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May is Military Appreciation Month.
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It's a time to pause and remember all those brave veterans
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and active military who have given so much to keep our country safe and free.
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Hi, I'm Andrea Avery, the United States postal inspector.
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Unfortunately, instead of respecting and honoring veterans
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fraudsters are trying to steal their hard earned money through scams
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created and targeted specifically at them.
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In this case, a scammer victimized veterans for millions of dollars
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promising she would help them obtain government benefits.
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I fell in hook,
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hook, line and sinker, Mack Gurley is still angry
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with himself for getting lured into the Ponzi scheme run by Gina Palasini
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I did one of the most stupid things I ever did in my lifetime.
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I wrote a check for $100,000.
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Gina Palasini approached Gurley and other older veterans
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offering to help them obtain government benefits.
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I thought she was representing the VA
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I was even more so convinced when she freely,
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invited me to her house, introduced me to her family.
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Gurley says he truly believed he was getting benefits
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available to him because he was a veteran.
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So what she would do, would convince them to
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reallocate, diversify their assets, into an annuity
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for the family trust,
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But instead of putting that money into an annuity,
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she would put it into her business expense account.
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She would then wire that money from her expense account
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to personal accounts, and then just write checks like it was her job.
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postal inspectors investigating
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showed that mother of four spent most of the money on her children.
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She would take her kids on vacations,
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elaborate vacations.
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Like most Ponzi schemes,
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Palasini's scam unraveled.
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Once the victims started asking questions,
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thats when the excuses started coming out.
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In all, 13 victims lost $2 million.
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Its heartbreaking,
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They worked their entire lives.
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being in the military.
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She targeted those that were elderly, but also those that were veterans.
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Matt Gurley says he has learned a lesson and is less trusting.
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But targeting veterans, he believes, is inexcusable.
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They have reduced themselves to the lowest rank in the human chain.
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Gina Palasini was sentenced to more than six years in prison
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and was ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution.
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Don't be a victim.
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Check out any financial opportunities to make sure they are legitimate.
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Help spread the word about scams
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targeting veterans and protect those who have protected us.
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For more information and resources, visit USPIS.gov