By the time Mogadore resident Larry Ford put a stop to the scam that had ensnared him and drained his life’s savings, it was too late.
His IRA was gone, along with his bank accounts and an annuity. The mutual funds he’d accumulated after a lifetime of work were depleted.
Still worse, a line of credit he’d established for the men who called him every day about his sweepstakes winnings was drained — and he now owes tens of thousands of dollars. Every month, he pays $411 just to cover the interest.
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On Sept. 9, he sat outside his home of 36 years as his beagle, Oscar, kept close by. His house had been sold to cover some of the debt he owes, and he would have to leave it — the home where he’d planned to live out his remaining years — this week.
“I’ve lost my home because of this deal,” he said. “Now I have to move to a trailer.”
You’re a winner
Ford’s horror story began in January 2020, when he received a fateful call. A representative from an organization the man called National Awards and Promotions contacted him with unbelievable news.
“I had won a prize,” Ford said.
Ford believed him, initiating a financial tsunami that would wipe out all his possessions. To this day, he doesn’t understand why he didn’t realize sooner that he was being scammed, why he didn’t listen to the friends who told him he was being taken.
“Every morning in that chair, I used to sit…
