Overview
- Ellen Rudolph, 71, says scammers posing as PayPal took remote control of her computer and stole $38,000 she had set aside for home repairs.
- She reported the loss to her bank and local police after noticing the unauthorized transfers.
- After a $10,000 grant from Kehillat Israel, Cantor Chayim Frenkel launched a Feb. 4 GoFundMe that has surpassed its original $28,000 goal.
- Rudolph’s home on Jacon Way was damaged in the January 2025 Palisades Fire, and her husband, Steve Lewis, died in October at 81.
- Living in Playa Vista during repairs, she plans to return to the Palisades in April and is urging people to verify urgent financial messages with trusted sources before acting.