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Curtis in Austin — Scammed Out of $6,848 by Credit Union Phone Spoofers
At 2:04:02 · chapter starts 1:47:31
Curtis from Austin closes the episode with a scam story that will resonate with millions of listeners [1] — Curtis "Curtis's credit union number showed up on his phone, the caller used official scripts, named real departments, and convinced him that three…" 1:55:31 . While traveling for a family wedding, Curtis received calls from what appeared to be his credit union — name on screen, correct number, same scripted language as legitimate fraud calls he'd experienced over his 15 years with the institution. The caller walked him through 'fraud tests,' sending text alerts he believed were verification tests, which turned out to be three real-time payment approvals. By the time he realized what happened, $6,848 was gone — his starter emergency fund, a World Cup ticket savings fund, and money set aside because his wife was out of leave. His credit union denied the fraud claim because he 'approved' the transfers. Jade and George methodically walk through the recovery: file the police report (done), file an IC3 report with the FBI (done), escalate to the NCUA (the federal credit union regulator), and treat it as a setback that pushes their debt timeline back 2–3 months. The prevention lesson is universal: legitimate fraud departments never ask you to transfer money, never send you links to click, and never ask you to call a number they provide. Always go to the official website and call the number there. Jade closes with a gut punch: her own mother-in-law was scammed out of $35,000 that same week.
Curtis's credit union number showed up on his phone, the caller used official scripts, named real departments, and convinced him that three real-time payment transfers were just 'tests.' By the time he realized what happened, $6,848 was gone — including his emergency fund and money saved for a World Cup ticket. Jade's mother-in-law lost $35,000 to scammers the same week. The play-by-play is an essential scam-prevention tutorial.
Curtis and his wife lost $6,848 to phone scammers who spoofed their credit union's number and tricked him into approving three real-time transfers.
Jade Warshaw revealed that her own mother-in-law was scammed out of $35,000 the same week as the on-air call, underscoring how rampant phone scams have become.
Melissa in Chattanooga discovered she has $4,000–$5,000 in monthly margin after minimum payments, putting her on pace to eliminate $95,000 in debt in under 2 years.
