Andrew Vargas

Scams

$4,000 in gift cards, one afternoon, one CVS

Jul 22, 2026

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5 min read

$4,000 in gift cards, one afternoon, one CVS

He hit his daily debit limit and called me to raise it. I did not raise it.

Andrew Vargas

Checks

She apologized for crying before she even told me why she was calling.

Jul 15, 2026

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4 min read

She apologized for crying before she even told me why she was calling.

The settlement had finally come through. $300,000. She just needed to deposit it.

Andrew Vargas

Debit Card

Jul 8, 2026

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4 min read

He had $8,000. The card still said no.

The $3,400 Ring, the $2,000 Limit, and the Slow-Motion Public Meltdown at the Jewelry Counter

Andrew Vargas

Scams

Jul 1, 2026

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5 min read

She sent $23,000 to her lover overseas

He was a surgeon working overseas. They'd been talking for five months. She knew he was real.

Andrew Vargas

Overdraft

Jun 24, 2026

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4 min read

Where Does Your Money Go When You Die?

A Story About Paperwork, Government Holding Patterns, and Not Adding a Beneficiary

Andrew Vargas

Overdraft

Jun 17, 2026

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2 min read

What's a Browser?

A 74-year-old just wanted to pay her electric bill. Here's how that went.

Andrew Vargas

Overdraft

She tried to send $2,000 to a JPEG of a dog.

Jun 10, 2026

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4 min read

She tried to send $2,000 to a JPEG of a dog.

There was no dog, there never was.

Andrew Vargas

Debit Card

Jun 3, 2026

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6 min read

The dumbest way to access your money

And yet, everyone uses it. Here's what I saw working in banking.

Andrew Vargas

Overdraft

May 27, 2026

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3 min read

He overdrafted $47 and thought he was going to prison.

He didn't plan his finances. He did, however, plan his prison survival strategy.

Andrew Vargas