Scam artist targets Avondale fire victim Sandra Aragon

AVONDALE, AZ - An Avondale woman says after her home caught fire, she was targeted by a scam artist causing her to be victimized twice.

Sandra Aragon and her five kids lost everything when their mobile home burned to the ground near Litchfield Road and Western Avenue.

But if recovering from that fire wasn't hard enough, someone wiped out Aragon's bank account as well.

Not long after the fire, Aragon got a knock on the door of her new mobile home from a woman claiming to be a relief worker.

Aragon, however, would soon learn she was actually a scam artist.

"She doing that to me, it's really mean," said Aragon.

Aragon says the woman posed as a volunteer with Hope's Closet and needed Sandra's EBT card for identification.

Aragon gave it to her and the woman promised to bring it back a day later.

Not surprisingly, the scam artist never showed.

"I found out she used all $500 on the food stamps card," said Aragon.

It was discouraging news for not only Aragon but also for workers at the Palm Valley Church who had been helping Aragon get back on her feet.

"It's part of the problem with the holiday season," said Mark Grochocki with Palm Valley Church. "There are people in great need and people go after them as well. There are those preying out there."

Aragon hopes Avondale police can catch the person responsible.

"I just want justice, that's all I want," said Aragon.

More than anything, Aragon wants others to learn from her so they won't make the same mistake she did.