Scam drains life savings as friends rally to support daughter of missing mother
- Replies 11
In a world where we often hear about the darker side of humanity, it's heartwarming to see a community come together in support of one of their own.
This is the story of Chrystal Winfield, a woman who has faced more than her fair share of adversity, and the friends who are rallying to her side after a devastating scam left her without her life savings.
Chrystal, now 41, has lived under the shadow of a high-profile Australian mystery—the disappearance of her mother, Bronwyn Winfield, who was last seen alive at their Lennox Head home in 1993.
‘I’m usually pretty good with intuition,’ she said.
‘I got that completely wrong. I was very vulnerable.’
Preying on her vulnerability, scammers convinced her that she was cursed and that they could help lift this supposed curse for a price.
Chrystal, who prides herself on her intuition, was taken in by a man who described himself as a 'soul doctor' and claimed to run a charity in India.
After a small donation, the scammers convinced her that her savings were also cursed and needed to be 'purified' through rituals.
In a shocking turn of events, Chrystal agreed to purchase $200,000 in gold bullion, which she brought to a meeting.
The scammers then switched the box of gold with one filled with concrete and paper while she was distracted.
The realisation of the scam-hit her hard, as she recounted, 'Why was I so silly? I genuinely thought they were nice people.'
‘I was genuinely happy to help them with their charity.’
‘But not my whole life savings that I’d set aside for my life and my son.’
The scammers meticulously covered their tracks, using encrypted communication and meeting in areas without CCTV.
Despite the police's best efforts, the investigation has hit a dead end, leaving Chrystal without recourse to recover her funds.
But in the face of this adversity, Chrystal's friends have shown what true friendship looks like.
They've started a fundraiser to help recoup some of her stolen savings.
Rennie Fletcher, a friend of Chrystal's, spoke of the community's desire to help: 'No one deserves that more than Chrystal.'
They remember her kindness, like when she comforted a friend with Bell's palsy on the school bus despite dealing with her own mother's disappearance.
At the same time, Ms Winfield's mother had gone missing just a few years earlier, in 1993.
Mr Fletcher noted that, despite her challenges, she consistently showed great compassion for those around her.
Ms Winfield expressed how touched she was by the support from her friends.
‘It’s not about the money; it’s just the thought that somebody would do that for me.’ she said.
In other news, retired grandmother Netta Ferlazzo reported that she lost a portion of her retirement savings after lending approximately $66,000 to former police officer Tony Dowling for his mental health charity.
Mr Dowling established the charity called Y Not Try to assist first responders dealing with PTSD, a cause that resonated with Ms Ferlazzo because of her military background. You can read more about it here.
Have you or someone you know been affected? How did you deal with it, and what advice would you give to others to protect themselves? Feel free to share your insights in the comments below.
This is the story of Chrystal Winfield, a woman who has faced more than her fair share of adversity, and the friends who are rallying to her side after a devastating scam left her without her life savings.
Chrystal, now 41, has lived under the shadow of a high-profile Australian mystery—the disappearance of her mother, Bronwyn Winfield, who was last seen alive at their Lennox Head home in 1993.
‘I’m usually pretty good with intuition,’ she said.
‘I got that completely wrong. I was very vulnerable.’
Chrystal Winfield lost her life savings to scammers claiming they could lift a curse. Credit: Shutterstock
Preying on her vulnerability, scammers convinced her that she was cursed and that they could help lift this supposed curse for a price.
Chrystal, who prides herself on her intuition, was taken in by a man who described himself as a 'soul doctor' and claimed to run a charity in India.
After a small donation, the scammers convinced her that her savings were also cursed and needed to be 'purified' through rituals.
In a shocking turn of events, Chrystal agreed to purchase $200,000 in gold bullion, which she brought to a meeting.
The scammers then switched the box of gold with one filled with concrete and paper while she was distracted.
The realisation of the scam-hit her hard, as she recounted, 'Why was I so silly? I genuinely thought they were nice people.'
‘I was genuinely happy to help them with their charity.’
‘But not my whole life savings that I’d set aside for my life and my son.’
The scammers meticulously covered their tracks, using encrypted communication and meeting in areas without CCTV.
Despite the police's best efforts, the investigation has hit a dead end, leaving Chrystal without recourse to recover her funds.
But in the face of this adversity, Chrystal's friends have shown what true friendship looks like.
They've started a fundraiser to help recoup some of her stolen savings.
Rennie Fletcher, a friend of Chrystal's, spoke of the community's desire to help: 'No one deserves that more than Chrystal.'
They remember her kindness, like when she comforted a friend with Bell's palsy on the school bus despite dealing with her own mother's disappearance.
At the same time, Ms Winfield's mother had gone missing just a few years earlier, in 1993.
Mr Fletcher noted that, despite her challenges, she consistently showed great compassion for those around her.
Ms Winfield expressed how touched she was by the support from her friends.
‘It’s not about the money; it’s just the thought that somebody would do that for me.’ she said.
In other news, retired grandmother Netta Ferlazzo reported that she lost a portion of her retirement savings after lending approximately $66,000 to former police officer Tony Dowling for his mental health charity.
Mr Dowling established the charity called Y Not Try to assist first responders dealing with PTSD, a cause that resonated with Ms Ferlazzo because of her military background. You can read more about it here.
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