LA Fire Survivor Faces PayPal Impostor Scam

LA Fire Survivor Faces PayPal Impostor Scam

May 22, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

Ellen, a fire survivor, faces a PayPal scam that drains her insurance money while dealing with the loss of her husband.

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.

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