Edward’s Story

In one case handled by CLA’s CLAVC Unit, 83-year-old “Edward” had been the victim of a sophisticated scam in which individuals purporting to be from his internet provider claimed they needed to fix his router. The scammers gained access to Edward’s phone, computer, and banking information. After they emptied his bank account, Edward felt ashamed and discouraged. Although Edward immediately reported the scam to his bank, the bank conducted only a cursory investigation and did not return the funds. Edward sought help from several other sources without success before he was referred to CLA.

CLAVC Staff Attorney Franci Gazzaniga researched the relevant law and consulted our legal aid network of attorneys, the Attorney General’s office, and a private attorney. None were optimistic about recovering Edward’s money. Undaunted, Attorney Gazzaniga sent the bank a letter outlining the facts of the scam, detailing the bank’s failure to follow federal law, and demanding the return of Edward’s funds. Ultimately, due to Attorney Gazzaniga’s persistent advocacy, the bank returned all of Edward’s money. Edward was extremely grateful to be made whole again.