Linda Coble, a 79-year-old former TV news anchor who made history as Hawaii's first female anchor in 1971, recently shared her harrowing experience of being scammed out of $60,000. Coble received a call in March from a man claiming to be 'Mike Diamond' from the US Customs Office, who told her she had won $5.5 million in a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. Over several weeks, she was persuaded to send checks and money orders to cover taxes and fees, all under the guise of keeping the prize a secret. The scammer built a false sense of trust, calling her daily and maintaining a friendly demeanor. It wasn't until she was asked for another $20,000 that Coble realized she had been duped, having already sent a total of $60,000. She expressed regret for not verifying identities and emphasized the importance of reaching out to friends and family for support. Coble's story comes amid a rising trend in fraud cases; the FBI reported over one million fraud complaints nationwide, resulting in losses of $21 billion. Coble hopes her experience will serve as a cautionary tale for others.