Prepare to be incensed.

The story of what happened to a trusting and gullible 71-year-old Santa Rosa widow will enrage you, but maybe the telling will cause other seniors to be wary.
Several months ago, as her husband was dying, the woman began receiving phone calls from exuberant callers announcing that she’d won big cash prizes. All she had to do — you guessed it — was pay some fees and taxes, in advance.

 
Santa Rosa police said she fell for it. So the scammers piled on the fees, then new callers phoned to say she’d won more sweepstakes, lottery and clearing house money.

 
The lady paid and paid — more than $120,000, most of her savings. She’s now so crushed and so embarrassed that she doesn’t want to tell her family what she’s done.

 
Every day, crooks are calling elders and trying to rob them. Remind a senior — when someone phones and asks you to send money for any reason,  just say no.