HINGHAM, Mass. — The Hingham Police Department is warning the public of a new scam after an 89-year-old woman was scammed out of $19,000 last week after receiving an email that appeared to be from her bank.
The scam began when the woman received an email claiming to be from her bank, alerting her to activity on her account.
Upon calling the number, the woman was told her account had been compromised and that she needed to withdraw her money to protect it. She was directed to withdraw $34,000 from two nearby bank branches, Quincy and Scituate.
The scammer stayed on the phone with her during the withdrawals, instructing her to keep her phone in her pocket so they could listen to her interactions with the tellers. Despite being told to insist on receiving the cash, she was only able to withdraw $9,000 and $10,000 from the two branches.
The fraud department continued to call her, eventually sending someone to her home to collect the cash, claiming it would be deposited into a new secure account to prevent hacking.
The scam unfolded over several days, with numerous phone calls from the same caller, who gained the woman’s trust by remaining in constant contact, especially during the withdrawals.
Authorities are investigating the incident and are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Heather Hermida at 781-741-1443.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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