Johns Creek woman loses $47K in online crossword puzzle scam
A generic photo of a crossword. (Photo by Lewis Stickley/PA Images via Getty Images)
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. - Johns Creek police are warning residents to be careful of scams after an elderly resident lost more than $47,000 from a pop-up.
Officials say the victim was scammed while doing a crossword puzzle online.
What we know:
According to the John Creek Police Department, the woman received a message while doing the puzzle that told her to call a phone number.
When the woman called, the person on the other side of the line told her that her Bank of America account had an issue.
The scammers then used a spoofed caller ID to pretend to be a Bank of America employee to trick the woman into putting some of the money in her account into a Bitcoin machine for protection.
After completing the transfer, the woman became suspicious and said she'd call the police. It was then officials said she got a spoofed call claiming to be an officer with the police department who asked to withdraw another $10,000.
When nobody showed up to collect the money, she went to the police department to report the scam.
What they're saying:
Investigators say these types of criminals thrive on fear and urgency, and you can always take a moment to stop and think.
They are asking residents to talk to their elderly relatives and neighbors about scams like these to help them avoid losing money.
"Let's try to stop this disgusting scam from happening," the department wrote on Facebook.
If you suspect you are being targeted by scammers, never send any money. Instead, call 911.
The Source: Information for this story came from a Facebook post by the Johns Creek Police Department.