Acclaimed journalist Charlotte Cowles works for New York magazine. Writing as a financial advice columnist, she ensures their liberal readership gets the strongest guidance on growing their money. Yet on October 31st, she found herself quickly taken for $50k.
Receiving a call allegedly from Amazon Customer Service, she was told her account had been charged for $8,000 in MacBooks and iPads. Checking her account and seeing no such transaction, she and her “representative” figured it was likely identity theft. Connected by the agent with an alleged liaison at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by the person who called Cowles, she never stopped to think something was amiss.
Cowles’ article claimed this FTC liaison told her she had amassed 22 bank accounts, nine vehicles, and four houses under her name. Plus, the agent said MD and TX had warrants out in her name for drug trafficking, cybercrime, and money laundering. This person knew her social, names of family members, and that she had a 2-year-old playing in the living room. She added that this person offered to connect her with his people at the CIA who oversaw her case.
When connected, Cowles alleges this agent told her that she couldn’t tell anyone, even her husband, or contact any other authorities. If she did, she would have her home raided, assets ceased, and likely arrested on the spot. He said for $50k, she could get a new Social Security card and that she could remit payment to an “undercover agent” he was sending to her for the money. Complying, she couldn’t shake the idea this was a scam and contacted the police. It was then she learned real and legitimate cops don’t ask you for a payoff.
This kind of scam was popular back in the AOL days, yet New York editor-in-chief Choire Sicha Tweeted a soc-signing to this ignorance. “I’m saying this with love and an acknowledgment that this could happen to me too, but the deal is that our financial advice columnist gave $50,000 to a scammer in cash out on the streets.”
At this point, both Cowles and Sicha have proven that they have no business being responsible for anything having to do with New York magazine. Making these kinds of ignorant decisions in 2024 as someone who isn’t a senior citizen is less than acceptable. The fact that you got taken by an “Amazon rep” in cahoots with reps for the Feds is beyond pathetic. It’s just shameful.
