HINGHAM, Mass. — An elderly Hingham resident fell victim to an email phishing scam, costing her thousands of dollars.
According to police, an 88-year-old woman reported the scam on Sunday morning. She showed officers an email she received on March 21 titled “Federal Trade Commission” with a name and a direct phone number for a “Litigation Officer.”
The email reportedly included tips about fraud prevention and information about the Federal Reserve System which appeared to be copied from the reserve’s actual website, giving the scam email an appearance of legitimacy.
The victim called the number in the email and was told by the scammers her daughter was in “financial trouble” and she could help her by sending money. The scammer reportedly claimed that if the victim sent the money to him, he would transfer it into her daughter’s account, bringing it back into good standing.
The victim then got a treasurers check for $15,500 from her local bank and mailed it overnight from a UPS Store, according to police. The scammers told her to make the check out to a woman and mail it to an address in Illinois. The check was then cashed the next day.
“As with all scams, awareness and education are the most effective ways to prevent someone becoming a victim,” Lt. Steven Dearth said in a press release. “Please have a conversation about this scam or share this info with family members....Scam attempts (by email, phone or text) happen daily to everyone. Just delete, block them or ignore them.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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