NY Magazine's Charlotte Cowles fell for a $50,000 scam involving impersonation by crooks claiming to be from Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.), and the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). The F.T.C. and Amazon clarified they don't operate as described in the scam, while the C.I.A. declined to comment. The scam involved convincing Cowles to withdraw $50,000 from her bank, which she did without interference from the bank. Experts note that scammers often manipulate victims' emotions to override their skepticism. This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerability to sophisticated scams.