Hingham, MA - A 76 year old resident fell victim to a scam and lost $30,000. The scammer contacted him a second time and asked for more money and the resident realized it was a scam.
On Monday, March 24, 2025 a resident came to the police station to report that two weeks earlier he had had fallen victim to a scam. He said he was contacted by scammers and believed his computer became infected with a virus or malware. The scammers told him that his money in a Hingham bank was at risk of being stolen. The scammer advised him to withdraw $30,000 in cash from the bank but cautioned him not to tell the bank staff why because an employee working there "was corrupt as well".
The resident went to his bank, withdrew the cash, and then was told he needed to deposit his cash in an "FDIC machine to keep his money safe". The resident asked where was such a machine and he told them in a nearby gas station in Norwell. The resident went there and saw a Bitcoin machine. The scammer explained that it was a "duel machine" and it was safe to deposit the cash. He deposited the $30,000 into the scammers Bitcoin account.
The scammer called him back and advised him to convert $35,000 from his stocks into cash and deposit it into his Hingham bank account. He made the transfer and was about to withdraw that cash but became suspicious when the man said to bring the cash home and someone would come by to pick it up in order to keep it safe.
The resident then realized it was a scam and notified his bank. As with similar scams the scammers likely kept the resident on the phone to make sure he did not have the time to call someone to confirm or verify information. This also helps the scammer make sure they follow instructions. We have seen scammers stay on the call for 2-3 hours while the person drives to the bank and makes a withdrawal. As with most scams, they are skilled in their phone skills and putting fear into the victims that their money is at risk unless they follow directions. Please share or have a conversation with those senior family member and friends as they are usually the ones targeted. ### Contact P.I.O. Lt. Steven Dearth