The Hoover Police Department would like to alert residents to a potential scam targeting the elderly.
The police department said the scam works by using a pop-up ad on a computer, telling the victim there is a problem with an account and calling a phone number.
When the victim calls that number, the person on the other end pretends to be at a financial institution and instructs the victim to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash to fix the account problem.
The victim is then asked to deposit the money into a Bitcoin machine located at a local business.
Two such cases have surfaced in Hoover, and one victim was asked to withdraw $20,000, HPD said.
There are things you can do to be aware of scams:
- keep a frequent check on your accounts
- a scam usually involves converting cash into another form, cryptocurrency or gift card
- Fraud suspects talk quickly and don’t want you to contact the police or anyone else
- legitimate businesses, such as a bank, will not ask for personal information over the phone
- if it seems suspicious, hang up and contact the police
