An 81-year-old woman was tricked by scammers posing as federal investigators and lost approximately $21,000Scammers also convinced her to withdraw $15,500 in cash, hide it inside a package of books, and prepare it for shipment to CaliforniaA UPS driver helped save some of her moneyWashington Township, N.J. — An 81-year-old Washington Township woman is believed to have lost approximately $21,000 after scammers posing as federal government officials convinced her that her bank accounts had been hacked and that she needed to move her money to protect it.According to the Washington Township Police Department, the woman was contacted by someone claiming to be an FTC investigator, who told her federal authorities were looking into a hack of her accounts.Over several days, additional scammers entered the conversation claiming to represent the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Social Security Administration, and invoking the name of “Attorney General Jaime Song.”None of it was real.The scammers convinced her to convert approximately $21,000 into Bitcoin and withdraw an additional $15,500 in cash. She was instructed to hide the cash inside a package of books and ship it to an address in California, with the assurance that all of her money would be returned once the investigation concluded.Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplashcloseup photo of 100 US dollar banknotesA UPS Driver Made the DifferenceWhen the UPS driver arrived to pick up the package, the woman mentioned it contained cash. The package was intercepted at the UPS facility in Lawnside before it reached California. The $15,500 was recovered; the approximately $21,000 transferred through Bitcoin is believed to have been lost.WTPD Ofc. Kyle Fisler spent time with the victim explaining that she had been scammed. Despite the warning signs, she had been so thoroughly convinced the story was real that she required considerable reassurance before accepting what had actually happened.What You Need to KnowFederal agencies will never ask you to mail cash or convert money to Bitcoin as part of an investigation.If someone calls claiming your accounts have been compromised, hang up and call your bank directly.Talk to elderly family members and neighbors about these scams before they become victims.Anyone who believes they are being targeted is asked to contact the Washington Township Police Department at (856) 256-1212.Don’t get fooled: Here’s 25 scam texts I received in just one monthYes, some of these may be humorous, but some do appear legit and often can fool you.Spam texts are listed in the same order that they were received.Gallery Credit: Mike BrantCommon scams targeting New Jersey residentsNew Jersey officials are advising residents to watch out for these common scams.Gallery Credit: Dino FlammiaChris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for WPUR Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President’s Circle award winner and Townsquare Media’s 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com.
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