Cambridge Woman Scammed Out Of $95K, Gets It Back: Police

CAMBRIDGE, MA— Earlier this month a nightmare scenario played out in Cambridge. A Cambridge resident answered her phone to find someone on the other end claiming to be a representative of the Chinese government. By the end of the week he had convinced her that she was wanted internationally and the only way to get out of being arrested was to wire $95,000 to a bank in Hong Kong.

So she did.

But it was a scam.

The Cambridge Police Department today announced that a Cambridge resident, who was nearly victimized of $95,000 by an international scammer, has recovered her finances after she wired funds to China.

In early June, the Cambridge resident was contacted by an individual, who claimed to be a representative with the Chinese Government. Over the course of a week, the resident was coerced into buying an international phone and was called multiple times a day, which led her to believe that she was the subject of an international arrest warrant. She was requested to wire transfer $95,000 to a bank in Hong Kong or face arrest. The resident complied with the threats and transferred the money.

But after she made the transfer and had more space to think about what just happened, she thought something was out of place and called the Cambridge Police Department.

Detectives with the Cambridge Police Department first told her to check with the local bank where she made the transfer in hopes of stopping the payment.

Then police decided to contact an off-duty detective, as he has a professional contact with an IRS agent assigned to Hong Kong. The off-duty Detective contacted the IRS agent directly who was then able to help in freeze the fraudulent account that was used to accept the wire transfer.

The woman contacted the bank and police in Hong Kong, but they told her the international scam was outside their jurisdiction.

The IRS agent assigned to Hong Kong worked with the police in Hong Kong to freeze the suspect’s account prior to the opening of the Hong Kong bank on Monday morning. The Cambridge resident’s wire transfer was delayed long enough and her money was ultimately returned to her local account in full by the end of the week.

Within six days, the resident was able to redeem all but an $80 bank fee associated with a transfer, according to police.

“As a result of standout work by our detectives, particularly Detectives Kenneth Mui and Michael Logan, and tremendous collaboration with several domestic and international agencies, the Cambridge Police were instrumental in helping a resident recover a substantial sum of money,” stated Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. “Due to these efforts, they may have also helped identify a larger operation that could mitigate future victimization. This was truly impressive work and demonstrated the lengths our officers will go to protect and serve the community.”

Protect Yourself From International Scams
Scammers have been known to target senior citizens, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and International students attending U.S. colleges and universities claiming to be with an international government agency and/or the FBI. The intended victim may be told there’s a federal warrant for their arrest, which will be dismissed in exchange for an immediate payment.

Please note that the IRS or FBI does not call or e-mail people to demand money or threaten arrest.

To avoid becoming the victim of a scam:

• Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don’t have ties and did not initiate contact
• Trust your instincts: if an unknown caller makes you uncomfortable or says things that don’t sound right, please hang up

Victims of phone or online scams can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and are always encouraged to contact their local Police Department.

File photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch.