Latest news with #LakevillePoliceDepartment
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Woman drained $20K from bank account and stopped answering family — all under a scammer's orders
After pulling $20,000 from her bank account, a 73-year-old Massachusetts woman stopped returning her family's calls. Police found her at a Bitcoin ATM — still on the phone with the scammer who sent her there. Around 2 p.m. on Thursday, family members went to the Lakeville Police Department, concerned that another family member was being scammed. The 73-year-old Lakeville woman had withdrawn $20,000 in cash from her bank account and was not answering phone calls. The scammer told the woman her computer was infected with a virus. The only way to protect her money, the scammer claimed, was to withdraw it and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM. The scammer also told her not to answer any phone calls, including those from family members. She did as she was told. Police determined she was likely headed to Raynham and contacted the Raynham Police Department to be on the lookout. Raynham Police officers began checking local Bitcoin ATM locations. Soon they found the car at Coletti's Market on North Main Street. Police found the woman while she was still on the phone with the scammer. Luckily, police said, they were able to stop the woman in time. 'This case is a powerful reminder of how sophisticated and manipulative these scams have become,' said Lakeville Chief Matthew Perkins. 'Thanks to fast detective work, interagency cooperation — including the quick response from Raynham Police — and vigilant family, we were able to stop this in time. If not for those combined efforts, the victim could have lost a significant amount of money.' The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns people that 'no legitimate business is going to demand you send cryptocurrency in advance.' 'That's always a scam,' the FTC wrote. Scams can also include love interests, seemingly legitimate businesses or blackmail. 'Don't pay anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, demanding payment with cryptocurrency,' the FTC wrote. 'Such a great loss': Cult classic actor dies at 73 Man helped kill 11 people, mostly teens, in Brazil. Now, he's in US prison for perjury Here's how long you can get Dunkin's new Pink Spritz Refresher for just $3 'It's complete': Officials detail 'chilling sequence' prior to fatal shooting Mass. firefighter arrested at work in connection with child sex abuse materials Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detectives stop woman from losing $20K in Bitcoin scam
LAKEVILLE, Mass. (WPRI) — Detectives prevented a 73-year-old woman from being scammed out of $20,000 Thursday, according to Lakeville Police Chief Matthew Perkins. Perkins said the woman's family contacted the Lakeville Police Department just before 2 p.m. after she had inexplicably withdrawn $20,000 from her bank account and was not answering her phone. An investigation revealed that a scammer had contacted the woman and convinced her that her computer was infected with a virus. The scammer claimed that the only way to protect her money was to withdraw it from her account and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM. Perkins said the scammer also instructed the woman to not answer phone calls, even ones from her own family. Detectives determined that the woman's vehicle was likely headed toward Raynham and notified patrolling officers to be on the lookout for her. Perkins said Raynham officers found the woman's car parked outside Coletti's Market on North Main Street while checking the Bitcoin ATMs in town. The officers were able to successfully intervene and stop the woman from completing the transaction. Perkins said the woman was still on the phone with the scammer and receiving step-by-step instructions on how to deposit her money at the time. 'This case is a powerful reminder of how sophisticated and manipulative these scams have become,' Perkins said. 'Thanks to fast detective work, interagency cooperation and a vigilant family, we were able to stop this in time. If not for those combined efforts, the victim could have lost a significant amount of money.' The Lakeville Police Department offered the following tips on how to recognize so-called crypto con scams: Scammers pretend to be from known businesses or organizations. They will use existing names or fabricate names that sound official in an effort to trick you into believing them. Scammers say there's a problem or a prize. They might claim that you're in trouble with the government, that you owe money, that someone in your family had an emergency or that there's a virus on your computer. In some instances, scammers will say there's a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify your information. Others will lie and tell you that you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes, but have to pay a fee to get it. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may urge you not to hang up so you can't check out their story. They might also threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver's or business license, or deport you. Some scammers will even warn that your computer is about to be corrupted. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. They often insist that you pay by sending money through Bitcoin, a money transfer service or by loading money onto a gift card and then providing them with the card number on the back. Some will send you a check (which will later turn out to be fake), instruct you to deposit it and then ask you to send them the money. Residents who may have fallen victim to a similar scam are asked to contact the Lakeville Police Department by calling (508) 947-4422 and report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Home daycare license of South St. Paul city council member suspended as result of investigation
The Minnesota Department of Human Services recently suspended the at-home daycare license held by a member of the South St. Paul City Council, citing an 'imminent risk of harm' to the children it served. The temporary license suspension, issued Dec. 9 to Pamela Bakken, follows the recommendation of Dakota County Community Services, which is handling an investigation. It reads: 'You are prohibited from providing family child care. You are also prohibited from operating as a legally unlicensed child care provider at this time.' Bakken, according to her campaign materials, has run an at-home daycare in the city for 20 years and raised six kids in South St. Paul. She was elected to the city council in 2020 and again this November, coming in third in a close four-way race. Kare 11 reported on Friday that the state had suspended a license held by a South St. Paul daycare operated by an elected official after a 3-year-old child was sent home sick and later tested positive for methamphetamines. South St. Paul Police Chief Brian Wicke said because of a possible conflict of interest his department turned the investigation over to the Lakeville Police Department. About 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 6th, his police department received 'a report of a child who had consumed an unknown substance.' 'During the course of our preliminary investigation, it was learned that a conflict of interest may present during the course of this investigation and as such, we contacted the Lakeville Police Department and asked them to conduct a conflict investigation on our behalf,' Wicke said Friday. 'My understanding is that (the) investigation remains active and as such, our original report(s) surrounding the response to this incident are not available at this time.' Attempts to reach Bakken were not successful Friday evening. Crime & Public Safety | Pawnbrokers raided in connection with Joe Burrow burglary denied bail days before the Super Bowl Crime & Public Safety | Willernie woman latest to be sentenced in $250 million Feeding our Future fraud Crime & Public Safety | Ex-St. Paul officer sentenced for causing negligent fire at his family's restaurant Crime & Public Safety | Brother of Parkland mass shooter arrested in Virginia, charged with trespassing at three schools Crime & Public Safety | Justice Department says it won't release the names of FBI agents who worked on Jan. 6 riot cases
