A postcard promised tens of millions — however the true shock got here when a locksmith confirmed up at her door, despatched by scammers in a relentless sweepstakes rip-off.
By the tip, a retired nun from Wheeling tells NBC 5 Responds, her life financial savings had been gone.
Should you haven’t heard of Writer’s Clearing Home giveaways, they was an enormous deal. In previous commercials, you’d see a crew burst from a van with balloons and a large test, knocking on doorways and shocking unsuspecting, usually aged individuals with tens of millions of {dollars}.
Rene Pientka, 80, knew all in regards to the old-school sweepstakes big. So when the retired nun obtained a discover within the mail that she’d received $10 million {dollars} and a brand new automotive, she needed to consider it. However she was hesitant after studying that PCH would by no means notify you about prizes by mail.
It wasn’t till months later when Pientka obtained a cellphone name seemingly confirming her win that she began to consider it.
“They stated that as a way to obtain the prizes, I must pay luxurious and gross sales tax. They had been convincing. They had been very suave. They had been very personable,” stated Pientka.
Pientka lives alone with out web or a cellular phone, hoping the digital isolation would defend her from scammers. However with out entry to PCH’s warnings online, she began sending cash to who she thought had been PCH staff. However it wasn’t sufficient. Their calls saved coming — asking for extra money.
On a number of events, the scammers even despatched small items to Pienkta’s tackle. A plant from Amazon, and even a pizza on one other event, Pienkta remembers. However by late 2024, Pientka was getting suspicious of the 2 males she had been speaking with about her sweepstakes prize. So, she says she stopped answering their calls.
Then got here a knock on the door.
“They despatched out a locksmith from Chicago to this tackle,” stated Pientka.
The locksmith declined an interview, however informed NBC 5 Responds he bought a name from somebody claiming to be Pientka’s grandson, saying she was locked out of her automotive. When the locksmith arrived at her home, the scammer begged him to place Pientka on the cellphone.
That’s when he says he realized the caller wasn’t Pientka’s grandson in any respect. He says it’s not the primary time this has occurred—scammers have despatched him to aged victims’ houses, hoping to reconnect after the victims lower off contact. He says he’s reported these fraudulent calls to native police departments at the very least 5 occasions, and that’s what he did in Pientka’s case as nicely.
“He then referred to as the Police Division and actually bought them actively concerned,” stated Pientka.
“We do see that usually as a result of it is the lack of contact they usually do not need to lose contact with these individuals,” stated Wheeling Police Sgt. Michael Bieschke.
By the point police bought concerned in early 2025, Pientka had already drained almost $400,000 from her 401k, sending 5 private checks to totally different addresses throughout the nation as a way to declare her jackpot.
She saved all of the names, addresses and account numbers she despatched cash to. Pientka says she hoped that with all that detailed info police would’ve been in a position to monitor down the individuals who scammed her.
However it seems these names led police to different victims. Aged individuals who had been unknowingly serving to the scammers transfer stolen cash overseas. They’re also called ‘cash mules’
“Numerous occasions you are not going to have the ability to cost them as a result of they’re unaware of what is occurring. They’re, they’re themselves are getting scammed,” stated Sgt. Bieschke, who provides it’s not usually that victims get their a refund in instances like Pientka’s.
Wheeling Police say they’re working with the FBI as a result of Pientka is the sufferer of a fancy rip-off linked to worldwide organized crime. And so they consider she probably bought onto the scammers radar as a result of she nearly fell sufferer to a Medicare rip-off only a 12 months earlier than.
“When [the scammers] notice, ‘hey, we misplaced this rip-off’, they will wait until it cools down a little bit bit, type of out of your thoughts after which reinitiate,” stated Bieschke.
Now, as a substitute of having fun with her twilight years, Pientka is trying to find a part-time job to make ends meet. She says she had deliberate to make use of her 401k cash to maneuver into an assisted residing facility close by. Now, the long run is unsure.
“The frustration of desires not coming true. I now not have the funds that might be out there for medical care,” stated Pientka.
Police say, when you’ve been the sufferer of a rip-off prior to now, it’s possible you’ll need to change your cellphone quantity and make contact with info so that you’re not focused once more. Publishers Clearing Home says it would by no means ask you for cash to assert a prize, or notify you upfront when you’ve received a prize.
Rene’s household has additionally arrange a GoFundMe to assist along with her each day bills.
