Lincoln Police got a call from a 79-year-old woman on Friday afternoon reporting a scam. LPD Public Information officer Erika Thomas says the woman told officers she lost $800,000 over the course of a year.
It started with the victim trying to dispute an unauthorized transaction on PayPal and the scammer called her,” Thomas says. “She kept sending $1,000-$2,000 at a time as the scammer
required the money to continue to fraudulent investigation.”
By the end of 2023, the victim had lost approximately $400,000 and by the time of the police report, that total was $800,000. The scam included sending payments via Bitcoin and gift
cards.
“If you believe a loved one may be falling victim to a scam, please have a discussion with them about the signs of fraud. Reports can be filed with local police and through the Attorney General’s website,” Thomas says.