MANCHESTER, NH – Police say a Manchester woman is fortunate that a phone scam was foiled and her $25,000 recovered, after police became involved with her encounter with a scammer who convinced her that her social security number had been compromised.
On June 17, 2021, Manchester Police took a report regarding a phone scam targeting an elderly woman who told police she had received multiple calls from an unknown man who said her social security number had been used by someone involved in drugs and money laundering in Texas. The scammer said he wanted to ensure that the suspects did not gain access to her money. The woman’s credit union had notified the her that the information she was given didn’t seem right, prompting her to contact police.
The scammer told her to send $25,000 to an address in Tampa, Florida so that they could secure the money for her. She packaged the money and sent it to the address.
Manchester Detective Ray Lamy was able to track the package to a Tampa business that handles UPS drop-offs. Det. Lamy contacted the business manager and told them to hold the package. The manager reported that someone tried to pick it up, but he turned them away. Tampa Police were able to pick up the package and verify that it had the cash inside. All of the woman’s money will be returned to her.
In this case the victim was very fortunate, but this happy ending is not the norm. These types of phone scams are very common. In order to not fall victim, never send money to unknown people. These scam artists can be very persistent. Rather than feeling pressured and giving in, always report the calls to police.
