'Forty years of savings': Estero woman says $60,000 vanished

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK) — Dolores Dagrosa says she spent decades building her savings. Now, she says more than $60,000 disappeared from her bank accounts in a matter of hours. 

The loss has affected more than her finances. Dagrosa told WINK News it also kept her from traveling to meet her new grandson, Leo, after a difficult birth. 

"He has black eyes, a traumatic birth, and I couldn't go because I didn't have enough money for the airfare, the hotel, because I had to worry about whether my bills would be paid," Dagrosa said. 

Dagrosa said she discovered the missing money after returning home from a trip celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary. 

She said she opened two emails showing someone named "Jada H" had received two wire transfers from her accounts totaling more than $60,000. 

"This was the money we saved, blood, sweat, and tears, working and everything, for the last 40 years," Dagrosa said. "We sacrificed. We have had three sons for all these years, and we put the money away." 

According to Dagrosa, she reported the transactions to Citibank within hours and immediately began investigating what happened. 

She provided WINK News with records showing complaints and reports filed with Citibank, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Florida Attorney General's Office, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Dagrosa said she also drove to Fort Lauderdale to speak with a Citibank manager in person. 

Despite those efforts, she says she still does not know how someone gained access to her accounts. 

"It could be 30 to 60 days is what they say to me: that they're escalating it, that somebody's going to call me, but I haven't received a call," Dagrosa said. "They cut me off from seeing my own account." 

She said the uncertainty has been difficult. 

"This money I need to pay my bills and live my life, that's a long time to not get this money back," she said. "I'm retired." 

Dagrosa told WINK News she never received a scam phone call or spoke with anyone claiming to be from her bank.

WINK News asked retired FBI agent Richard Kolko how criminals can sometimes gain access to accounts without directly contacting victims. 

Kolko said one possibility is a phishing email, though we don't know that is what happened in Dagrosa's case. 

"We've heard about cyber scams for years. Well, now we hear about AI. AI is making cyber scammers better at their jobs," Kolko said. 

He explained that scammers can send emails that appear legitimate and are tailored to a person's interests or online activity. 

"You may be looking to go shopping for something, and AI knows you're looking for that. You get that phishing email," Kolko said. "It's got a link to whatever it is you're looking for. Clothes, boats, fishing gear, anything." 

According to Kolko, simply clicking a malicious link can sometimes install malware that gives criminals access to personal information. 

"The fact of the matter is, once you try to click on that link, the malware gets into your computer. The bad guys have access, and you can find yourself out of money," he said. 

After WINK News called and emailed Citibank, a representative responded, "We connected with the team and can confirm Citi is in direct contact with the client and will share details of the investigation with them directly once complete." 

Dagrosa says what troubles her most is that she still does not know what happened. "I haven't done anything wrong. Why am I the one?" she said. "I feel like I'm the one being penalized." For now, she says all she can do is wait — for answers, and for the chance to finally meet her grandson in person. 

WINK Smart Tip: While there is no evidence that a phishing email was used to gain access to Dagrosa's accounts, Kolko says phishing attempts remain one of the most common ways cybercriminals obtain personal information. 

He recommends thinking twice before clicking links in emails, keeping devices and software updated, and using two-factor authentication on important accounts 

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