Rande Gerber Replaces Calif. Veteran's Stolen Savings After He Was Scammed: 'Pay It Forward'

by annemarie Sat 18 Dec 2021, 01:25

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=48]Rande Gerber Replaces Calif. Veteran's Stolen Savings After He Was Scammed: 'Pay It Forward'
Gerber personally replaced the $3,400 that was stolen from Benjamin Gardner — and gave the military veteran a little extra to "buy something nice for yourself and your family"
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
By Joelle GoldsteinDecember 17, 2021 05:02 PM[/size]
FB[url=https://www.twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Rande Gerber Replaces Calif. Veteran%27s Stolen Savings After He Was Scammed%3A %27Pay It f...https://people.com/human-interest/rande-gerber-replaces-california-veterans-stolen-savings-after-being-scammed/%3futm_source=twitter.com%26utm_medium=social%26utm_campaign=social-share-article]Tweet[/url]
[size=14]More[/size]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][url=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Fhuman-interest%2Frande-gerber-replaces-california-veterans-stolen-savings-after-being-scammed%2F%3Futm_source%3Dpinterest.com%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dsocial-share-article%26utm_content%3D20211218%26utm_term%3Dundefined&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimagesvc.meredithcorp.io%2Fv3%2Fmm%2Fimage%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2021%2F12%2F17%2Frande-gerber.jpg&description=Rande Gerber Replaces Calif. Veteran%27s Stolen Savings After He Was Scammed%3A %27Pay It Forward%27][/url]

Rande Gerber

| CREDIT: ARI PERILSTEIN/GETTY
A California veteran is beyond grateful for Rande Gerber after the businessman went out of his way to ensure that he'd have a memorable holiday season.
Earlier this month, military veteran Benjamin Gardner told KABC that he had thousands of dollars stolen after being scammed through a text message that appeared to be from his bank.
"It was like slow motion. I knew something bad had happened," Gardner explained to the outlet. "To be robbed under the guise of Wells Fargo... I think that is such trickery."
Gardner claimed he initially received a text, seemingly from Wells Fargo, notifying him of a $202.08 charge on his account, according to KABC.
The veteran confirmed he did not make the charges, and soon received a phone call from a number, reportedly with the same ID as Wells Fargo.

"I said 'Well, how do I know that it's you?' and he said 'Check the number,'" Gardner recalled to KABC. "I bounced it off the website and it for sure said Wells Fargo."
RELATED: Boy, 8, Raises More Than $50K to Help Homeless Veterans in 4 Years: 'It Makes Me Feel Very Happy'
"He got me to log in, and I assume that he was looking exactly at the numbers in my bank account because he knew exactly how much to extract from the checking and the savings," he added to the outlet.
The person on the phone ended up scamming Gardner out of $3,400 by convincing him to send money through Zelle, according to KABC. The $3,400 was all he had in his bank account, per the outlet.
"I can't imagine other veterans who are already maybe having some mental challenges going through that around the holidays," Gardner told KABC, adding that he was "very depressed" following the scam.

But all that changed recently when Gerber, 59, caught wind of his story.
RELATED VIDEO: Veteran Reacts to Donation Raised For His Broken Scooter
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

[size=12]00:00
00:59

You might like
×
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Teens Forced to Use Drainpipe to Escape Fatal Apartment Blaze
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Bull Elk Investigates Colorado Home and Returns One Month Later
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Bride Walks With Brother Down The Aisle While Father Who is Quadriplegic Waits Near Alter
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Panda Escapes from Enclosure at Beijing Zoo
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
These Stars Are Getting Into the Holiday Spirit by Giving Back!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Poisonous Boomslang Snake Appears in Family's Christmas Tree
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Twin Panda Cubs Shown To The Public For The First Time At Zoo In France
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Over 70 Believed to Be Dead in Kentucky Following Tornadoes
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
2 Strangers Turned to Each Other During 2017 Las Vegas Mass Shooting, Finding Love Amid Tragedy
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
London’s Natural History Museum Dresses Animatronic 9ft T.Rex in Festive Christmas Sweater
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Endangered Whale Entangled in Fishing Rope for Months Reappears on Island with Calf
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
President Joe Biden Honors 'Great Friend' Bob Dole as Senator Lies in State
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
The Cast of Sing 2 Attend LA Premiere
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
"Empire" Actor Jussie Smollett Found Guilty of Staging Hate Crime, Lying to Authorities
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
2-Month-Old Baby Dies of Kentucky Tornado Injuries After Being Flung from Bathroom by Winds
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
The Cast of Harry Potter Says They’ll Always Have a “Close Bond”
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Dogs Finally Meet Again After 18 Months
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Hoda Kotb on Telling Daughters Haley and Hope About Their Adoption: “You Came from My Heart”
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Dog Loves Squishing Nose On Things
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Becky G Reveals Her Dream Guest for Face to Face with Becky G
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Matthew McConaughey Jokes His Kids Think He’s ‘Cooler’ since Playing Character in New Movie
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Matthew McConaughey Tells Reese Witherspoon She Was His First Celebrity Crush: 'True Story'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Kurt and Brenda Warner Say It Was "Beautiful" to Watch Their Love Story Portrayed in 'American Underdog'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Heather Dubrow Responds to Jeff Lewis' Comments: 'He Has a Lot of Hate in His Heart'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Schools in the U.S. Taking Precautions Over Disturbing TikTok Threat for Dec. 17: 'I'm Scared'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Nick Cannon Opens Up About Losing His 5-Month-Old Son Zen to Cancer: "My Heart Is Shattered"
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Becky G Talks About Creating a 'Safe Space' During Interviews on Face to Face with Becky G
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Doctor Says Fully Vaccinated People Are Going to Test Positive with Omicron: 'Our New Normal'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
David Beckham and His Kids Enjoy Holiday Fun at London's Winter Wonderland
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Rare, Menacing-Looking Deep Sea Fish With Needle Sharp Teeth Washes Up on California Beach
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Christie Brinkley Had a Hole Drilled in Her Eye to Fix Vision Problem: 'Get Them Checked!'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Trey Beachum Says He Was 'Nervous' to Work with Helen Mirren and Reveals How She Broke the Ice
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
RHOM's Adriana de Moura Says Fans will Have to Wait and See if Alexia Echevarria Has a Wedding
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Allyson Felix Recalls 'Scary' Child Birth, Says Brother Didn't Know If She Was 'Going to Pass Away'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
These Celebrities Are Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine to Protect Themselves and Others
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Sheinelle Jones on Why Women Stay Quiet about Fertility Issues: We Think ‘We Have to Be Strong’
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
John Legend Gets Tattoo Drawn by Daughter Luna on His Arm After Callout from Wife Chrissy Teigen
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Danny Mccray Dishes on Why He Decided to Join Survivor and How He Prepared
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Adam Rodriguez Says the First Step to 'Finding Your Magic' is Getting Over Fear
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Tristan Thompson Admits to Months-Long Sexual Relationship with Woman Who Claims He Fathered Child
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Meet the 9-Year-Old Opera Singer & AGT Finalist Who Is the 8th Child of 11!
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This Eco Artist Turns Litter Into Landscape Paintings: 'We Can Be Better, More Sustainable Humans'
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Miss India Wins Miss Universe 2021
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Boy Scouts Sex Abuse: As 82,000 Survivors Consider $1.9B Settlement, Some Say Org. Still Isn't Safe
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
24-Year-Old Researches Treatment for Her Own Crippling Disease: 'I'm in a Race Against Time'
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Curious Dog and Feisty Mountain Lion Meet Face to Face at Backyard Door
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
How a Film Producer Uncovered the Truth About an Innocent Man Convicted of Raping The Lovely Bones Author
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Teen Quarterback Jasen Bracy, Who Is Blind, Has 'No Fear' on the Field: 'Don't Give Up'
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Dogs In Festive Costumes Attend Scrooge-Themed Pageant
Watched
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Nicole Kidman Says She Was ‘Nervous’ for Lucie Arnaz to Watch Her Play Her Mother Lucille Ball
Watched
The businessman — who owns nightlife companies and spirit brands and launched Casamigos Tequila with George Clooney — reached out to KABC, asking them to give Gardner an envelope on his behalf.
As Gardner later discovered, inside the envelope was a handwritten letter from Gerber and a generous check covering his losses — plus some!
"It made me mad and sad that people take advantage of others, especially a Navy vet that served his country," Gerber wrote in his note, which Gardner read it aloud to KABC. "I hope this makes your holiday a bit brighter and maybe others will hear your story so that it doesn't happen to other vets. Thank you for your service. PS: Take the extra [money] and buy something nice for yourself and your family."
Gardner was blown away by the kind gesture, telling KABC, "This just goes to show you that if you believe in hope, if you believe in God, good do things come around."
RELATED: Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran Gets Back $388K Stolen in Phishing Scam: 'I'm Thrilled!'
With the funds now restored in his bank account, Gardner said he plans on sharing it with others in hopes of spreading more acts of kindness.
"I'm actually part of Union Rescue Mission," Gardner explained to KABC. "What I'm going to do is, because something was stolen from me, I'm going give back to some people."
"I'm going give back to the Union Rescue Mission, which is an organization nonprofit which houses people in downtown L.A. for food and for Christmas," he added. "This right here will give me the ability to make someone else happy, so I'm going to pay it forward."[/size]