An 89-year-old Las Vegas Vietnam veteran says a phone call he thought would bring a windfall instead wiped out roughly $180,000 of his savings. Scammers convinced him he had hit a massive sweepstakes prize and just needed to cover fees to collect. The money was supposed to go toward basic home repairs and everyday expenses. His ordeal, first detailed by a local reporter and later unpacked on a national podcast, has reignited warnings about prize-claim impostors who zero in on older adults.
According to FOX5, Manny Guerrero said callers told him he had won $7.5 million and a new car. To unlock the jackpot, they claimed, he had to pay taxes and processing fees up front. Over time, Guerrero sent checks and wired funds that added up to about $180,000. The callers repeatedly told him to keep his supposed good fortune quiet, a familiar pressure tactic that cuts victims off from anyone who might question the story. Guerrero first met reporter Joe Vigil through Honor Flight Southern Nevada, and his daughter later reached out to Vigil to share how the family was blindsided…