WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) – A 90-year-old woman says she almost lost $10,000 to a scammer before a North Carolina police officer stopped her at a bitcoin kiosk outside a gas station.
Mary Ann Nunley, 90, says the cryptocurrency scam began July 27 with a text message.
“I got a message on my phone. It said that my account with the Geek Squad had ended,” Nunley said.
The message said $390 would be taken out of her account.
“So, I called the number. I said, ‘Cancel this. I don’t want it, and I want my money back,” Nunley said.
The call led to hours of back-and-forth with a man who promised to return Nunley’s money but was trying to steal more. The scammer told her she needed to take nearly $10,000 to a nearby bitcoin kiosk to fix the situation.
Nunley drove to a gas station in Wilmington with a bitcoin machine, which was broken.
“Sure enough, there was a money machine there, except it was broken,” Nunley said.
Wilmington Police Officer Nicholas Morrison was on a routine check at the gas station when he saw Nunley holding the nearly $10,000 in cash and talking on her cell phone. Recognizing warning signs of a crypto scam, he walked over to her.
“This nice police man came up to me and said, ’Don’t put your money in that machine. You’re being scammed,’” Nunley said.
Morrison helped Nunley end the call with the scammer and confirmed she had not lost any money. He took her to Best Buy to confirm the Geek Squad was not involved in taking her money then drove her to the bank to redeposit her cash.
“He was so kind. He was so nice to me,” Nunley said.
Nearly a month after the incident, Nunley and Morrison were reunited Thursday.
“The first thing I wanna do is hug your neck! And anytime you wanna be my grandson, you come on and be my grandson because I love you!” Nunley told Morrison.
The officer also got invited to Nunley’s birthday party this fall.
Police say people should never use crypto ATMs if they are being threatened or asked to do so by someone they do not know.
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