Elderly victim loses $22,000 in Amazon-related scam

Scammers stole approximately $22,000 from an elderly man who fell victim to a sophisticated Bitcoin fraud scheme. According to police, the scam began when a fraudulent Amazon text message from Amazon appeared on his phone. The message said his account had been compromised.

After receiving the fraudulent email, the victim received a call from a number in Washington, D.C., from someone claiming to be Federal Trade Commission Agent John Krebs. The caller said he was being investigated for money laundering and provided details on how to resolve the charges. The victim claimed the scammer asked him to deposit $22,000 into a Bitcoin ATM at a gas station on South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach.

Scammer tricks elderly victim into paying $22,000 in BTC

Rachel Leitao, public information officer for the West Palm Beach Police Department, said residents should stop paying Bitcoin to criminals who claim they can solve any problem. “If you need to make a payment at a Bitcoin kiosk, no government agency will contact you. That’s a red flag,” she said. Police are now warning residents about an increase in scams during the holiday season.

Li Tao claimed that fraud always increases around the holiday season. The warning comes as scammers continue to target local victims in the region. Another local victim, John Klingel, told reporters he lost more than $38,000 to scammers who pressured him into depositing funds at a Bitcoin kiosk, according to reports. He claimed that scammers are very cunning and sophisticated, noting that they will stop at nothing to convince people to pay their fees.

The warning comes amid a rise in cryptocurrency scams across the United States. The American Association of Retired Persons reported that more than $9.3 billion has been lost to fraudsters due to fraud and theft related to digital assets. The report claims that seniors over the age of 60 lost about $2.8 billion of their total funds. Because these scams are on the rise, the West Palm Beach Police Department is also taking steps to assist residents against these scammers.

Police urge the public to be wary of these criminals.

West Palm Beach Police recently announced that they are encouraging older residents to sign up for something called Operation Senior Shield, a free system that sends them alerts and updates on the latest scams to help them recognize red flags and protect their finances and personal information. “We are focused on making sure that we raise awareness about this financial fraud and fraudulent activity,” Litao said. Klingel said he plans to enroll in the program.

Police assured the public that the investigation into the West Palm Beach victim’s case is ongoing and that they are attempting to track the scammers’ activities after the victim receives the funds. At the same time, police announced they would begin sending out alerts to residents who have signed up for Operation Senior Shield, which is scheduled to begin early next month.

Meanwhile, West Palm Beach Police have released guidelines to help citizens avoid these scams. They urge the public to check all calls from government agencies on official numbers or websites. Police also noted that law enforcement never asks for money, digital assets or gift cards. He also urged residents not to share personal information online and to talk to someone they trust if they feel something is wrong.