News

Alexandria woman scammed of $15K by ‘friend’ with compromised Facebook account

By James Cullum

Alexandria Police are investigating the scamming theft of more than $15,000 from a woman who says she believed she was applying for a Community Services Block Grant.

The victim reported that she was contacted by a Facebook friend on July 24, and was unaware that her friend’s profile was compromised. The supposed friend told the victim that she was eligible for a $100,000 CSBG grant, and then referred her to a grant agent named Thomas Johnson, police said in a search warrant affidavit.

“The agent then required (the victim) to purchase numerous gift cards from Apple and eBay to complete the grant transaction on numerous occasions between July 24, 2021, and August 4, 2021,” police said in a search warrant.

The victim ended up buying $12,900 in Apple gift cards and $2,300 in eBay gift cards, police said.

On August 20, police tweeted about various methods scammers will use.

The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office also recently warned residents about scammers, and victims are encouraged to report incidents to the police at 703-746-4444.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.