NEWBURY, Mass. — Newbury police stopped a scam that could have cost a 75-year-old woman $11,000.
An officer said he was approached at a gas station Tuesday night by a woman who said she thought she might be getting scammed.
The woman said someone claiming to be a government agent had called her, knew personal information about her, and told her she needed to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM to avoid legal repercussions.
The officer said he was immediately suspicious and attempted to call the person demanding the money. However, once the person heard the officer was on the line, they hung up.
According to police, the woman had driven from Maine looking for a Bitcoin ATM and had already withdrawn $11,000 in cash.
Police explained that the call was a scam and encouraged the woman to monitor her accounts.
Officers said that once cash is deposited into a Bitcoin ATM, the money is often difficult to recover unless police seize the machine with a search warrant.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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