December 5, 2023 By The Hingham Police Department
A resident fell victim to a phone scam that led to him losing almost $100,000.
On December 2, 2023 an 84 year old Hingham resident said last week he received a call from a man who claimed he was from PayPal. The caller said $100 had accidently been deposited into the residents bank account. The caller asked him to open his account on his computer and asked the resident to type information and/or go to several sites on his computer. This likely gave the caller remote access to the residents computer and open bank account.
The caller then said the amount deposited by mistake was actually $100,000 and not $100. The resident looked at his account online and saw what appeared to be a $100,000 deposit in his bank account. The caller told the resident to go to his bank and get two cashier’s checks for $49,800 each to pay the money back. The caller told him to mail the two checks overnight via UPS to an address in North Carolina.
The caller warned him if he was questioned at his bank about the large transactions, he should tell them he was buying a car (his bank did not question the withdrawals). He mailed out the checks and they were cashed immediately. Please share this information with senior relatives or friends. ### Contact P.I.O. Lt. Steven Dearth.