A Pike County resident was scammed out of $22K. Here's how to avoid the same fate
Pennsylvania State Police in Blooming Grove are investigating a case of theft/crime by deception involving a scam that swindled $22,000 from a victim from Greentown.
Trooper S. Colley reported that on April 14, the 72-year old victim received a pop up from Microsoft advising her that her computer was locked and gave her instructions to unlock it. The victim then called the fraudulent phone number and allowed them access to her computer.
The victim was then told she needed to take her money out of her bank account in order to save it because it may have been hacked by China. The victim then withdrew $22,000 from her bank account and sent $20,000 to an unknown Bitcoin wallet at a gas station, police said.
In addition, the victim send $2,000 in Home Depot gift cards to the unknown actor(s).
Trooper Colley said that the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact PSP Blooming Grove at 570-226-5718.
What to do if you're caught up in a scam
The Federal Trade Commission offers general advice on recognizing and avoiding a scam. Four tips to identify a scam, in brief:
Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know
Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize
Scammers pressure you to act immediately
Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way
How to avoid a scam
Block unwanted calls and text messages
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect
Resist the pressure to act immediately
Know how scammers tell you to pay
Stop and talk to someone you trust
Reporting scams in Pennsylvania
Visit the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Scam complaints are taken by the Pa. Attorney General's Office: bit.ly/3H27CNT. Email scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or call 1-800-441-2555.
Call the Pa. State Police.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: A Pocono senior was scammed out of $22K. How to protect your money
