A Bay Area couple was devastated after their home was burglarized. The thieves went on to rack up $10,000 in Orange County toll road violations.
When her so-called mentor suggested she sell her car and all her physical belongings at a pawn shop to try and 'unfreeze' her account, Dawn Furseth realized she had been scammed.
"ChatGPT told me no, this is a scam, you better go to police station... so I panicked at that time, I panicked and I call him. I say, you are scamming me!" the victim said.
The 'soft background check' was based on names and not fingerprints, resulting in the DUI conviction of another person showing up on the teacher's report -- all because they shared the last name 'Smith.'
"That first initial part of falling in love with someone is always so exciting. And she started showing emotions and caring about me... it was very, very uplifting," the victim said of his developing relationship with the unknown texter.
The SF couple faced a $1,542 ticket--plus an additional $250 per day if they continued to park in their own driveway in violation of an old regulation. Mayor Lurie's PermitSF initiative is trying to do away with such headaches.