An 87-year-old woman lost thousands in a sophisticated scam where fraudsters sent an Uber to her home, claiming she needed to pay a bond for a fictitious relative. This incident highlights the rise of local scams in Beaufort County that often use cryptocurrency payments. The authorities are reviewing surveillance footage to uncover the identity of the courier involved in the scam.
An 87-year-old woman from Sun City Hilton Head was a victim of a sophisticated scam, losing thousands of dollars. The scammers orchestrated an elaborate scheme by sending an Uber to her home, falsely claiming she needed to provide cash bond money to release a relative involved in a fictitious car accident. This tactic is part of a broader trend of local scams that exploit residents in Beaufort County, often facilitated by cryptocurrency transactions.
On April 4, the elderly woman received a call from someone claiming to represent the ‘public defender’s office,’ informing her that her relative required bond money. The scammer placed her ‘relative’ on the line, although she did not recognise the voice. Nevertheless, the woman complied, believing it was necessary to assist her family member.
The Uber arrived as promised, and she withdrew cash from her bank for the purported bail. Following the scammer’s instructions, she concealed the cash within a magazine, which she subsequently handed over to an unnamed female driver. Two days later, the scammers contacted her again, demanding more money under the guise that a baby had died because of the accident her relative was involved in.
Investigators from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are examining surveillance footage to identify the courier and ascertain how she accessed the gated community. Each visitor must have an authorized pass from a resident to enter Sun City.
A similar incident occurred near Orlando, where an 86-year-old woman was almost robbed before her son-in-law intervened. Lt. Eric Calendine highlights that while online scams are prevalent, face-to-face tactics emerge occasionally, presenting scammers as more trustworthy. This presence of ‘couriers’ makes scams seem more convincing to victims compared to transactions through unknown machines, such as cryptocurrency ATMs.
