An 81-year-old Washington state grandmother says she was robbed of her life savings by a phone scammer who gained access to her bank accounts after claiming to be an agent with the Social Security Administration. Gladys Baxley said she was swindled out of $109,000 after being told that her private information had been exposed to bank fraud and that she needed to act immediately to secure her accounts.  Sensing that something was off, Baxley asked the man to prove that he was indeed a federal employee.  The man then sent Baxley an email containing an official-looking “certificate” from “The U.S. Supreme Court for the case of drug trafficking and money laundering,” according to WUSA 9, which reviewed the document. Baxley didn’t realize it at the time, but the information was phony. Still, it had the intended effect of instilling fear, claiming, “The Supreme Court House appeals Gladys Baxley to safeguard all assets within the time frame given by the in-charge officer before the existing Social Security number is suspended.” While sitting in the living room of her northeast Washington home, Baxley began to feel anxious and uncertain about what to do next. “I was getting these little thoughts that well, maybe, this isn’t legitimate,” she told the station, acknowledging the mistakes she made. “I do blame myself for allowing myself to be victimized.” When officials examined the certificate, it became clear that Baxley missed several red flags, including the non-existent “Supreme Court House,” dozens of grammatical errors, and the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court has never handled Social Security matters. “It looked legitimate to me,” Gladys Baxley said when asked if anything about the documents raised her suspicions. Baxley indicated the scammer already had inside knowledge of her finances. He texted Baxley multiple times, instructing her to move all the funds from her two Eagle Bank accounts into a single account.  From there, Baxley found herself sinking deeper into the scheme, with records indicating she completed two transfers and even sent thousands of dollars to the caller, using various names and addresses. Trusting that she was securing her money, Baxley transferred $36,000 to Yongri Trading Inc. and a second transfer of $58,000 to Shengya WS Inc. Baxley was then told to send an additional $15,000 in cash to a random address. Baxley said she wrapped the bundle of money in newspaper, placed it in a box, and shipped it by UPS. Before going to the bank, the scammer texted Baxley a to-do list that would “prepare you for the questions and answers you’ll face in the bank today.”  It never occurred to Baxley that she had just given her life savings to a complete stranger until it was too late. “I just thought, how could I have been so stupid, because I’m well educated, but I’m also a vulnerable person,” Baxley said.  Baxley initially kept the details from her son, Benjamin, who is a signatory on her bank accounts. However, during a brief phone conversation, she shared enough for him to quickly figure out what had happened. “I said, mom … you were duped, you were scammed,” Benjamin Baxley said. He contends that Eagle Bank bears some responsibility, claiming the bank failed to adequately question the large transactions, as his mom had never transferred such significant amounts before. Police reports revealed that the money was sent to illegal shell companies. Eagle Bank issued a statement saying, “Every effort is being undertaken to work with Ms. Baxley to recover money from the fraudster.” “We have robust preventative and detective protocols in place to help mitigate the risk of fraud, particularly elder abuse fraud,” said Karen Buck, EVP and chief administrative officer of Eagle Bank, according to WUSA9. “Although, it is Eagle Bank policy to not comment on the specifics of any of our customer’s financial transactions, following a thorough internal investigation, we determined our team members followed all correct protocols.”  The bank stopped short of stating whether Baxley would get any of her money back. Gladys Baxley’s other son, Casey Baxley, said banks need to step up security measures for their older customers. “I think banks should have to be a firewall in some sense to help protect vulnerable seniors because the scams are just getting worse,” he said. Baxley’s case highlights a growing trend of crimes committed against senior citizens. The FBI reported that scams targeting individuals aged 60 and older resulted in more than $3.4 billion in losses last year, marking an 11 percent increase from 2022. Due to her own massive loss, Gladys Baxley now faces losing the home where she’s lived for 30 years She said she wishes she had trusted her instincts when she noticed the early warning signs. “I’m kicking myself to this day that I, I didn’t just hang up,” she said, adding that from now on, she would “call my son” if she faced a similar situation. According to AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, government agencies like the IRS, Treasury Department, or Social Security Administration will only contact individuals by mail — not by phone, email, or text. “In addition to that, they’re not going to ask for unusual payment methods such as gift cards and wire transfers,” said Mark Fetterhoff, senior adviser for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. “Avoiding unsolicited contacts, whether they’re coming through your email, text messages, over the phone is a really important way of protecting your money.” According to the FBI, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to financial fraud each year through scams related to romance, lotteries, and sweepstakes. Criminals often exploit their politeness and financial stability by gaining trust through direct communication online, over the phone, or via mail. Senior citizens are attractive targets due to their robust savings, homeownership, and good credit. Many don’t report scams due to shame or uncertainty about the process, fearing that their relatives may lose confidence in their ability to manage their own finances.  ‘How Could I Have Been So Stupid’: Washington Grandma Forced Out Of the Only Home She’s Known for 30 Years After Scammer Takes Life Savings During Fake Social Security Call