Tim Williams sent his entire $620 savings to a fake agent after his sister died

Tim Williams had only $620 in liquid funds when a woman calling herself his sister's life insurance agent asked for money to process a payout.

The sister, Stephanie Jeanine Williams Machado, had recently died. The woman on the phone provided specific account and policy numbers and stated that the insurance company needed $1,375 to release payment to the Corinthian Funeral Home.

Williams arranged a three-way call that included the agent and the funeral home. The conversation appeared legitimate, and the agent instructed him to send the available $620 immediately. She told him to transfer the funds however was easiest, suggesting either a visit to the insurance office or a digital transfer via Cash App.

Williams sent the money to his nephew, who transferred it through the app. He later discovered the funeral home never received the payment. A reverse lookup on the phone number revealed it belonged to a man living in Alabama, not the woman who had spoken to him or the name on the Cash App account.

“When you’re already in a bad time in your life .. losing your loved one. Then for somebody to do this on top of that takes a pretty low individual to go to that extent,” Williams said. He advised other grieving families to verify all details thoroughly before transferring funds.

The Corinthian Funeral Home confirmed it did not receive the $620. Williams is currently in the process of tracing the Alabama phone number to identify the recipient of the transfer.