Hingham police warn residents of text and phone scams after resident, 95, loses $2,000

HINGHAM − Police are alerting residents to watch out for text and phone scams after a 95-year-old resident lost $2,000 in a scam that started with an unsolicited text message.

Police say that on Oct. 3, the resident received a message informing him that his bank account had been frozen. He was told to call a phone number to receive instructions on how to unfreeze his account.

Once the resident called the phone number, he was told to buy gift cards from Target and Walmart, which ended up totaling $2,000. Later, the resident feared that he had been scammed and called his bank, which confirmed his suspicions.

How do I avoid being scammed?

Police reminded residents to never respond to unsolicited texts or emails from their financial institutions, and to avoid clicking on any links.

"If you are concerned that it may be actually from your bank or credit card company, you should contact them at the number, website or email listed on your actual credit cards or statements," Hingham police said in a statement. "This is the only way to be certain you are contacting the actual company."

No legitimate institution will demand or accept gift cards as a valid form of payment, they said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hingham resident loses $2,000 in scam