Cambridge police recover nearly $95K for resident scammed into wire transfer

CAMBRDIGE, Mass. — A Cambridge resident was nearly scammed out of $95,000, but was able to recover her finances thanks to quick work by the Cambridge Police Department.

According to Cambridge police, the scamming attempt was stopped after she had already wired funds to China.

Police say the victim was contacted by an individual claiming to be a representative of the Chinese government in early June. The resident was coerced into buying an international phone and was called several times a day.

"I feel like I don't have any hope left anymore and I don't dare to tell my family and friends," the victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Boston 25 News. "I don't want to make the situation worse."

Police say the woman believed she was a the subject of an international arrest warrant and was told to transfer $95,000 to a bank in Hong Kong or face arrest.

"She was actually getting text messages with government documents from China stating there was an international arrest warrant out for her," Cambridge Police Spokesperson Jeremy Warnick explained. "One in particular had -- we redacted it -- her photo, HR social security information, her address, her banking account information."

The resident complied with the threats, but became suspicious and contacted Cambridge police.

Within a week, police say they were able to recover all but $80 of the woman’s transfer.

"I was like ... suddenly I became alive again," the victim said about getting her transfer reversed. "I feel like my life is completely revived by detectives."

Police say an off-duty detective contacted an IRS agent in Hong Kong and had the fraudulent account frozen.

"That IRS agent based in Hong Kong was able to help us. By Monday morning, he had the account frozen," Warnick explained.

The IRS agent assigned to Hong Kong froze the suspect’s account prior to the opening of the Hong Kong bank on Monday morning. The Cambridge resident’s wire transfer was delayed long enough and her money was ultimately returned to her local account in full by the end of the week.

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Cambridge police offered the following tips:

Protect Yourself From International Scams 

Scammers have been known to target senior citizens, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and International students attending U.S. colleges and universities claiming to be with an international government agency and/or the FBI. The intended victim may be told there’s a federal warrant for their arrest, which will be dismissed in exchange for an immediate payment.

Please note that the IRS or FBI does not call or e-mail people to demand money or threaten arrest.

To avoid becoming the victim of a scam:

• Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls
• Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don't have ties and did not initiate contact
• Trust your instincts: if an unknown caller makes you uncomfortable or says things that don't sound right, please hang up

Victims of phone or online scams can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov and are always encouraged to contact their local Police Department.

Cox Media Group