A Virginia woman falls victim to a Bitcoin scam, losing more than $30,000

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Richmond, Virginia (WTVR) – A woman in Richmond, Virginia, lost more than $30,000 after police said she was the victim of a scam.

CBS 6 Crime Insider John Burkett spoke with Frank Ollie, her financial advisor, and Greg Wade, a Richmond detective, about how it happened.

The woman got an email that appeared to be from PayPal.

“It was about buying some type of malware, and if you don’t want it, call a certain number,” Wade said.

She then called the number and was scammed.

“After the deal was completed, he said, ‘I added too many zeros,’ and, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to lose my job, it’s Christmas time and I have kids,’” he told her intensely. .. Wade explained that this client was a kind, honest, and respectful person. He felt sorry for this man.

The woman felt so bad that she withdrew a total of $34,300 from two banks in an attempt to pay for what she believed was her mistake.

The scammer ordered her to load cash into a Bitcoin machine along Azalea Street. It took 2 hours and 873 separate transactions were made.

Detective Wade obtained a search warrant and asked the store to shut down the device. A representative came to open it, and the woman’s money was still there.

Her money is being held as evidence for now, but she’ll get it all back.

“The good news is that the Richmond Police Department recovered the money from George,” Ollie said.

Wade says the scammer has been tracked to a location outside the United States.