So my mom is getting up there in years, about to turn 68. She's always had the habit of believing anything she sees online. Last month she made a "Facebook friend" and they do some prayer stuff together or something. My mom admitted that she sent some money over so they can stockpile lotto tickets in hopes of winning. The friend got a "winning ticket" and because it was my mom's money, she wants to give her the money. She claimed that the clerk says they need her ID to claim it. So of course she sent over a photo of her ID. That upset me but she did it without me knowing so I can't really do anything.
After some other things I'm not too sure of, some guy on WhatsApp is trying to call her about giving her the winnings through a check. He sent her a picture of a Bank of America check that's part of a letter of the winnings. The obvious red flag is that the check is in the middle of the sheet like you are supposed to cut it out, which says all I need to know.
The "Facebook friend" is in Kansas City and a very poor video recording with the ticket supports that. I don't have a way of verifying what a Kansas City lottery ticket looks like to prove if it's even real. The guy on WhatsApp calls from a phone number that has a California zip code. His profile icon is using the logo for Multi-State Lottery Association.
My mom can Google that name and find a website for them and she doesn't believe me that it's a scam because they haven't asked her to send them money so she can deposit the check.
Clearly it's gonna be one of those "deposit the money and send me back some money" scams, plain and simple, but my mom refuses to believe me. I just need advice or help to prove it, otherwise I'm probably just going to have to take her phone and delete and block those contacts so she can't find them on her own.
I'm trying not to be angry with her. I'm 29 and all I want to do is make sure my mom is safe cause she has a kind heart and I know online strangers will take advantage of that.