After pulling $20,000 from her bank account, a 73-year-old Massachusetts woman stopped returning her family’s calls. Police found her at a Bitcoin ATM — still on the phone with the scammer who sent her there.
Around 2 p.m. on Thursday, family members went to the Lakeville Police Department, concerned that another family member was being scammed.
The 73-year-old Lakeville woman had withdrawn $20,000 in cash from her bank account and was not answering phone calls.
The scammer told the woman her computer was infected with a virus. The only way to protect her money, the scammer claimed, was to withdraw it and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM.
The scammer also told her not to answer any phone calls, including those from family members.
She did as she was told.
Police determined she was likely headed to Raynham and contacted the Raynham Police Department to be on the lookout.
Raynham Police officers began checking local Bitcoin ATM locations. Soon they found the car at Coletti’s Market on North Main Street. Police found the woman while she was still on the phone with the scammer.
Luckily, police said, they were able to stop the woman in time.
“This case is a powerful reminder of how sophisticated and manipulative these scams have become,” said Lakeville Chief Matthew Perkins. “Thanks to fast detective work, interagency cooperation — including the quick response from Raynham Police — and vigilant family, we were able to stop this in time. If not for those combined efforts, the victim could have lost a significant amount of money.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns people that “no legitimate business is going to demand you send cryptocurrency in advance.”
“That’s always a scam,” the FTC wrote.
Scams can also include love interests, seemingly legitimate businesses or blackmail.
“Don’t pay anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, demanding payment with cryptocurrency,” the FTC wrote.
