SOUTH EUCLID , Ohio (WJW) — South Euclid police are warning people about a scam that cost a 76-year-old female resident $23,000.
“It is heartbreaking,” said officer Joe Di Lillo Jr.
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The multi-layered scheme involved several people and connected an email with an internet search.
It started Oct. 29 with the woman receiving a realistic-looking email that appeared to be from her credit card company, telling her that her bank account had been compromised.
They claimed that her Social Security number was on the “dark web” and that she needed to act quickly to protect her funds.
It’s unclear at this time how, but they knew the exact amount of money in her bank account.
“This is a heist, $23,000. It’s a heist for somebody that’s ridiculous,” said Di Lillo.
The woman then thought she was reaching out to her identity theft company but she was still interacting with the scammers, who instructed her to remove the money from her bank account.