A quick-thinking bank manager at a Chase Bank branch in Westlake prevented a couple from falling victim to a $17,000 scam, police said. However, in two separate incidents, other residents were not as lucky.
According to a report from the Westlake Police Department, a couple visited the Chase Bank on Detroit Road to withdraw $17,000, believing they needed to pay off a warrant from the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. The branch manager, recognizing the transaction as unusual for the customer, alerted authorities.
“The customer did figure out they were going to be scammed if they took this money out and put it in a buy gift card or put it into a crypto ATM, they were going to lose this money forever,” said Captain Jerry Vogel from the Westlake Police Department. “So the clerk there did a really nice job.”
Victims Fall Prey to ‘Search Engine Poisoning’ Scam
In another case, a resident unknowingly called a scammer after searching for Microsoft support online. The victim believed she was speaking with a legitimate representative but was instead caught in a scheme known as “search engine poisoning.”
“Maybe it’s the Social Security Administration. Maybe it’s Microsoft indicating that you have a virus, a terrible virus, on your computer, and you need to jump through these hoops to get rid of the virus,” Captain Vogel explained, emphasizing that these are mere scare tactics. “They scare you. For the older population, they may get a little more scared than everyone else.”
The scammer convinced the victim to withdraw $40,000 under the pretense of protecting her account. She was falsely told that her computer had been infected with child pornography and illegal drug-related content from China, and that these websites would drain her accounts unless she withdrew the money immediately.
The victim proceeded to deposit $20,000 into a Bitcoin ATM at a local gas station before a clerk noticed the transaction and attempted to intervene. However, by then, the money was already gone. Fortunately, the victim had not yet deposited the remaining $20,000.
Cybersecurity expert Alex Hamerstone warned about such tactics, explaining that scammers often create a sense of urgency.
“If someone’s calling you out of the blue, demanding money, threatening you, and it has to do with Bitcoin, it’s going to be a scam,” he said. “You know, the police don’t generally call you and tell you they want to arrest you, right? They come to the door. There are very few absolutes in the world, but 100% the IRS will never take your tax bill. They’ll never take your tax payment using gift cards.”
Bitcoin ATM Scam Strikes Again
In a third incident, another Westlake resident was deceived into depositing $5,500 into a Bitcoin ATM at Sam’s Convenience Store after receiving a call from someone posing as a Social Security Administration representative.
The store’s owner has since stated plans to remove the machine within the next month.
“I just advise you to be very wary of anything that directs you to buy gift cards or put cash into an ATM,” Captain Vogel warned. “Especially the cryptocurrency ATMs, we find that this is almost always, and I could probably even say always, a scam.”
Authorities continue to urge residents to remain vigilant and skeptical of unsolicited calls demanding money, particularly when cryptocurrency is involved.