A retired couple from California has spoken out after they were defrauded of $845,000, losing nearly all of their life savings. It all happened after the couple, identified as Pete and Diane Hata, reportedly received a call in February 2025 claiming to be a U.S. Postal Service worker. The scammer accused the couple of illegal activity, and, fearing they would be implicated, the Hatas started paying him money to “clear” their name.

According to 6ABC, the scammer impersonating a U.S. Postal Service worker accused the couple of transporting illegal guns and claimed that the FBI was conducting an active probe. Addressing their reaction to the call, Pete Hata said, “Naturally, you want to find out what happened because you want to clear your name.”

Later, their call was transferred to a video conference with a fake FBI agent who told them that they could expedite their case by sending money. “We jumped at it because we were scared out of our minds,” Hata added. The report further suggests that, over several months, the couple sent tens of thousands of dollars to the fraudsters via cryptocurrency.

The victims even took an equity loan on their home of 37 years. Hata stated that they were assured throughout that they would get their money back soon. He acknowledged that it may be difficult for people to believe, but he claims that the scammers were “extremely convincing.”

It has further been revealed that the fraudsters even used fake phone numbers and FBI documents to convince the couple to continue sending money. The couple faced a financial crunch after making excessive payments and eventually called the FBI, only to realize they had been scammed. They were told that there were no such agents with those names.

As a result, the Hatas filed a report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department against the scammers. Diane, who has been battling anxiety and depression following the incident, states that she feels “stuck.” The couple’s friend has also set up a GoFundMe to help them financially during this tough period.

On the other hand, experts have also warned that law enforcement authorities will never call to request personal information. They warned everyone to verify a caller’s identity by contacting their local police station before taking any action.

In a shocking turn of events, additional scam news surfaced from California, according to KTLA: an older couple, Donald Whitaker, 80, and his wife, Karen Whitaker, 79, in Riverside County, were scammed by a fraudster posing as actor Tom Selleck. The couple was later found dead on May 15 at their home with ‘traumatic injuries’.

A longtime friend of the couple, Joy Miedecke, informed the authorities about the fraud that occurred a few months earlier. The scammer got in touch with Karen after she posted on Facebook about a friend who had recently passed away.

Miedecke said that the unknown commenter reached out to the victim, gained her trust after a series of exchanges, and asked for small amounts of money, later requesting larger sums, eventually costing Karen tens of thousands of dollars.