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Theft by Deception

MBG-2023-02-0148

On February 7th, 2023, at approximately 3:20 pm, the victim contacted the police department after being victim to a scam. The victim who resides in the 700 block of South Frederick Street advised they received an email advising their PayPal account was used to purchase a $1,400 iPhone. The victim advised they clicked the link in the email and were directed to a phone number. They spoke with an individual on the phone about the “fraudulent activity” on the victim’s account. The individual convinced the victim to withdraw $13,500 from their own bank account and to deposit it into a Bitcoin machine in order to recoup all of their money. The victim was told they would be able to get back their $1,400 for the iPhone and the other money from their bank account. It was not until the victim completed the transaction they realized they were a victim of a scam.

Individuals are reminded to not clink on any links in an email reporting fraudulent activity. Call the company or bank yourself. If they do not have a phone number, go to the website on your own, not through the link in an email. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the police department.