My Scam Story by Brenda B, Meditech Applications Analyst
“In February of 2023, I started talking to a man who said he was Tommy Shaw from Styx on Verified Telegram. I have been a fan of his for many years. It started out as a friendship. He said he was going through a hard time with his divorce from his wife. That no one can know yet about it. Then someone posted on the Tommy Shaw Fan Group on Facebook that he was getting divorced. So, I believed him. I would Google things on Tommy Shaw and question the guy and he always knew the answers.
I planned a trip in April 2023 for my 60th birthday to Tampa, Florida. I bought Styx tickets in Clearwater, Florida hoping to meet him. He told me to wait around after the show, and someone would come get me. But no one did. He begged for my forgiveness. It was something he had no control over. So, I forgave him. He sent me a teddy bear, flowers, food deliveries. Even a cake on my birthday. He constantly gave me sweet talk, said how he loved me, how we are going to look for a house and take trips together.
First, he asked me to buy a Styx membership fan card so my access would be easier to get back stage. Then it was a couple of gift cards. Then he asked me to become a partner in his Orsted investment. He wanted me to get his 3.2 million investment out. And I would get 30% of the investment by helping him. He didn't want his wife to know about the investment. He then introduced me to his attorney Brown Miller. So, I had 2 people scamming me which I didn't know.
I signed a beneficiary agreement in July 2023 with his lawyer. I paid for the Certificate of Partnership with Orsted. I opened an account with Verte Trust Bank in Paris where the money was transferred. Then I was told by the bank the investment was not taxed. I needed to pay 64 thousand to the IRS. So, I took money out of my 401k and a loan to pay the taxes. Then I was told I needed to pay 80 thousand for France taxes. I paid that too. I cleaned out my 401k. I thought I am in so deep how am I going to get any of my money back.
The guy at the Verte Trust Bank filed my 2023 taxes without even telling me. They said it's part of the Orsted deal. It was all about bribing the Verte guy so I could transfer the money over to my account from the Orsted investment. They filed a loan for me using my vehicle for collateral. The money went to the Verte guy. Then it was get gift cards. I would use my credit card and get gift cards and they would pay my card off. They actually did pay over 5 grand on my one card and it went through. They sent me blank checks and told me to cash a couple of them so I did.
But then my world came crashing down after about 18 months talking to this guy. The checks were bouncing at the banks. The payments on the credit card were rejecting. They put me in so much debt. I had over a 800 credit score and was debt free in 2023. Now I had to file Chapter 13 and pay a payment every month for the next 5 years. But I got lucky to keep my house and vehicle. But I am reminded every time I make that monthly bankruptcy payment what they did to me. And two years of taxes are still sitting at the IRS office awaiting for approval after fixing everything.
I will say this is one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. And it was not easy to get where I am today. But I am a survivor. And I am sharing my story just so if it helps one person get through what I have been through, it's worth it.”