An elderly man in Eden Prairie could have been out $20,000 last Thursday had it not been for the vigilance of a bank employee and the prompt action of local police. The man was ensnared by a scammer posing as a Microsoft employee, who convinced him he was due a refund, according to the City of Eden Prairie, MN. After a series of transactions, the fraudster alleged an overpayment and instructed the man to withdraw the cash to be collected from his home.
Upon their arrival, officers dissuaded the man from handing over his money and when investigators tried contacting the scammer, he swiftly hung up and deactivated the number, as detailed by the City of Eden Prairie, MN. The EPPD regularly deals with such deceptions, calling out their difficulty to resolve due to the evasive tactics of the scammers, who often use non-traceable, disposable communication methods and reside outside U.S. jurisdiction.
In the release provided by the EPPD, a recommendation was made that victims of scams should preserve their peace of mind by reaching out to the police at 952-949-6200 for assistance.
