Beware of the Sofia’s Scam That Could Be in East Texas Soon

Scammers are the absolute worst. They have a plethora of ways to steal your money or your personal information. They will disguise it as a fancy giveaway, as we've seen with scammers using Texas Roadhouse, or pretend to be homeless to collect money from unsuspecting East Texans like what happened in Longview or even tugging at your heart strings thinking you're helping a young life with a life saving surgery. Its a scam that's going around the country called Sofia's Scam and here is how it works and how to avoid it.

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Pan Handlers in East Texas

We see it all over East Texas. People sitting at a street corner at a busy intersection or camped out on a median next to a turn lane with a sign that has some kind of story or brief message on it. While a majority of these people are being truthful, sometimes people will take advantage of someone's giving spirit to rip us off.

Its called Sofia's Scam. While it hasn't made it to East Texas yet, it could. This was posted by the Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff's Office:

Don't Fall for It

So basically, these people are saying that this precious baby needs a heart surgery and are collecting money to help pay for it. Thing is, there is no baby, no heart surgery, just a fabricated story to steal your money.

Absolutely Sickening

Someone will get wind of this in East Texas and try their own version. It doesn't necessarily have to be Sofia. It could be another made up name or made up scenario to make you feel like donating to help out. Karma will deal with someone like this so let that happen and don't lose your hard earned money to them.

Always double check anyone who is asking for money in this manner. Sure, it could be legit but make sure it is before giving them anything.