A 73-year-old woman from Delhi Township, Ohio, lost over $40,000 in a cryptocurrency scam but was able to recover half of her funds through investigative support from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The woman was misled by a scammer posing as tech support after responding to a pop-up notification on her computer. Authorities are now highlighting the importance of reporting such scams and the collaborative efforts in fighting financial fraud.
In Delhi Township, Ohio, a 73-year-old woman lost over $40,000 after falling for a cryptocurrency scam. It all began with a pop-up message on her computer that falsely claimed her device had been hacked. Misled into thinking it was a legitimate issue, she called a number she believed was Microsoft’s support hotline. Unfortunately, she ended up speaking to a scammer, who urged her to send money through a Bitcoin ATM.
After the transfer, the woman quickly realised she had been duped and promptly turned to the Delhi Township Police Department for help. Recognising the intricacies involved in such cases, local authorities reached out to the Electronic Financial Investigations Unit from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations for assistance.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost noted the challenges of handling these types of cases but also highlighted a small victory. “These are tough cases and we can’t always do something. But in this instance, we were able to recover half of the lost funds,” he shared. This success came after the unit traced the funds and took measures to freeze any further transactions to the scammer.
Yost further clarified the role of the Electronic Financial Investigations Unit, stressing its collaboration with local law enforcement. “We want people to know that this unit is out there. It doesn’t work alone; we aid local sheriff and police departments. They can rely on us for support,
