I am embarrassed that it has come to this. I worked hard all my life and never had to ask for anything. My only hope is that this can reach enough people because then even a $5 donation helps a lot.
I am 60, retired from USPS and disabled. My 84 year old mother lives with me and is also disabled. We lived a quiet, modest life, happy in taking care of each other. Until.
I will try to make a long story short.
In June of 2024, I had a clogged drain in my (finished) basement. I knew one of my “friends” did that type of work so I contacted her. She brought her “boyfriend” with her and they unclogged the drain. Then informed me I have black mold in the basement. Oh, they can remove that. And “why not get a Home Equity Line of Credit and we can re-finish the entire basement? Then your Mom’s grandkids will have a place to stay when the visit “ oh that sounds great but not sure I can afford that. Ended up getting the HELOC, with her as authorized user so “she can get materials and pay labor”…yes big mistake. They proceeded to gut the basement, completely. In the mean time, my roof started leaking “oh we can put on a new roof”…. House almost caught on fire “oh he’s an electrician, we can fix that”. See where I’m going? I didn’t see it at the time. But they caused all the issues they were to fix.
In addition, during the 4 month process, I was getting notifications from credit card companies and banks that payment was due. I decided it was all a scam because I didn’t have those accounts (cards).
Finally, after so many notifications, I started investigating. And my heart literally dropped. They were both felons and they had ran up over $130k in credit using our personal information. Stole cards from our purses, stole two drills and other items from my house, and never returned when they realized I was on to them. I was completely devastated and my anxiety went through the roof. How was I going to tell Mom what I had done!? Naively trusted someone because they acted like a part of the family, acted like they cared about us, brought Mom her favorite foods and cut her hair!!??? Called her Granny!!??? My heart was literally shattered that I had let this happen to us. Our excellent credit scores ruined and now all accounts closed with no available credit and not able to get any. Left with a gutted basement that had previously been a perfectly fine finished basement. Left with a leaking roof (thank God Insurance covered that!).
These two have a history of this behavior but get bonded out every time. If they had been locked up this never would have happened to us. My police report was filed in October of 2024 and STILL no charges have been filed. Yes they told us Identity theft and fraud cases can take months, but here we are almost 9 months later. 9 months of Mom and I living like recluses because these two are listed as armed and dangerous and they know I am pressing charges. 9 months of paying monthly on a HELOC that I had NO benefit from.
To say this has wrecked us is an understatement. And I bear that guilt everyday. I am responsible for the anxiety this has caused my Mom. I am responsible for her broken knee and hip from her fall on the basement stairs where they removed a step so they could maneuver drywall down the stairs.
I do deserve to suffer through this without help from anyone because I DIDN’T DO MY HOMEWORK on these two. But I am humbled and stressed to the point that I will stand the embarrassment of asking for whatever anyone can spare. Living check to check was one thing, but living check to check with no option to use credit is scary.
I ask if anyone knows any floor installers or cabinetry workers that might work for a discount, to please send them my way.
I kept this as short as I possibly could. There is so much more.
Thanking everyone from the bottom of my heart
Donna
