Man, 80, loses thousands in online scams

A Corona del Mar man was conned out of nearly $750,000 from multiple Internet scams, according to Newport Beach police.

Wilton Hebert, 80, was tricked repeatedly between July 2005 and July 2007 by people from across the world.

“Basically what most of these are people saying, ‘Hey, you’ve won, but in order to release the funds you’ve got to pay some fee,’ ” Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

Hebert made 15 transfers over two years to accounts in Spain, Canada and Nigeria among other countries, Sailor said. There’s no indication that Hebert was deceived by one, widespread scam, police said.

Once one scam artist finds a victim, many times they sell the person’s e-mail address to other criminals, Sailor said.

The case will eventually be handed over to FBI investigators in Santa Ana because of the crime’s scale, Sailor said. Bank records show Hebert lost $749,741, officials said.

Health officials are working with Hebert’s family to evaluate whether he’s cognizant enough to make his own financial decisions, police said.

TIPS TO AVOID HOAXES

 Beware of unsolicited sales pitches.

 Playing foreign lotteries is against the law.

 Check in with your parents or elderly friends frequently to make sure they still have all of their mental faculties.

 If they cannot handle their own finances, there are a few options:

   Offer to take over your parents’ finances.

   If they won’t turn them over to you, or if you can’t take care of them, hire a professional financial advisor.

   If they don’t want to turn them over voluntarily, the court can mandate them to turn them over in what’s called a conservatorship.

— Information according to Sgt. Evan Sailor, Newport Beach police

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com. ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.