A police officer in White Settlement, Texas, successfully foiled a scam orchestrated by an imposter posing as a Chase Bank representative. The scammer managed to deceive an elderly woman into withdrawing $40,000 and depositing it into a Bitcoin ATM machine.
On June 19, the White Settlement Police Department (WSPD) announced that their officers had intervened in the midst of an unfolding scam. According to the WSPD, a vigilant citizen contacted their dispatch center after witnessing an elderly woman depositing large amounts of cash into a Bitcoin (BTC) ATM. The citizen became suspicious after overhearing the woman’s phone conversation.
The WSPD revealed that the suspect had threatened the victim with arrest if she failed to send the funds, a common tactic employed by scammers involved in fraudulent schemes. Moreover, the victim, upon seeing the caller ID displaying “Chase Bank,” was duped into believing that the imposter was indeed a bank employee.
Subsequently, the perpetrator arranged for a ride service to pick up the woman and escorted her to a local Chase Bank branch to withdraw the money. Afterward, the suspect guided her to a nearby convenience store where a Bitcoin ATM machine was located, instructing her to deposit the funds.
In the dashcam footage released by the police department, an officer at the scene intervened in the conversation. The imposter posing as a Chase Bank representative persistently attempted to communicate with the victim and persuade her to complete the transaction, but was thwarted by the WSPD.
Although the police managed to prevent any further harm, the woman had already deposited $23,900 into the crypto ATM. Authorities are collaborating with government officials in an effort to recover the funds and return them to the victim.
Sergeant James Stewart, the officer who responded to the call, expressed that he couldn’t help but think of his own mother when he saw the elderly victim. He stated:
Meanwhile, Chief of Police Christopher Cook extended his gratitude to the concerned citizen who reported the incident. The department intends to honor the citizen during a future council meeting.
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Police foil 40000 Bitcoin ATM scam by imposter pretending to be from Chase Bank