HOUSTON – After losing her husband Giancarlo, Joel Locandro’s world shattered even further when sophisticated scammers stripped her of her entire life savings—$500,000—through an elaborate work-from-home scheme.

The devastating loss came after a 20-year career as a successful small business owner, where Locandro had built her reputation designing and creating personalized products, from coffee cups to inspirational posters.

Massive scale of fraud

The scope of such scams is staggering. According to Federal Trade Commission data, job scam complaints exceeded 61,000 last year alone, with victims losing a combined $186 million to fraudsters .

“This happens to everyone, regardless of their background, their education where they live or what they do. These scams are very sophisticated and v

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