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Retired teacher close to justice after home stolen
A Houston retired school teacher could be closer to getting a bit of justice after investigators say her house was stolen from her by scammers. FOX 26's Damali Keith reports after the County Attorney is sending out a warning.
HOUSTON - A retired Houston school teacher could be closer to getting a bit of justice after investigators say her house was stolen from her by scammers.
This, unfortunately, is the season for scams. So Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee didn't only file a lawsuit against a group that allegedly stole the retired HISD teacher’s house, he also has a warning for all of us.
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"As we head into the holiday season, scams and fraud are spiking," says Menefee.
So the Harris County Attorney wants everyone to be cautious of con artists who run all kinds of scams.
"You've won a special prize. Please click here in order to access that prize. Only to find out they now have your personal information," Menefee explained. He points out other schemes such as scammers pretending to be friends and family asking for cash or gift cards, and he says there's an increase in title company and deed scams.
Menefee says retired teacher, 70-year old Wanda Jackson, had her and her mom's house, both homes, stolen from her.
"He was helping me to find funds that were needed to complete the repairs on my house of 47 years. Instead of helping me, he tricked me into signing my entire home over to him. Not only did I lose my home, but I lost my personal memories and precious items that money can't replace," Jackson explains.
Menefee has filed a lawsuit against Malcolm Pryor, James Mayer, and their companies, accusing them of fraudulently taking Jackson's home.
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FOX 26 went to ask Mayer about it, but putting up holiday decorations turned into rushing inside and closing the garage door when I asked to speak with him.
"Our goal in filing these lawsuits is twofold. One, to stop the activity as soon as we possibly can and then two, as we glean more information, we'll turn it over to law enforcement," Menefee explained. He says they've received dozens of complaints against A & L Sheds.
"It was just terrible. Everything I had, everything I have is gone," adds Wanda Evans, who says she sold her home to downsize, then gave thousands of dollars to A & L Sheds so they could build her a small house.
"I was recently scammed for $13,500 by Amanda and Lorenzo, owners of A&L Sheds," says Vey Bean.
Donna Polston says she too was scammed out of thousands by A & L Sheds. Polston has since created the A & L Sheds Buyer Please Be Aware Facebook page. She says she's uncovered a slew of victims.
"We've got about 150 victims, and they have scammed people out of almost $1.2 million... Amanda Sparks, the owner of A & L Sheds, was arrested in McLennan County for one day before she posted bond...I'm hoping she will get prison time," says Polston.
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FOX 26 tried to reach Amanda Sparks. The number listed for A & L Sheds is disconnected. FOX 26 also sent a message through the company website.
County Attorney Menefee says his office will be aggressively pursuing scammers.
Click scamfreehc.com for Harris County's new Stay Scam Free website. There you can find information about the latest scams, get tips to avoid becoming a victim, and report it if you already have.