**South Florida Man’s $150,000 Wire Transfer Lost to Hacker After 10-Year Legal Battle**
*(WSVN)* – For 10 years, a South Florida man named Allan Nowak fought tirelessly to recover money owed to him. After a decade-long struggle, he finally succeeded — only to have $150,000 wired to a hacker by his attorney. Now, Allan faces a new challenge.
Allan reached out to *Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser* to seek guidance.
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### A Decade of Hardship and Legal Battles
Hurdles happen in all our lives, but few have faced a headache like Allan.
“I’m an unlucky guy,” Allan said. Ten years ago, Allan hired a moving company to relocate his belongings half a mile away. Unfortunately, the movers turned out to be scammers.
More than $400,000 worth of Allan’s property was either stolen or damaged. His artwork and other valuables were taken.
Allan sued the company, and a judge ruled the movers owed him $408,000.
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### The Movers Disappear, But the Battle Continues
The movers vanished, forcing Allan to change course. He then pursued the judgment against the insurance company instead.
It took eight years, but the insurance company eventually agreed to pay Allan $150,000 — significantly less than the original judgment.
The money was sent to Allan’s attorney.
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### A Devastating Wire Transfer Scam
“All the paperwork was signed, and the money came into his trust account. Sounds like good news,” Allan shared. But complications arose when he asked his attorney to wire the money into his girlfriend Lauren’s bank account.
The attorney wired the money, but it never arrived. The transfer reportedly went to a bank in Colorado — not the Miami bank Allan had specified.
“I think you were hacked — or Lauren was hacked,” the attorney told Allan.
Allan did not believe he was at fault and blamed his attorney for the mishap.
“You had control of all the money, all the time. We had no control of the money,” Allan said.
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### Investigation and Uncertainty
Allan reported the incident to the police and FBI but was told the situation was a civil matter.
The attorney stated that his insurance company was investigating the issue. Ten years after being ripped off by movers, Allan is still fighting to recover his money.
“It’s very frustrating. My whole life is dependent on that money,” Allan explained.
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### What Happens Now? Expert Insight from Howard
Patrick Fraser asked consumer advocate Howard what Allan should do next.
Howard responded, “It depends, and while it seems simple, it’s complicated.”
If the lawyer’s system was hacked or if the lawyer should have known that Allan or his girlfriend was hacked, the attorney’s insurance company is likely responsible for reimbursing Allan.
But if Allan or Lauren got hacked and the lawyer had no reasonable way to know, the insurance company might not have to reimburse Allan.
Howard added, “Like I said, it’s complicated.”
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### The Hacker’s Tactic
Emails between Allan and his attorney revealed the hacker used a clever method: altering Lauren’s email address from “cb1” to “clb01.” The crook used this fake address to intercept the wire transfer and divert the funds to the wrong account.
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### Attorney’s Response
Howard spoke with Allan’s attorney, a well-respected South Florida lawyer, who said, “I want this resolved as much as Allan does.”
Due to attorney-client privilege, the lawyer could not discuss details of his conversations with Allan but confirmed that his insurance company is investigating the case.
The attorney told Allan to expect good news regarding the $150,000, but it could take another four to six weeks.
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### Allan’s Hope for a Fresh Start
When asked if his luck could change within that timeframe, Allan replied, “Yes, it can.”
If Allan recovers the money, he plans to afford a down payment on a condo.
However, this time he vows not to hire movers.
“No, I’m going to do it myself, one piece at a time,” Allan said.
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### Tips to Avoid Wire Transfer Scams
Patrick Fraser concluded with important advice for readers:
– When wiring money, consider wiring a portion first and then calling the person to confirm before sending the rest.
– Alternatively, use a check instead of a wire transfer.
– If you suspect something is wrong, exercise caution and verify before transferring funds.
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### Closing
Battling for 10 years has been a long road for Allan Nowak. We hope his luck turns around soon, and he receives the money he is owed.
*With Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.*
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*Copyright*
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