Help Jerry Laing Rebuild his Life After Devastating Scam

My name is Kendra Laing Cruz and I am creating this Go Fund Me campaign on behalf of my father Jerry Laing (aka “Alamo Jer”).

On July 22, 2024, my dad was scammed by a representative of an online organization called Galaxy Digital, where the woman represented herself as a financial investment specialist in cryptocurrency. My dad agreed that sounded like a good investment, and proceeded to follow her instructions using the cryptocurrency app so he could see how profitable it would be. He then went to his own bank and wired his investment of $80,000 to the online account he had set up with her assistance.

The following day, he attempted to withdraw a small portion of his investment, only to discover that the account was locked. He contacted the representative again, and spent three hours with her as she “attempted to fix the problem.” This went on for three weeks while she continued to look for solutions to unlock the account. After three weeks, the app showed his investment had tripled in value. He truly believed this was legitimate. But upon his final attempt to withdraw the funds, his account was frozen. According to her, the only solution to unfreezing the account was for him to pay $297,000. That was the devastating moment that he realized his life savings were gone forever, and that he had become the victim of an elaborate scam!!!

I learned all of this after it occurred, and as I started researching, I found the exact name of the scam. It is called “pig butchering” and the primary targets are the elderly and those in the 20-to-30 age range. The scammers get you to invest on a fake app designed by them that looks just like the real thing. When you try to withdraw from the account, it is automatically locked, requiring more funds to unlock the account. They spend hours pretending to remedy the problem which gives them the time they need to hide the funds so they are no longer traceable.

This has to be one of the most detrimental incidents that can happen to an elderly, retired person who is unable to work.

One thing we can do is to warn everyone about this type of scam. Please pass this along to your loved ones so they can avoid becoming victims of such a hideous crime.

My dad and I are working together to try and rebuild his life by allowing me to monitor his bank account, and establish a monthly budget. He will not be able to make ends meet for several months, and he is considering filing bankruptcy if necessary.

Our hope is that this fundraiser will sustain him long enough to get him back on his feet. Any donation amount that is given is greatly appreciated and will not only help him financially, but emotionally as well.