I guess I am too google stupid to find the chain of command for the Constables in Houston.
TLDR: Need to know who to CC complaint to for an officer using his position to get money for a family member from elderly man.
I have an elderly acquaintance who was contacted by phone a month ago by a woman named Telisa J. The woman said she had deposited $240 in my this person’s (we will call him Joe,) account by accident using Zelle. She told him to send it back to her.
Joe contacted me as he knew I had experience in finances and I told him about the scam where they use stolen credit cards, pull the stunt of calling and asking for it back, switching accounts only long enough for it to go in a valid account, and then walking off with the money. I sent him this article and told him to go to his bank he had Zelle thru (he did not enroll in it – the bank did automatically.)
https://www.inquirer.com/consumer/venmo-zelle-payment-scams-20220909.html
The bank went so far as to change his bank account number so he had to deal with the hassle of redoing all his retirement auto-payments again and getting new checks – yes, old people still use checks. No small feat for someone who does not bank online. The woman kept bothering him.
After a few days, a man called Luis M. called and identified himself as an officer with Houston Constable Precinct 4. He said his aunt was sending the money to her daughter and needed Joe to send it back to her. Joe explained he had already been to the bank to ask that it be taken care of. The woman started texting and calling again demanding her money.
At this point, I believed it was a scam. After all, Joe’s age, phone number, and zip code in a wealthy area are available online. Joe gave me the phone numbers of the people involved and I did a reverse look up. Sure enough, the numbers belonged to Luis and Telisa. Further investigation showed that Luis is indeed an officer with Precinct 4. No scam at that point. Just stupidity and aggression.
The messages died off for a while and Joe told me on September 1st, Wells Fargo debited the money from his account. Now today, another message came though demanding HER money. Caps were used. She was yelling at on old man.
I tried to call Telisa to inform her the money had been taken out of Joe’s account. Her mail box was full. So I called Luis. I informed him Joe no longer had the money in his account and stated I did not want any more harassment of the elderly from him or his family. He stated it wasn’t his business which I pointed out he made it his business when he called Joe.
A few hours later, Telisa called me screaming that she wanted her money back and was going to take further action which she would not specify. She would not let me finish one sentence. She is definitely unhinged and believes she is the victim. I am sure she is not going to stop until she gets money out of Joe. She also goes by an alias on social media where she says she is a minister. There are so many red flags on this woman that a bull would pass out dizzy. And Jesus said, “bully the elderly just because you can.” My favorite verse. And I know now that Luis is all in as he had to be the one to give her my number. Since the money has been taken out of Joe’s account, and they are still demanding it, it is now officially an attempt at fraud.
I now have encouraged Joe to call the police, but as a police officer called him demanding the money, he is obviously afraid to do so. I have decided to write a letter to the Constables office stating how inappropriate it is to have someone use their position in law enforcement to bully money out of an old man. But I want to CC it to whomever is over the Constables. I want it clear that if anything now happens to Joe, there is the tie-in to someone who should be protecting old folks.
I also have the woman’s work info but I feel writing to her employer (school bus driver for HISD,) would be doxing. It was the man who used his job title to extort money out of someone. Agreed? Or am I going to easy? Feeling pretty helpless in trying to help the helpless. This is now a month of harassment towards an old gent for doing nothing other than having a bank account, a phone number, and following the instructions his bank gave him.
