It’s not uncommon to encounter people on the street asking for money. Some people will brush them off, citing an inability to give any money for a variety of reasons. And then there are people who are always willing to hand over a small amount of money to help. One woman in Chicago was often the person who would give a few dollars. But then she became the victim of a money scam.
Unfortunately, the scam she fell prey to is one that’s incredibly common. Now, she is speaking out about her experience in the hopes that others won’t fall victim as well.
In February 2025, Heather Radin was waiting for a bus in a popular Chicago intersection, she explained to CBS News. As she waited, a boy came up to her.
“He said like: ‘Can you please like spare some money? My younger brother was tragically killed, and we can’t afford to bury him,'” she said. The self-professed “sucker for any bleeding-heart” only intended to give the kid $10.
Radin tried to give the boy and his brother cash, but the two insisted that they could only accept Apple Pay. Right after she tapped her card, the boys disappeared, hopping into an SUV. “All of a sudden, I got a notification that dings on my phone, and says $5,000 transferred to whatever,” she said.
The woman filed a police report and reached out to Goldman Sachs, which had issued the card. She told CBS News that the company told her they have 90 days to decide on returning her money. At the time of the interview, which took place in late April, she was still waiting.
“While we do not comment on specific customers, our customers’ safety and security are a top priority. We work quickly to review any fraud claims and regularly provide provisional credits during the review process. There is an allotted timeline for fraud investigations, and we aim to resolve any disputes as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement.
Now, Radin is struggling to make ends meet. “I had hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loans, and I literally had just finished my last payment,” she said. “One man’s $5,000 is another man’s million.”
