Pelham Mother Loses Life Savings in IRS Scam After Week of Setbacks

Hinano Andre, a 75-year-old Pelham mother, has been scammed out of over $3,000 by callers claiming to be from the IRS. The scammer convinced her that she owed money and threatened to have her arrested unless she went to Home Depot in Pelham, bought gift cards, and transferred the funds to them.

Hinano's daughters, Hannah and Hope, immediately recognized the scam but their mother was panicked and followed the instructions given by the caller. The girls are sharing their mother's story in hopes of protecting other seniors from falling victim to similar scams.

The family has been dealing with a week of heartbreaking setbacks, including Hinano totaling her car in an accident on Friday, her husband being released from rehab with the need for hospice care, and ongoing financial struggles. The scam is likely unrecoverable as scammers often operate overseas and payments made through gift cards are difficult to trace.