2 weeks Ago By Josh Cain
A SENIOR citizen lost $30,000 after falling victim to a scam.The fraudsters were running a scam that targets elderly people.GettyThe scammers tricked the victim into believing his computer was compromised by a virus[/caption]A 76-year old resident of Hingham, Massachusetts lost a fortune to scammers preying on the elderly.
According to Hingham police, the resident came to the station to report that he had been scammed two weeks earlier.He explained that scammers had contacted him and convinced him his computer was infected with a virus or malware.They claimed his money at a Hingham bank was in danger of being stolen and advised him to withdraw $30,000 in cash.
The scammers warned him not to tell the bank staff the reason for the withdrawal because an employee there “was corrupt as well.”After withdrawing the money, the scammers told him to deposit the cash into an “FDIC machine” to keep it safe.When he asked where to find such a machine, they directed him to a gas station in Norwell.
At the gas station, the man found a Bitcoin machine.The scammer assured him it was a “duel machine” and safe for depositing cash.The resident then put the $30,000 into a Bitcoin account.
“The scammer called him back and advised him to convert $35,000 from his stocks into cash and deposit it into his Hingham bank account, police said in a release.“He made the transfer and was about to withdraw that cash but became suspicious when the man said to bring the cash home and that someone would come to his home and pick it up to keep it safe.”Realizing he had been scammed, the resident contacted his bank.
As in similar cases, scammers are believed to have kept the victim on the phone to prevent him from seeking outside help or verifying their claims.“We have seen scammers stay on the call for 2-3 hours while the person drives to the bank and makes a withdrawal,” police added.“As with all scams, they are skilled in their phone skills and putting fear into the victims that their money is at risk unless they follow directions.
”SCAMS AND FRAUD IN THE NEWSGrocery stores are changing the way they sell gift cards in order to combat retail theft.Customers will see a difference when purchasing these items from major retailers.Meanwhile, Apple users are being alerted to a dangerous scam that drained a woman’s savings and stole years’ worth of her memories.
The iPhone owner has now lost $2,200, and 20 years’ worth of her photos and contacts..
