Episode
LA Fire Survivor Faces PayPal Impostor Scam
- Podcast
- The Perfect Scam
- Published
- May 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3310
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
After escaping the Palisades fire in January of 2025, Ellen doesn't know if she and her husband Steve will have a home to return to. Miraculously, their house is still standing, but it needs extensive cleaning and repairs. They move into an apartment and begin working with insurance and contractors. In March, Steve is diagnosed with cancer and passes away just a few months later. Displaced, stressed out and now grieving her beloved husband, Ellen is caught off guard by a PayPal alert for a charge she doesn't recognize. Soon, the insurance money meant to fix her home is gone.