Former White House scientist was scammed out of $655,000
A former White House scientist was scammed out of $655,000. Then came the IRS.
Frances Sharples walked through the glass doors of her credit union, ready to make the worst decision of her life.She had a script from the man promising to save the retirement account she built over decades as a science adviser to the U.S. government, including in the White House.He told her to transfer more than $600,000 — and to keep her cellphone on so he could listen to her. If anyone asked whether she was put up to it, she was to reply: “No, absolutely not,” according to her hand-scrawled notes. No one did. She handed the clerk the routing number, walked back to her dented 2005 Honda and returned home.