Two Kenly Residents Lose More Than $33,000 In Separate Scams

KENLY, N.C. — Two Kenly residents lost a combined $33,500 in separate scams reported just days apart, prompting another warning from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office for residents to verify suspicious emails, text messages and phone calls before sending money or granting access to personal devices.

In the first case, a 62-year-old woman told deputies she received a text message claiming there was fraudulent activity involving her bank account. The message instructed her to call a telephone number.

When she called, the victim spoke with someone posing as a representative of Truist Bank. The caller convinced her that her money was no longer safe in her bank account and instructed her to withdraw her savings.

The woman withdrew $27,500 and, following the scammer’s instructions, deposited the money into a Bitcoin account that she believed would protect her funds. She reported the fraud to authorities about a week after the transaction occurred.

A second victim came forward three days later after falling for a different scheme.

A 68-year-old Kenly man reported receiving an email that appeared to be from PayPal claiming there was an unauthorized $349 charge on his account. The email instructed him to call a customer service number if he wished to dispute the transaction.

After calling the number, the victim spoke with a scammer who claimed they could process a refund. During the conversation, the suspect persuaded the man to allow remote access to his computer. Authorities said the scammer then transferred $6,000 from the victim’s online bank account.

Both cases remain under investigation.

Authorities continue to remind residents that legitimate banks, financial institutions and payment services will never ask customers to move money into Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency accounts for “safekeeping.” Consumers should also avoid calling phone numbers listed in unsolicited emails or text messages and should never allow remote access to their computers unless they initiated contact with a trusted company.

Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam should immediately contact their bank and report the incident to law enforcement.