Florida couple told they won $4M jackpot. 3 years later, they are homeless, have lost their car, job, and life savings

In March 2023, Florida seniors Fritz (87) and Merdine James (74) received a phone call they thought would change their lives. A woman introduced herself as Susan Smith from Publishers Clearing House and informed them they’d won a sweepstakes worth $4 million, along with two cars and a truck.

This would indeed prove to be a life-changing call, though not in a positive way. “Susan” told them there were just a few simple upfront taxes and fees for the couple to pay before they could receive their jackpot and, for legal reasons, they had to keep the win confidential.

As reported by TCPalm, Fritz is living with dementia, Merdine is a hospice caregiver working out of their home, and they had just one year left to pay on their mortgage. This money would have set them up for the rest of their lives. But there was no jackpot.

Merdine proceeded to wire transfer $141,000 of their savings to “Susan” before moving on to sending her multiple Amazon Gift Cards. By the time the scam was over, the couple had lost their house, their car, and had become homeless. As Merdine worked from her home, she also lost her income along with the property.

“If you have to pay to get your prize, it’s a scam”

An outreach worker with St. Mary’s Episcopal Church arranged for them to get accommodation at a temporary emergency assisted living facility in Port St. Lucie. What’s left of their possessions is now in a storage unit as they struggle to reassemble their lives.

Neither Fritz nor Merdine has spoken publicly about this, but the Stuart Police Department is investigating as of March 2026.

However, the Federal Trade Commission underlines that everyone should be aware of this type of scam, saying there are three signs of a prize scam: “If you have to pay to get your prize, it’s a scam”, “If you have to pay to increase your odds of winning, it’s a scam” and “If you have to give your financial or personal information, it’s a scam.”

Additionally, if you suspect an elderly person you know is being scammed, you’re advised to contact The National Elder Fraud Hotline, which can be reached at 833-FRAUD-11, or 833-372-8311.

It should be underlined that scammers will deploy psychological techniques to drag you into their world. The United States Senate Federal Credit Union details how they’ll use a combination of fear, urgency, false hope, authority, and appeals to your emotions to get you to send them money, and if you do, they’ll then capitalize on the “sunk cost fallacy” to get you to send more until you’ve lost everything.