Couple wires $800,000 home down payment to scammer

A Solana Beach couple is living a nightmare after wiring their $800,000 home down payment to a scammer posing as their escrow agent

[@arachosia]

I’m paranoid just sending $50 through Venmo. There’s no way in hell I’d ever send 800k.

[@mathewmclean9128]

Exactly LOL same here. I always double, triple and quadruple check account numbers before using Zelle and venmo to send money to friends and family.

[@sxne47]

For real tho 🤨

[@iSwearToCod]

tbf though, thats because you dont have 800k. so how could you send it?

[@sxne47]

That’s not even a sentence

[@iSwearToCod]

@@sxne47 just say you have trouble reading

[@fergman300]

30 yr olds.... buying a 1.4 million dollar home and now setting up a go fund me..... give me a break.

[@wsidechris]

There’s a chance they’re the scammers, making up a story to hustle money on a GoFundMe.

[@ILoveTheAllCreator]

​@wsidechris someone that see it 😂

[@g_pazzini]

right.. they might invent a new way to scam

[@jamedlock83]

@@wsidechrishighly doubtful. . . . IF that was the case, they will be arrested for FRAUD, and it's highly unlikely they are the scammers, so stop assuming shit.

[@fadmap9676]

They collected 470k in the go fund me too lol

[@absoluteauto4]

30 years old, $800,000 down payment? GoFundMe? Red flags are raised if I try to move $1500.00

[@teru797]

right?

[@lalotato]

probably inherited

[@SamplingPercussion]

Non of your post was original. You read other people’s posts and you’re just regurgitating it. Fail.

[@teru797]

@@SamplingPercussion A fellow late 2000s internet user I see.

[@sierraj7480]

@@SamplingPercussion i dont see other guys post, but you must have read every comment here. go get a job or another one.

[@senob44]

I thought for sure it was about to say, "These days 1-year-old Declan is the only one who can be trusted to handle the family's finances"

[@Morenita570]

I was thinking why they’re blaming the baby, he didn’t do anything.

[@rewhiteconsulting]

Who in the He!! wires $800,000.00 to ANYONE??? I would rather live in a garbage can than go through this...

[@PraveenSriram]

I definitely agree 👍🏿

[@Flickit100]

That's the problem with being scammed, living in a garbage can.

[@scholaroftheworldalternatehist]

Overpaid numbnuts

[@CrazyGreek80]

Who the hell just has $800k? Taylor Swift but mere mortals?

[@user-wd4uf2sm5d]

They are naive, innocent, hardworking people who aren't used to dealing with the dregs of society. Sadly, they didn't double check the bogus email addy (.corn). The escrow company is also at fault for not encrypting confidential information before sending it out over the Internet. It's shocking! Everyone so naive, yet they're dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[@allthingsdelightful8565]

This is exactly why I was skeptical of wire transfer. I had over 40K to give at closing and was upset they wouldn't take the cashiers check. Had to do the wire. I was nervous as can be sending that amount of money over. I went to the bank and did 5 dollar wire first to be sure the closing company got that first before I sent the remaining money. Made the bank check those numbers several times too. Wire transfers stress me out. You would have had to admit me to hospital if I lost 800k.

[@LIK64]

That was VERY smart of you

[@johannab7715]

You would have to admit me to the hospital if I lost 800k 😂😂😂😂 so true! This is devastating. This poor couple 🤦‍♀️

[@TopFlightSecurity415]

for 800k i would dedicate my life to finding that hacker

[@brianal7143]

We did it the old fashioned way as well. Certified cashiers check straight from our local bank. I don't trust wires but I do empathize with this couple how devastating

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

That’s brilliant and I’ll do that in the future. Yeah, $800K lost? I’d lose my mind!

[@DemetriusMack-rk7yydeme]

The fact the *Strongwidget* was facing adventures to help the people was so kind. Mad respect to you man. Appreciate all you do to help others. You are setting a great example for the community Strongwidget.

[@11962]

This is why I don't play around with wires... Good old fashioned certified check hand deliverer to the title company that's the only way I would do it

[@charlesreimler962]

Agree! Old Fashioned Is Safest Thank-You For Clarifying

[@CletusJackson333]

Unfortunately, some companies don’t accept cashiers checks anymore.

[@pumpkin_it_slawson3588]

How's it done? You go to your bank and say "I need a certified check for 'so' amount" Then the bank gives you a check ?

[@user-jn9gv9ve6e]

many certified checks are fake. the title company i just dealt with in midland michigan will not take any check. so i knew who i was dealing with ( i talked to them in person at the business) then had my bank wire them the money.

[@Instructor56]

@@pumpkin_it_slawson3588 Last year when I purchased a plot of land next to my home, I was told that if the amount is over $10,000, a wire transfer was required.

[@josephvalentine7]

If you have 800k as a down payment you don’t need a go fund me !

[@youlikeitiloveit3747]

You don’t know for long they saved or that could have been from life insurance.

[@jponz85]

Theyd probably give it to a scammer again lol. Man how are people this dumb beats me

[@YouTubeAddict50]

@@youlikeitiloveit3747 How did you ‘edit’ this, yet it still don’t make sense 🤔

[@user-pn2qs3kc5j]

Some people are too stupid to live.

[@BillyRichardson]

@@KZbinAddict50it's fine, are you retarted?

[@IssacStrong-lv3qyfgy]

Mad respect for saying yes bro. sometimes opportunities present themself and you Gotta take them. i am kind of a *Strongwidget* fan, but this recovery was a great message. you both already won For participating!

[@omarr2808]

I would be EMBARRASSED to be exposed like this on the news for my stupidity 😂

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

the husband is going to need counselling; the wife is a "consumer" mentality and it just showed big time.

[@LeahsMoods]

@@user-zf3xb3qx8w I kind of said the same thing. He's going to wind up divorcing her, too.

[@frankyu6984]

Probably did it to promote the GoFundMe.

[@SL-pg4dh]

​@@frankyu6984I thought the same. They are probably the real scammers. They probably worked in concert with the scammers, trying to scam folks on gofund me

[@Puggalug]

@omarr2808 Keep in mind that it is a misconception to believe only stupid people get scammed. Scammers use social engineering techniques to manipulate their victims. Victims of scamming that refuse to report it due to embarrassment means this happens more often than what we see on the news. Also, the fact that this couple has allowed the news to report this means less people will fall victim to this scam because it helps the rest of us be aware of it. With all of that said - is this still a laughing matter to you?

[@WheelEstate]

I'm a Realtor. Between us, mortgage lenders and closing attorneys, we continually stress to clients that the attorneys will NEVER email wire instructions. Instead, a hard copy of the wire instructions will be mailed and are to be confirmed via telephone call to the attorney's office. To anyone reading this: Always, always, ALWAYS call the attorney or title company to confirm wiring instructions BEFORE sending a wire.

[@HobbyOrganist]

Why on earth would anyone send a wire unless it's going to a foreign country!!! only wire I ever sent in my life was for a puppy purchased in Bosnia from a long time show kennel and she was shipped door to door to me in Iowa, I used CHarles Schwab to send the wire

[@veronicawatson8242]

When I sold my first house years ago, the escrow company wired my money to the new escrow company for my new home.

[@luleska1]

​@@HobbyOrganistGuess you havent purchased a home with a loan in the past 15 years I've done 4 property closing as a buyer and they have always asked to wire the funds

[@pumpkin_it_slawson3588]

​@luleska1 how did you wire it? I'm ignorant to this subject sorry, like...what's the process? Thank you

[@luleska1]

@@pumpkin_it_slawson3588 Closing attorney and/or title company provides the wire instructions with bank name, account number, wire routing number, amount, and your title file number.... you go to your bank, request to send a wire transfer and process it. The minute you enter the routing number, it immidiatly pops up the Bank Name, which should match the one provided in the wire instructions. There is generally a processing fee on your end and for the most part I noticed is $25-$45 per transaction.... Not all states require a buyer to hire a closing attorney, but it definetly does not hurt either

[@GaryWard-se4wbgary]

This was legitimately so wholesome. You can tell at the ending of getting Your money back that it wasn't scripted at all when *Strongwidget* proposed.... This warmed my heart today! Congratulations Guys! So happy for y'all!…..

[@BobRico-ew1olxc]

mad respect for him.. i can't even imagine the physical and emotional toll this challenge would put on a person. no doubt this is the best pro on youtube!!! Been watching *Strong widget* for about 2 years now and to see his growth is still good to accept, hes so humble and normal it’s almost like hes been on KZbin his whole life..,..

[@YSUPERJOSHhh]

I don't normally post comments...but you guys were Ana's angel. From the depth of my heart, thank you *Strongwidget* for protecting our most vulnerable!! Thanks so much for the hard work, you do on this world. I been watching you for, a while and amazes me every. Time when you save someone that has being Scammed I wish you all, the best saving more people

[@vincenttiene]

When in doubt, just send like $100 and see if it goes through before proceeding with the rest.

[@julrin7122]

That’s literally not how wires work

[@jameshoffa7085]

@@julrin7122 "Did you get the $100?" "No" yeah that is how it works moron

[@Tazdingo01]

@@julrin7122 It's to check whether the wire info is correct.

[@vincenttiene]

@@julrin7122 I just hope that you didn't get that answer from a scammer.

[@coreybkguy1372]

​@@julrin7122🛑

[@ketaminefetishist]

if i had 800,000 i'm having it in singles, and sleeping on it like a dragon

[@wiifii5.071]

calm down smaug the great

[@Arz2003]

@@wiifii5.071he's right

[@raymondlin8728]

​@wiifii5.071 what's your problem. Be nice

[@A1sinceday1-88]

🐉 love that I know 🤣

[@NPC_YouTube]

@@wiifii5.071 if you looke very carefully there's superman #1 comic book in PSA mint condition somewhere down there

[@NadiaCalhoun_hanadia]

You can Clearly tell that Strong widget is tired of playing nice guy. You can see the Anger and frustration towards these scumbags in his eyes. *STRONG WIDGET* I support you 100%. You are doing AWESOME work. Never give up. This is the kind of recovery agent that should get a tv show. National Platform to show the scammers their days are numbered. Thank you for what you do…

[@RETROOBLIVION]

$800k wired? This story don't make sense and it's weird that this couple is able to do an interview on TV with composure. This couple is chill like they lost their grocery money for the week.😂

[@FlabbyTabby]

They're probably thinking they'll get their money back. Also they might be pretty rich.

[@SS-br5ff]

Idk they don’t seem chill to me. They seem restless. Almost detached from reality. It could be a coping mechanism to deal with the situation. I think that’s how I’d most likely react if I was in this situation. I’d pretend like everything is fine.

[@KeithCarterEOG]

Or they could seem calm out of embarrassment

[@UpUpDnDnLtRtLtRtBAStart]

Bottom line is they have a kid to raise and HAVE TO keep the bare minimum of composure. As she pointed out, they can't sleep and are having nightmares and panic attacks. Don't mistake a few minutes on air as the complete picture.

[@user-wm2xi2cn8s]

Trust fund couple

[@robertjebediahfreeman]

$800K DOWNPAYMENT is outrageous

[@xhibitplus]

They are the scammers

[@Western_ENT]

The more down payment you put, the less you'll have to pay in total. Go learn some basic maths!

[@TangoIndiaMikeJuliet]

​@Western_ENT Not a wise investment though.

[@Western_ENT]

@@TangoIndiaMikeJuliet If I'm to live in the house for the rest of my life, hell ya that's MORE than a wise "investment"! You just don't know how to do maths! No matter what, you'll still have to pay the FULL AMOUNT, PLUS INTEREST! You're not going to OWN the house even if you pay 95% of the Principal, and the moment you stop paying, you'll lose EVERYTHING! So, why pay a big down payment, and try to finish paying asap to pay LEAST AMOUNT OF INTEREST and MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFIT? I guess you can attempt to "educate" aka "brainwash" the idiots, not me! 😅

[@user-gz4ve8mw9l]

How much was the house $1.6 million? You could buy 5 2000 sq ft houses brand new, near where I live for that. You can buy a 4800 sq ft house a county away for $979k, I just checked. Regardless tragic story for the couple. Definitely a high cost of living area IF the down payment alone is $800k.

[@BenBerth-kk9ehh]

This is amazing, the way you guys listen to the community and how you are still giving this victims so much love makes me super happy and motivated to keep on praying and recommending *Strong widget!* Also i think its seen in the world as well. Love your work and very excited for the future, big love from germany:*

[@PennyPincher60]

The escrow employee that left the account number off of the unsecured email was in on it. I would suspect.

[@berniecolling3697]

I believe that too!

[@howlinwulf]

Yep that's almost half of a million

[@kendallevans4079]

@@howlinwulf Umm....$500,000 is half a million

[@misterpsych3804]

flunked 3rd grade math I see@@howlinwulf

[@geoffreycasey875]

​@@kendallevans4079maybe he means ££££

[@anthonyariola6278]

That money was probably given to them that’s why they were so loose and irresponsible with it

[@TOMVUTHEPIMP]

The wife is the one who did it. Hubby is ready to unalive her.

[@MrChanJackmille]

30 days. We've overcome a lot of ups and downs, joy and tears, THE GREAT RECOVERYs, amazing game plans, slapping scammers, a total of $14 million recovered, and here we are - the end of the journey. It was fun while it lasted, but every series has an ending. Hope *STRONG WIDGET* reach 10 mil subs soon for your hard work!..

[@fandomcheergurl1006]

60% of down payment for a home instead of the required 20% to avoid paying PMI and they wired the money instead of using a cashiers check?Why didn’t the title company open an escrow account for the real estate transaction and impound the down payment initially? This is strange!

[@kyesadler1721]

Almost like the company is in cahoots with the hacker

[@lunam7249]

i think this is a scam somehow??!! no one can be this stupid

[@Patty5825]

@fandomcheergurl1006 Right!!!

[@rockon8174]

Yup. Too weird.

[@stephencook7337]

I’m going to pretend I know what you’re talking about and agree with you on that.

[@kicknotes]

Lucky enough to have $1.4mm. Not lucky enough to have 1.4mm brain cells.

[@floraafroza1365]

this is why getting scammed on runescape can teach a very valuable lesson.

[@MadnessAbsolute]

I lost my rune gold trimmed armor and after that I buckled down

[@marcusfossa6695]

Some guy approached me offering American money for my Canadian money. I was thrilled because American money is worth more, so I accepted. Then I remembered getting scammed on RuneScape and demanded he give my money back. Luckily I was bigger than him so he gave it back. I gave his fake American money back because I'm a nice Canadian. Thank you, RuneScape.

[@jared19882]

A fellow player!

[@Kenny2k08]

I’m so glad that guy stole my abyssal whip in his house back in the day. Was gutted about it but it showed me how garbage people truly are.

[@MyCatNeedsAnExorcism]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Michael_W007]

Go Fund Me used to be for things like paying for funeral expenses of murder victims and helping families who lost everything in wildfires get back on their feet. Not helping affluent couples buy beach neighnorhood homes.

[@frankyu6984]

They're way at the back of the line for people who need a donation. In comparison they're more fortunate to be able to have lost $800k. Looks like they only raised $21,000.

[@Silllywalks]

🤣I don't know what's going on here with this couple, I feel for anyone who lost a big chunk o' change like that, but using their logic, every American living paycheck to paycheck should have a gofundme! I wonder if they realize that.

[@DavianSinner]

The husband's body language is cracking me up LOL. This is borderline an SNL short.

[@annalewis3356]

Lol haha

[@timmartin7664]

Yes I could see that skit. Maybe have Pete Davidson as the husband and Heidi Gardner as the gullible wife. Hilarious😂

[@rc0334]

Yea SNL is just hilarious.

[@RoxieLoxie]

They’re definitely faking it

[@timmartin7664]

@@rc0334 I don't think they're faking it. They are just dumb for sending money to an unvarified source.

[@tubecontributor3206]

ARE YOU KIDDING? If they had $800,000 for a downpayment on a house, they SHOULD NOT BE ON GO FUND ME

[@mkhanman12345]

Are you serious? You think 800k grows on trees? I don’t get this dumb logic

[@mkhanman12345]

@@mischaraine1645 they setup the gofundme after they were scammed out of 800k. That’s a lot of money and don’t think there is a way to get that back in an instant.

[@RetrocadePodcast]

@@mkhanman12345 They mean that if they were wealthy enough to accumulate $800k before the age of 30, they're wealthy enough to not beg people to replace it. $800k is double the median household price, and that was just their down payment. That being said, I presume that amount was gifted to them by family.

[@sidvicious332]

Feel sorry for us for being slow!

[@lexlax3498]

I WOULD OF BOUGHT A $200,000 HOUSE❗❗SAVED THE REMAINING BALANCE.

[@grantsajdak8176]

Who admits they were this dumb😭😭😭

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

I think they are advertising for the gofundme. Why did they name the boy Deckland?

[@86GT11]

Dumb people

[@itsrelativ3967]

Dumb and dumber

[@johndvoracek1000]

Some folks have a lot more money than common sense.

[@applejuicejunkie316]

Any and everyone can be scammed though. They don't call it a confidence game/scheme for nothing.

[@jackdavis8701]

it was the girl who did it im sure

[@rboddington]

When this happened to me in Canada I successfully sued the company I was doing business with, as they claimed their email account was hacked. In Canada a business is responsible for having proper firewall protections in place, the, we were hacked, defence doesn't work. The company ended up refunding all the money they was wired, I picked it up via cheque as I could no longer trust electronic payments, for obvious reasons.

[@AndyonBlast]

Were they cracking cheese?

[@themartdog]

Yeah, I was thinking that too. Seems like the lawyer is 100% at fault for this. Why should the couple expect that an email that came from the escrow lawyer was suspect?

[@moniquemariemuniz]

Yes!!! Shouldn’t they be responsible? They are the ones who sent out the email that was hacked if they sent the email on a protected firewall this would’ve never happened so you’re absolutely right!

[@timcoker1428]

Paid for my house with a bank certified check. Yes an old fashion certified check. No problems at all.

[@yt_energy]

thats cool that you had no problems. thanks for sharing your story

[@Li0nshare]

@@yt_energythat passive aggressive energy tho 😅

[@fremontpathfinder8463]

Often it is now required that you wire money to the escrow company but not that high of an amount

[@jaymesondavis947]

@@fremontpathfinder8463 we had to wire a similar amount. I made the title rep come to my bank and meet me in person. We were worried because we received fraudulent emails telling us to wire as well. I didn't recognize the email addresses. I live right next to Solana Beach too.

[@kendallevans4079]

@@fremontpathfinder8463Required? I'm sure walking a cashiers check into the escrow office would suffice. If not, I would not do business with them

[@paulremick4291]

No way this marriage lasts long. The way he is acting and having nightmares. Its all he will think about once the shock wears off

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

I'm more concerned about the trauma for the little boy named Deckland.

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

@@UncleDavesKitchen that's another flag. like womenmyownage who only talk about their little dog. the husband is an afterthought. I see a divorce. Hitting the 'send" button is completely on her as far as I understand he wasn't standing behind her while she did it.

[@jackdavis8701]

yeah Im sure it was the wife who wired the money. A guy would never be that stupid

[@floridamaddogg]

What else is a scam is the fact $800k is only 60% of the price of that house. Completely ridiculous.

[@reprovedcandy]

we're never buying a home buddy, accept your fate as I and the rest of our generation have.

[@TruthSlays]

@@reprovedcandy nah PLENTY of acceptably priced homes... these two GOOFIES are GREEDY and have no financial literacy... now we have a bunch of bigger goofies donating to their gofundme...

[@DNDNONAME]

He be looking at her like he hates her 🤣🤣🤣

[@kittensmitten3287]

Lol

[@danielisaac7586]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@herbbot8241]

Even the baby be like "thanks mom"

[@naebonnie]

Yeah he hates her guts 😂

[@jdstep97]

They might need couples counseling. This sort of thing can harm a marriage.

[@dominicvallez6176]

This was an side job. I’ve heard of this happening before. It’s very odd that a buyer just happens to get an email with wire instructions out of blue right after you close on a house. Crazy.

[@Western_ENT]

Yes, I believe most bank scams are bank insider jobs, and this one as well is likely an inside job, they need to compare notes with other customers from this SAME REAL ESTATE COMPANY!

[@user-tp4tl4jz5w]

If they can afford a two million dollar house they don’t need our little money 💰 😮

[@SL-pg4dh]

I'm saying. If you can have 800k laying around at such young ages, they surely can do it again. They are doing better than their donors.

[@joshitheyoshi2533]

@@SL-pg4dh it was probably partly an inheritance. She's a UCSD nurse and he's a chef. I'm sure it was life-changing money for them that they thought would be put safely in a home for their family.

[@fredm.2699]

This couple had $800K to wire for a house….meaning they have ample cash for emergency savings and other stuff…wow…

[@SCSC-qz7rr]

This almost happened to one of my coworkers in CA when she was buying a house and she noticed one digit of the wire transfer account was different, she said she went over and over he numbers just to make sure, then called the Co to verify the information, and sure enough one digit was off, this would’ve sent her down payment money to scammers.

[@Laney322]

And authorities can't set a trap for the scammers aye

[@edwardkim2511]

Wow good thing they double checked.

[@SeEpiNIncoherentRambling]

you can't choose your account number and isn't it two numbers

[@tula1433]

There should be a middle ground where money is held in limbo between sending and receiving.

[@zell863]

@@Laney322 Authorities? I give to them this video "Bankruptcy court of USA fraud 1". They didn't move a finger.

[@studiosinger]

As a notary I witnessed the smartest and brightest came very close wiring millions to a scammer too.

[@studiosinger]

Yesterday another customer from a well known key person in San Francosco summoned me for an insurance document loss claim related to wiring money to a scammer. It wasn’t that much he said but the scammer changed 1 number in the email they sent.

[@michaeljohn7467]

Some thieves use witchcraft n demons to rob you, it happened to me once the demons tried possessing me to give them one of my debit cards info, but I was able to fight them off, they got mad they couldn't possess me to give the info to the thieves in texts they sent me

[@ge2623]

Then they're not the smartest and brightest, are they?

[@JustinHardtUDC]

@@ge2623 You just don't have enough money to know how many SMART people will try to steal it from you.

[@mightytaiger3000]

@@ge2623😂

[@EMC1986Hobi]

How can people have this much money and be so stupid 🙄. Why do they deserve a GoFundMe? Wow

[@User_92020]

They're scamming, yes the couple is this video are scammimg.

[@josieann5031]

Stupid people who make stupid decisions should not be allowed to set up a GoFundMe.

[@bright6200]

Gofundme for being stupid

[@grahamcrackers7]

Wow, you must be sooo perfect! What a pleasant person you are.

[@sidvicious332]

Feel sorry for us we're slow!

[@alanchen1010]

Setup a go fund me…lmao!!! Please stop it!!!

[@Green_Eggs_and_HAM]

Not that I blame the couple, but I wonder what they do for a living, this is something that usually happens to trusting Elderly folks.

[@wonderwhat4]

Not any more.

[@kendallevans4079]

Could be generational wealth. That seems to be the only option for a down payment these days when a house in S. CA is $1,500,000

[@amyr6395]

they are to blame

[@uy7munir]

muricans

[@nonyobussiness3440]

Yeah these people are dumb as hell.

[@travelnomad2128]

800k is only a deposit? That's 4x my mortgage. Anyway, any big financial move should be conducted through mail and in person. And initiate all calls. Use local agents you can see in person & has an office.

[@mariahsmom9457]

I thought the same about that giant of a down payment.

[@fredfolson5355]

Yeah, the reporter said the $775,000 was 60% of the total purchase price. That would put the cost of the home in the $1,291,000 range. For Carlsbad, CA (North County San Diego) that's about average. There are 1,800 sqft condos near the beach in Carlsbad for more than that.

[@kendallevans4079]

This is California and they were buying in Carlsbad. Ave price for a single family detached is about 1.4 million

[@kendallevans4079]

@@fredfolson5355Yup...Don't forget prop. taxes, insurance and HOA!

[@backtoschool9760]

@@fredfolson5355 average price doesnt change how much it is. its a lot

[@TimeFlyingBy1884]

Husband looks like a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment. I would hate to be the guy who looks at him the wrong way, or the driver that cuts him off in traffic, etc...

[@lamelwinston7101]

Ikr, a raging homicide..

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

Can you blame him? this is ENTIRELY on the wife. She hit "send".

[@pk3]

When I have to send over a 100$ in Zelle to a friend/new account, I send a 5$ first, ask them if they got it and then send the rest. You’d think those who send 800k$ will take some precaution.

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

that is very smart

[@Fighter4Street]

Yup, I'm the same way and thought the same as you. I'm so carful with this stuff. I don't know what I would do if I had to wire 800K. I would without doubt send it in small increments and verify with the bank.

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

@@Fighter4Street My houses I used certified checks but that's not so popular any more. This would be scary as heck. I can see how they missed this with the scammer using the official emails. A good lesson to learn from someone else's mistake and not our own.

[@howdan1985]

Exactly! Here in the UK I always send £1 first and then obtain confirmation that it was safely received and only after that send any further funds. This couple were too stupid for words to wire $800,000 dollars in one go without any form of confirmation.

[@Mtrader96]

800k is some people retirement hope money 🤝😂

[@edwardkim2511]

From watching all these videos on scammers, when it comes to making big payments its safer to meet in person.

[@Sunshine-lo6vd]

Even that’s not safe … who knows who you’re meeting 🥴

[@Waltaere]

@@Sunshine-lo6vdWith a ~pre-filled~ out cashier’s check rather than actual cash, that money is safe regardless if the paperwork gets stolen or not I know, as i’ve done such type transaction before

[@willardbennett8255]

​@@Waltaere👍

[@Waltaere]

@@willardbennett8255 🤗

[@pitbull7885]

I agree!!!!!!

[@phyllis2866]

She shouldve CALLED the escrow company first to confirm the number, send a small amount like $50, confirm they got it, then send of rest of the money. So many missteps. Totally preventable. Hindsight is 20/20.

[@mirteshappy1]

I would be almost willing to bet both of my hands that the FBI knows exactly how to track that money if they wanted to.

[@kasniquesariawn4694]

Someones living good! More money than common sense!

[@danielalonzo7445]

More money than brains

[@coreyadams1982]

I purchased my house with cash, even though I did all my research the wire transfer process was nerve racking. There has to be a better way.

[@hinatababe97]

Like geez!

[@hara7950]

ex-Realtor here from MN, I always advised my clients to bring a cashiers check to closing, not possible in all circumstances/states but it kept my clients safe

[@s1234pro]

Write a check at closing.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

There absolutely is, and that’s why this doesn’t happen that often. I’d never wire that amount, especially not with out my lawyer in tow.

[@fremontpathfinder8463]

Most people can't do that.

[@Sidicas]

How did they get so much cash at such a young age? That is depressing as I've been working for 30 years in a 40 hour a week white collar job, no kids, and investing most of it every paycheck and I don't have anywhere near that kind of money.

[@mia1shooter]

What a dumb question

[@minoozolala]

Inheritance likely.

[@mia1shooter]

@@minoozolala or they simply worked hard for it...did working hard become not a thing now?. You sound stupid. L0ser

[@mkhanman12345]

Doesn’t matter how they got it

[@didforlove]

You bought into the capitalist scam bro ski 😅

[@garyp9906]

I actually heard of this happening to someone we know. He lost $55,000 to scammers on the closing of his new home. This individual was driving to the title company from out of state with all his belongings in a U haul truck. Long story short, he never got his new house.

[@WillieFufu-lo1nb]

$800k down payment? Could've brought 2 big houses in Oklahoma for that.

[@twczzkm]

Yea, maybe so but Oklahoma has nothing on Carlsbad, California. Despite all the negative news you hear about California, if you have the means, Southern Cal is unbeatable.....Again, that's if you have the means and time to enjoy what the State has to offer.

[@lemuhuru]

You could also probably buy 10 of them in Gary, TN so what's your point?

[@PC_TV_73]

With the Waite California is going to be no way I would move there. Unfortunately it has nice weather but that’s about it. There’s a lot of places you can move with nice weather that don’t have the craziness that’s going on in California.

[@twczzkm]

@@PC_TV_73 California definitely has some crazy cities but they are not all full of nutzos. Case in point, where this guy is buying a house. Carlsbad is a very nice area. We have much more going on here besides the weather. For example, endless entertainment, beautiful ocean, mountains, rivers, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, endless cuisines, hot women, lots of money to be made, etc. As long as you have the means, California is still one of the most desirable places to live.

[@WillieFufu-lo1nb]

@lemuhuru what's my point? Apparently you're not smart enough to get my point.

[@8MunchenBayern8]

im sorry...but 800K DOWN PAYMENT. these people were already rich.

[@jambreakfast4341]

How can you have 800k and be sooooo ignorant???

[@86GT11]

Pornstars

[@gallynuts]

lol no remorse for these stooges 😂

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

Unless he was standing behind her at the terminal or laptop, this 'send" issue is completely on her. He's only kicking himself for "empowering' her to "manage" the accounts. Now, he pays. And pays.

[@kastel5674]

@@user-zf3xb3qx8wthis is why men need to be running things

[@JhonnyBoi]

Never wire money in general, unless absolutely necessary. Cash and checks should be the only form of payment when dealing with big numbers.

[@charlesclark2166]

A streetsmart person would nvr do this

[@beautynbrains3550]

I mean never

[@JakeStewart1343]

Jesus would never do this 😮

[@DedPixels]

they dont seem to be either worried or homeless after losing almost as mill...

[@Veronica.A.]

To me they look like scammers setting up a gofund me account.

[@technox8166]

@@Veronica.A.Exactly. Someone gets it. They are full of crap. Pure BS story to get “donations.”

[@_garebear]

Trust me. Those 2 were told about 3 million times NOT to wire any money and to ONLY talk via voice to their escrow officer but NOOOOOOO they always make an exception. The emails demanding payments most always reference a sense of urgency.

[@cindybogart6062]

All I can say, is, why would anyone do something this foolish?

[@user-pn2qs3kc5j]

Stupidity never fails.

[@d.lawrence5670]

Famous last words before YOU do something stupid. See it a million times. You're busy judging someone else, then bam! You screw up in some way. And then your screw up, from that day on, makes you a little more sympathetic toward others.

[@mary_puffin]

How is it foolish when a hacker literally intercepted an email and stealthily posed as their Escrow agent? Many times this is because of poor cybersecurity systems or practices by the Escrow agent, not the clients.

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

they named the boy Deckland, that's a red flag right there.

[@CletusJackson333]

Most escrow companies will require wire transfers. I was given a paper copy by the escrow and called them at the financial institution while executing the transfer. It’s crazy how many times the escrow told us to look out for email scams. Makes me wonder how often this happens.

[@bsdrvr1]

I bought a house three months ago and was concerned about this happening. Went to my bank in person to review and practice the transfer instructions with a bank employee. Also, called the closing attorneys as I was getting ready to wire the funds to make sure I had the right info. I was paranoid. It all worked out for me, but was stressful. I hope they recover their funds and get the house.

[@TOMVUTHEPIMP]

Bro this story is almost 5 years old..

[@DenisDoc7]

Start from the bottom like 99 % of young families. And how are millionaires going to ask for a handout via gofundme? GTFOH! Hahahhahaha

[@Heart2HeartBooks]

A go fund me? Is it the I am an idiot go fund me page. I wire money all the time and I always check and double check to make sure I have the correct information. SWIFT etc..

[@pumpkin_it_slawson3588]

Hi. I've never wired money before...what's the process, like how do you go about doing it, thank you

[@ConstantlyRepeatingMyself]

@@pumpkin_it_slawson3588 You go to the bank with the account number that you want the money wired to. The bank then wires the money.

[@elhugeo]

@@pumpkin_it_slawson3588best advise is for you to go to your mortgage broker office in person and help you send that wire.

[@navsidhumebourne2391]

I bought small house for $400k. I put 5% deposit. If I can do they can do too. I won’t donate shit to dumb people who are buying house more then million dollar with 60% down payment.

[@lr7815]

Was your house in California? xD

[@luigituriano1536]

@@lr7815 I just saw his profile. Australia 🇦🇺. Greetings from me, Luigi from Canada 🇨🇦.

[@fredrezfield1629]

you think it's better to buy two $400k houses than to buy one $800k house ?

[@willshad]

@@fredrezfield1629 It's better to buy one $400k house and have 400k to save, or spend on other things. Or better yet, pretend the money doesn't exist, invest it, and 10-20 years later you'll likely have millions. But that's something an intelligent person might do. A young working class couple has no business buying a million and a half dollar house.

[@fredrezfield1629]

@@willshad right unless they both were making a ton of money how are theyre going to keep up with the high property taxes or their mortgage

[@robertthompson5908]

I’ve only bought one house in my lifetime and that was in 1998. For the down payment handed a cashiers check to the sellers lawyer. For the final payment we brought a cashiers check to the closing.

[@Clintsessentials]

100

[@sinoverlord409]

Smart enough to save 800k but dumb enough to give it away. Blows my mind everytime

[@majorgardner4272]

Atleast they got family and aint on the street

[@UncleDavesKitchen]

they have Deckland, too.

[@lyonsdavid]

no patience, they got in too big a hurry, irresponsible and sad

[@vertugallery7099]

The Bible: 'A fool and his money are easily parted'

[@user-ie2lw6ev4k]

800,000 is only 60%????? How much money do these people have to piss away that they can just find 800,000 laying around?

[@24reyeser]

Go fund me? They had 800000 cash they, dont need money

[@esils]

And they might even get the stolen money back 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@kendallevans4079]

IKR! Just seems like people fall back on the "GoFundMe" stuff very quickly and regardless of the reason.

[@misterpsych3804]

um, NO!@@esils

[@Daniel.H.Garavaglia]

Have you heard of hard work for years. They might have been saving that for 15 years and used the entirely of that.

[@Daniel.H.Garavaglia]

An no they are no way getting that backs it is impossible. It is in Singapore. @@esils

[@sneksteppy]

Lol. Literally them: Hey America, I know y'all are struggling to pay your bills, but give us some of your money to help us recover from our own poor judgement! We really need this money for our dream $1.3M house!

[@alphafemale4795]

Most Americans are struggling to make their own payments and bills. Can’t imagine the gofundme will gather much. Especially if the young couple want more careful.

[@xavierhugstable2678]

Husband is like I married a dummy lmfao

[@jaycahuenga6416]

I'm Dead 😅😅 ☠️

[@robertnunn3015]

Go fund me ?? Seriously!! What a joke

[@SD619NINI]

I know right???? It’s a triple Noooooo for me! Go fund me????? Their family who live in Solana beach can help them!!!!

[@cheryl5994]

I DON’T MEAN TO BE RUDE BUT, WHAT DID THEY WANT THE PUBLIC TO PAY INTO A GO FUND ME FOR, A NEW HOUSE?

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Agree, but please note, using all caps is considered a breach of etiquette.

[@mikejohn0088]

Well, you missed your mark --that was damn rude.

[@jamesjazzy8040]

Just the fact that they had $800k and theyre buying a house for over a million dollars.It's hard to feel sorry for them. Sounds like they have more.... There's people RENTING in roaching infested houses. Now they're left with a beautiful apartment and 2 good paying jobs how awful...

[@truthteller5521]

You’re a miserable, hating ass, piece of garbage.

[@jstringer4900]

Thank you for warning others about such scams.

[@MrKcool25]

800K? Good life Most people won’t make 800K total in salary in their lifetime. Let alone lose it to scammers.

[@jimmyjay689]

40 yrs of working.... Averaging 50k a year .... 2 Million Dollars.....

[@Whillie_Whonka1]

$800k isn’t a lot of money anymore

[@monicacai]

@@jimmyjay689yeah sure, but wouldn’t 2 millions be a very small amount of money compared with 800k right now due to inflation? I doubt owning 2 millions in 40 years is worth the same as 800k right now…based on google only 25% of Americans have more than 100k in their bank accounts.

[@MrKcool25]

@@jimmyjay689 40 years of working 20k a year like minimum wage 800k

[@lefthanded5473]

@@jimmyjay689After bills,taxes,etc your. Loaf left with nothing after 40 years.

[@michaelbrophy8965]

Left San Diego 5 years ago. No where can compete weather wise. But now I can afford to live. My 3 bedroom beach house on east coast is 1200 month. Yeah we have winter and I hate it. But I also hated paying 3000 a month in San Diego for a rented apartment. 😔

[@joanword2895]

wow where is this house

[@michaelbrophy8965]

@@joanword2895 Chesapeake Beach Maryland bought for 200k in 2018 just appraised at 300k still cheaper than San Diego.

[@JC-du6sn]

Look up Within Heaven's Gates by Rebecca Springer. Page 64 😇

[@poincareconjecture5651]

That's me.arghhh...leaving soon....the weather is absolutely amazing ....and my goodness Carlsbad is one beautiful place

[@poincareconjecture5651]

​@@joanword2895Carlsbad California....smaller version of La Jolla... beautiful town

[@Jaco3688]

How do people like that get access to that much easy money?

[@CrabbyOldLady]

I knew the second I saw the headline that they'd be blaming a financial institution, and not the criminal. Or themselves.

[@alta5688]

Wouldn't people want to transfer a small amount first, like say $50, and make sure it gets there. Or at least transfer in $100k increments. I just don't have words.

[@ASmith-jn7kf]

I wouldn't wire anything.

[@Runescapian0wner]

Even if they did, they were still talking to the scammer. The scammer could of have said they received it and still get the other increments.

[@HobbyOrganist]

Yeah its crazy, only time youd want to wire money is like to a foreign country recipient due to their not being able to accept a creditcard or the high fees charged by paypal and others. Never heard of a domestic wire- you send a bank check or something. @@ASmith-jn7kf

[@govinda102000]

Good plan.

[@justrandomthings319]

@@Runescapian0wner *could have

[@AustinTXRealEstatebyFelix]

how can someone smart enough to save such monies lose such monies???

[@HobbyOrganist]

It's like the idiots who send money after money after money to romance scammers, even after their bank, friends and family WARN them it's a scam!!!

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

Having money isn’t an indicator of intelligence. There are a lot of stupid rich people out there.

[@oregonflatland]

Sounds like they had "rose colored glasses" - they didn't even bother to verify the wiring instructions.

[@tednguyen7258]

it is an idicator....they know how to make and save....

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

@@tednguyen7258not really, they could have won a law suit. Having a lot of money doesn’t go hand in hand with actually earning it, or saving it.

[@KathleenMcNe]

I'm closing on two properties this Friday. I would not even consider wiring funds. I will be supplying a cashier's check.

[@Morenita570]

I thought the news reporter was going to blame the baby for the missing money.

[@JohnnyPJ92]

😂😂 they should get an award for this 😂😂 Dummy of the year

[@jaknap1]

What the heck is wrong with people begging strangers for money via gofundme? You might as well stand at a corner with a tin can.

[@marysaade4343]

How does 30-year-olds have this kind of money for a down payment?

[@melissagreye8445]

inheritance plus savings most likely

[@LTW530]

Very CARELESS!!!!!! Always IN PERSON inside the bank!!!

[@MeredithMinsky]

We bought our home back in Sept. '23. Escrow closed one month later in Oct. '23. We had large group emails and phone calls going with the escrow company, and we went to that escrow company 3x during the process. Everyone of us knew the other one was legit. We also did Zoom meetings, and everyone saw each other. There was no way that some rando was going to sneak into the situation out of the blue. Out of 4 homes we've owned, that was the tightest, strictest escrow we'd ever gone through. So, not sure how something like this happens to people.

[@swisstrader]

Yes, but doesnt matter if everyone does zoom calls or that you all know each other. All it takes is one single email that looks like its from the escrow account and if you didnt double check, very easy to send a wire to the wrong account. Banks and escrow companies should be held accountable and should be a better reprocess

[@samsmusichub]

Bro I can't even separate from $10 to give it to a homeless person in this economy.

[@flelite3994]

you'll pay for your greed one day lol

[@samsmusichub]

@@flelite3994lol

[@jaycahuenga6416]

Me....not even 50¢

[@kathyr.8135]

I give to others

[@samsquanch67]

Where did they get $800.000? Easy come easy go!

[@KijjiSale]

paid for anything over 10 k with bank certified check

[@MrStv1163]

I used a major national title company for my real estate purchase earlier this year and they required the down payment be paid via wire. All these comments saying "just pay with a check" are misguided because it's often not even allowed to do that.