Woman Scammed out of $200,000
/Clay County investigators are looking for the person who scammed a woman out of $200,000 this week.
According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, a man called the victim and told her that her cyber security service had expired. The victim said she thought it was really the company because the call came from the company number and the scammer knew her account information. Investigators think the phone number was faked to make it believable.
The victim allowed the scammer remote access to her computer to fix the problem and told her the company would refund the $1,500 for the subscription. He eventually told her that he accidentally sent the money twice so he asked the victim to return the money to him via a Bitcoin kiosk in Liberty.
For several days, he said he was working on the victim’s computer and requesting her to make deposits at various Bitcoin kiosks. The victim soon discovered $200,000 was missing from her bank accounts and she contacted law enforcement.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents of tips to avoid being a victim:
Never allow anyone to access your computer remotely unless you have initiated the interaction with a member of a trusted business or organization.
If something seems suspicious, call the company directly before providing any information or access.
Do not provide information about financial accounts over the phone on a call you did not initiate.
Legitimate businesses will not request payment via Bitcoin kiosk, gift card or similar unconventional methods. They also won’t “accidentally” deposit too much money in your account.
KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story
