A police officer in the town of White Settlement, Texas, foiled a scam orchestrated by an impostor posing as a Chase Bank representative. The scammer managed to convince an elderly woman to withdraw $40,000 and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM machine.
On June 19, the White Settlement Police Department (WSPD) received a call from a vigilant citizen who suspected that an elderly woman was being scammed. The citizen became suspicious after overhearing the woman’s phone conversation while she was depositing large sums of cash into a Bitcoin ATM.
According to the WSPD, the scammer had threatened the victim with arrest if she didn’t send the funds, a common tactic used in these types of scams. To further deceive the victim, the caller ID displayed “Chase Bank,” leading her to believe that she was speaking with a legitimate employee.
The scammer then arranged for a ride service to pick up the woman and escorted her to a local Chase Bank branch to withdraw the money. Afterwards, they took her to a convenience store where a Bitcoin ATM was located to deposit the funds.
In the dashcam footage released by the police department, an officer on the scene intervened and took control of the conversation. The impersonator posing as a Chase Bank representative tried to persuade the victim to complete the transaction, but their efforts were thwarted by the WSPD.
Although the police managed to prevent further harm, the woman had already deposited $23,900 into the crypto ATM. Authorities are collaborating with government officials in an attempt to recover the funds and return them to the victim.
Sergeant James Stewart, the officer who responded to the call, shared that he couldn’t help but think of his own mother while looking at the elderly victim. He expressed his gratitude towards the concerned citizen who reported the incident and stated that the department plans to honor them at a future council meeting.
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