Murfreesboro police warn about new scam targeting seniors
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities issued a warning to the Murfreesboro community Thursday about a “sophisticated scam targeting elderly residents,” which has already cost two people tens of thousands of dollars.
According to the Murfreesboro Police Department, the first reported case involved a 75-year-old who fell victim to the scam on March 1 after getting an email from someone pretending to be with McAfee Services.
Over the course of several days, the man reportedly received multiple requests for wire transfers claiming he owed payments and penalties. As a result, the victim was “deceived into wiring a total of $138,000,” officials said.
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Then, on March 7, police said a 73-year-old was shopping on eBay and encountered a fraudulent ad by scammers posing as Microsoft and Federal Trade Association employees. The ad allegedly prompted him to call a number, which led to a scammer who falsely claimed they detected child pornography on the man’s computer.
According to authorities, the victim was instructed to download the “Any Viewer” remote access app before being tricked into setting up a new bank account and transferring $32,000 into it. Then, the victim was reportedly told to wire $28,000 of the $32,000 to a foreign account.
In addition, police said the scammers further exploited the man by having him max out his credit cards; buy $11,000 worth of gift cards; and send the card numbers and PIN numbers so the issue could supposedly be rectified.
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“We strongly advise residents to remain vigilant and skeptical of unsolicited communications asking for personal information, financial transactions, or the installation of software,” said Detective Emily Speed. “If you receive a similar call, simply hang up.”
If you think you may have already become a victim of this scam, you are asked to call Speed at 629-201-5664.
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