HINGHAM — An elderly resident of Hingham was swindled out of nearly $100,000 through a deceptive phone scam, according to the Hingham Police Department.
The 84-year-old victim reported on Dec. 2 that he had been duped by a caller pretending to be from PayPal.
The scammer falsely claimed that $100 had been accidentally deposited into the resident’s bank account.
During the call, the resident was instructed to access his bank account on his computer and enter specific information, which likely allowed the scammer to gain remote access to his computer and bank account.
The fraudster then convinced the resident that the accidental deposit was not $100 but $100,000, prompting the man to check his account and discover what appeared to be a large deposit.
Following the caller’s instructions, the resident withdrew $99,600 in the form of two cashier’s checks, each worth $49,800, and mailed them overnight to an address in North Carolina.
The scammer had advised the victim to lie to his bank if questioned about the large withdrawal by claiming he was purchasing a car.
However, the bank did not question the transactions.
The checks were cashed immediately upon receipt.
The Hingham Police Department is sharing this incident as a cautionary tale and urges the community to inform senior relatives and friends about the dangers of such scams.
