WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. (EYT) – Authorities in Jefferson County are warning residents to be aware of theft by deception phone scams after a Jefferson County man was scammed out of over $4,000.
According to DuBois-based State Police Tpr. Hari, around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 6, a known victim in Washington Township received phone calls from an unknown man impersonating a worker from a previous company the victim had utilized. The victim was told he was charged too much money for his previous services and would be issued a refund.
Police say the victim gave the unknown man access to his computer via an application download. The victim then logged into his bank account while the unknown man had access to his screen and mouse. The unknown man then blacked the victim’s screen and added fraudulent deposits into the online bank account.
According to police, the unknown man related he accidentally added $2,200.00 instead of the $200.00 “refund.” This occurred twice and the unknown man related the victim needed to send $4,100.00 in cash to a postal office in New York. The victim did so and later realized he was scammed.
“The Pennsylvania State Police would like to remind residents to always double check who they are speaking to when receiving phone calls and that businesses will not ask an individual to send cash to them through the mail,” said Tpr. Hari. “This includes requests to send gift cards such as iTunes and Google Play cards as a form of payment.”
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