Retired Beverly Couple Lose $350K In Elaborate Gold Bar Scam

BEVERLY — Cheryl Becker realized she was a victim of a telephone scam while reading the Sunday paper in August. The Beverly resident and retired teacher had spent weeks on the phone in late April and early May with purported investigators from the Social Security Administration who claimed to be looking into a fraud case. Becker, 79, had been receiving multiple calls from the same number. She eventually picked up to tell them they had the wrong number. That s when the caller said they were a representative from a Walmart in Texas, where they alleged someone had tried to purchase $900 in camping equipment using a credit card in Becker s name.  The caller asked Becker if she had authorized the purchase. After she denied it, the caller quickly transferred her to a person who identified themselves as a fraud investigator with the Social Security Administration. “He said he was investigating that somebody was taking out credit cards in my name and opening bank accounts in my na