A cunning scam orchestrated by an imposter pretending to be from Chase Bank was foiled by a vigilant police officer in White Settlement, Texas. The officer intercepted the scam while it was in progress, preventing an elderly woman from falling victim to it. The incident was reported by the White Settlement Police Department (WSPD) on June 19.
It all began when a concerned citizen noticed the elderly woman depositing a large sum of cash into a Bitcoin (BTC) ATM and became suspicious. The citizen’s suspicion was confirmed when they overheard the woman’s phone conversation, which seemed to indicate that she was being scammed.
According to the WSPD, the scammer had threatened the victim with arrest if she didn’t send the funds. This tactic is commonly employed by scammers involved in fraudulent schemes. Adding to the victim’s confusion, the caller ID displayed “Chase Bank,” leading her to believe that she was speaking to a genuine employee.
The imposter then arranged for a ride service to pick up the woman and take her to a local Chase Bank, where she withdrew the money as instructed. From there, the suspect directed her to a convenience store equipped with a Bitcoin ATM to deposit the funds.
Dashcam footage released by the police department captures the moment an officer intervened in the scam. Despite the imposter’s continued attempts to persuade the victim to complete the transaction, the WSPD successfully put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, the woman had already deposited $23,900 into the crypto ATM before the police intervened. Authorities are now working alongside government officials in an effort to recover the funds and return them to the victim.
Sergeant James Stewart, the officer who swiftly responded to the call, revealed that he couldn’t help but think of his own mother when he saw the vulnerable elderly victim. He expressed his determination to protect her from harm.
Meanwhile, Chief of Police Christopher Cook expressed his gratitude towards the concerned citizen who reported the incident. The department plans to honor the citizen’s vigilance at an upcoming council meeting.
In other news related to cryptocurrency security, a phishing attack against Bittensor resulted in an $11 million loss, while UwU Lend and Curve were targeted by fake news, and Lykke fell victim to a $22 million hack.