Texas grandmother loses $100,000 in bank scam that leads to couple’s arrest: report

A 69-year-old grandmother in Texas lost her savings of $100,000 after being caught in a brutal bank scam.

Police say Vicki Nelson of Hardin County received phone calls from callers posing as bank officials and law enforcement officials warning of fraudulent activity in her accounts. Reports KFDM.

She handed over the huge sum in cash during separate transactions between July 9 and 11. The scammers directed her to withdraw the money and hand it over as part of supposed efforts to solve the fake fraud problem in her accounts.

The scheme came to a dramatic end at a Family Dollar store in Koontz when Nelson’s three grandchildren intervened to prevent the suspects from collecting more money. The grandchildren were later charged with assaulting one of the alleged fraudsters.

Imran Hussain and his wife Zakia Hussain, both 29, are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and financial elder abuse. The couple is also being held in ICE custody on suspicion of being in the country illegally, Koontz Police Chief Dale Williford said. Their 1-year-old daughter, who was with them at the final delivery site, is now in CPS custody.

Court and police documents say the couple participated in a fear-driven scheme targeting the elderly woman. Williford described a team effort, noting that at least three people were involved, including a monitor and a person directing operations by phone.

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