Memphis Woman Loses $7K in Bitcoin Scam – FOX13 News Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – When a strange message appeared on the family’s computer in July, 78-year-old Randa Cranford said she immediately called the phone number on the screen.

“All of a sudden these windows flashed up and a message that read, ‘If you can’t get back to your computer, please call this number,'” the great-grandmother recalled.

On the phone, she said a man told her her bank account was not secure.

“He says, ‘This has been compromised and this has been compromised,'” she recalled. “They thought Bitcoins would be the best solution because I could secure my money that way.”

The grandmother said the scammer stayed on the phone while she withdrew $7,000 from the bank. He recommended her to go to a Bitcoin ATM. The closest one was located inside a Midtown Hop-In just a few blocks from her home.

“I was told to deposit $7,000 in Bitcoins and they would transfer it to my savings account,” she said.

When the scammer asked her to invest more money, she said she became suspicious. However, it was too late.

“He told me to shred the receipts from the Bitcoin machine, but I took pictures of them so I have them on my phone,” she explained. “Listen to your gut. Something didn’t feel right, but I thought, ‘I don’t know enough about this.’

Because Cranford physically withdrew the money from her own account and bought Bitcoin, she said officers told her it would be difficult to recover what she lost.

“He made it look like I did everything willingly,” Cranford said.

“Chances are she’ll never get that money back,” said Daniel Irwin, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.

Irwin said scammers are purposefully targeting seniors who may not have a good understanding of technology.

“So that’s what’s so heartbreaking,” he explained. “Anyone can lose that money and you feel bad, but when someone is retired and on a fixed income, it’s even more heartbreaking.”

“Especially for us older people, as you know, technology is way over our heads most of the time,” Cranford admitted.

Knowing she will likely never get her money back, the great-grandmother of eight said she wanted to warn other seniors to hang up the phone if a message sounds suspicious.

“It’s just been a really big headache,” she explained. “I hope that when people hear this, they will be more careful.”

©2022 Cox Media Group