Clayton Woman Loses $36,000 In Bitcoin Scam

CLAYTON, N.C. — A 77-year-old Clayton-area woman lost $36,000 after scammers convinced her that large unauthorized withdrawals were pending from her bank account.

The victim told the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office she received a telephone call from a person claiming to be an Apple employee working in Russia. The caller alleged her personal bank account had been compromised and that two unauthorized transactions totaling $72,000 were pending.

The scammer instructed the woman that she would need to cover one of the transactions before she could dispute the charges with her bank.

Believing the caller was legitimate, the victim withdrew $36,000 from a local bank and transferred the money to the suspect through Bitcoin.

The woman did not report the incident for several days.

By the time authorities were notified, the money could not be recovered.

The case remains under investigation.

The incident is one of several scams recently reported recently in the area.

Law enforcement officials continue to remind residents that legitimate businesses, banks and government agencies do not require customers to send money through Bitcoin, gift cards, wire transfers or other difficult-to-trace payment methods.

Authorities offer several tips to help residents avoid becoming victims:

• Hang up and independently verify any caller claiming there is a problem with your bank account or computer.

• Never send money through Bitcoin, gift cards, cryptocurrency or other non-traditional payment methods to someone you have never met.

• Contact a trusted family member, friend or your financial institution before withdrawing large sums of cash in response to an unexpected phone call.

Anyone who believes they may be the target of a scam should contact local law enforcement and their financial institution immediately.