WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — A West Lafayette couple in their mid-70s fell prey to a scammer over the last few months, leaving their bank accounts several hundreds of thousands of dollars lighter, according to police.
The couple traveled to India a few months ago, and after they returned, someone started calling them, West Lafayette police said. The caller identified himself as an agent of an Indian police department and informed the couple they were being investigated. The caller told the couple that sending money via cryptocurrency would end the investigation.
He also told the couple not to tell anyone that they were under investigation or that he called, police said.
The couple, who reported the scam Monday to West Lafayette police, fell for the scam more than once.
People can learn several lessons from this scam, West Lafayette police Lt. Jon Eager said.
Police do not call targets of an investigation to inform them they are being investigated, Eager said. Those calls only happen near the end of an investigation after a case is nearing completion.
Secondly, an officer will never call suggesting that the investigation will go away with money, Eager said. If someone has ill-gotten money, police will get a court order to confiscate it. They won’t call and ask for someone to mail it to them.
This is not an uncommon scam, Eager said, noting that several Chinese students at Purdue University have been victimized by a similar scam.
Most importantly, unsolicited calls from someone asking for a person to send money should be treated as highly suspicious, Eager said. If someone receives a call like that, the person should never send money and should call local police.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: West Lafayette couple scammed out of cryptocurrency
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
