not being able to supply enough detailed information to investigators. In addition, the victims’ realization that they have been swindled may take weeks—or more likely, months—after contact with the fraudster. This extended time frame makes it even more difficult to remember details from the events.
• Senior citizens are more interested in and susceptible to products promising increased cognitive function, virility, physical conditioning, anti-cancer properties, and so on. In a country where new cures and vaccinations for old diseases have given every American hope for a long and fruitful life, it is not so unbelievable that the con artists’ products can do what they claim.

21^st century data science leverages big data, predictive analytics and other technologies.  The explosion of data allows human experts working with data scientists to convert the information into stories – some explain what happened, some predict the future.  The use of data science has the potential of recovering the millions of dollars wrongfully taken from elderly Americans. 

The data science team (“Data Team”) working with Marie includes a world-leader in causation analysis.  For the last thirty plus years, he has helped the US government get to the bottom of biological threats in Nevada, toxic leaks in Japan, medical clearances for US Marshalls, and the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Team also includes a CS project manager who has orchestrated many of the CDC’s cloud and big data-based investigations ranging from environmental accidents to the effects of tremolite asbestos.  A third member of the Data Team includes a former district attorney who became a pioneer in the use of technology and the practice of law.  The Data Team wraps technology around human experts to solve problems in a manner only conceivable in recent years. 

The Data Team will help Marie by looking at the past 30 years to locate money taken by Mr. XXX and to identify the other participants or beneficiaries of Mr. XXX’s schemes.  The processes developed by the Data Team can be used by countless senior citizens to recover stolen savings and, potentially, deter future criminal action against the elderly. 

A donation to Marie’s fight will help resolve a wrongdoing and provide a meaningful and peaceful retirement to her and, potentially, to thousands of other senior citizens.