Two Johnston County residents were scammed earlier this month out of a combined $47,500 in separate but similarly orchestrated fraud schemes, prompting renewed warnings from local authorities about the growing threat of phone and banking scams.
In the first case, an 82-year-old woman from the Corinth Holders community reported receiving a phone call from an individual claiming to be a Microsoft employee. The caller told her that fraudulent activity involving pornography had been detected on her bank account, and that her money was no longer safe.
The scammer instructed her to withdraw $27,500 from her bank in Wendell and deposit the funds into a “secure” Bitcoin account via a Bitcoin ATM located in Wake Forest. The woman complied with the directions, only to realize the next day that she had been defrauded.
In a second incident, a 66-year-old Kenly man received a phone call from someone impersonating a representative from the Wells Fargo Fraud Department. The caller claimed there had been a hacking attempt on the man’s account, and that to protect his funds, he needed to transfer $20,000 to a Chase bank account.
The victim followed the instructions. He reported the incident two days later. By the time law enforcement became involved, the money had already been withdrawn from the Chase account.
Protect Yourself From Scams:
Authorities offer the following tips to help protect yourself and loved ones:
