Operating through Facebook Messenger, scammers tried to convince Angels to send money to Texas.

TIFTON — Angela Streepy started the new year as the target of a Facebook scam, one that she and her husband Gary managed to avoid.

It started when Angela decided to reach out to an old friend on Facebook Messenger.

After catching up, her friend told her about a federal grant program she had found that offered up to $150,000.

The grant money, Angela was told, could be used for a wide swath of options: education, purchasing a home, paying bills and rent, etc.

Angela filled out the application, providing her name, address and phone number.

Through Facebook, her friend introduced her to someone claiming to be Benjamin Maclean with the Federal Loan Agency.

The Streppys had been targeted for a scam before, said Gary. Someone claiming to be with the IRS called them a few years ago. They had heard the warnings and didn’t fall for it.

But this was coming from a friend, someone they had known for years.

“As it was happening, things started going off in my head,” said Gary. “I said ‘Something isn’t right here.’”

A former cop, Gary reaching out to his bank, Ameris, who told him it was a scam.

Their friend’s Facebook account had been hacked.

This is exactly what the person or people claiming to be both Angela’s old friend and a federal agent were hoping to avoid.

Both messaged Angela repeatedly.

In messages provided to the Gazette, they pressure her to not tell anyone and to keep quiet about the supposed grant.

Meanwhile, “Maclean” kept messaging Angela, asking her to go to Walmart, buy a MoneyGram for $650 and send it to Texas.

Her grant money would be delivered to her by UPS five hours after she sent the $650.

Angela even got a call from someone claiming to be from UPS, saying they wanted to verify her address.

“We didn’t fall for it, but there’s people who probably will. We felt like we had to step up.”

People who think they are being targeted for a financial scam are encouraged to contact local law enforcement as well as their bank or financial institution.

“Leave it alone,” said Gary. “Block them, do whatever you need to do. But don’t fall for it. The UPS guy isn’t ever going to come by.”