Scammer Admits to Scheme in Call to Hingham Victim

HINGHAM, MA - A person attempting to trick a Hingham resident into giving him money was so agitated during the call that he admitted to being a scammer.

On March 26, a resident came to the Hingham Police Department to report that he was a victim of a scam. The victim told police that he received a call from a man who was from Hewlett-Packard and detected problems with his computer.

The resident allowed the man remote access to his computer and later provided the scammer with his bank account information to pay for the "repair service," according to the Hingham Police Department.

After the scammer told the victim he did not have enough available funds in his checking account to pay for the service. the resident became suspicious, hung up, and called the computer company directly. They confirmed it was a scam, told him to turn off his computer immediately, and call his bank.

During this time, the scammer called his home phone several more times but the resident did not answer. The scammer then called his cell phone and asked the resident why he had turned his computer off.

Getting angry, the scammer said, "I'm trying to steal your money. I'm a professional hacker and I have a sister in the hospital who is very sick. I need you to help me. I have access to your computer and all your files. If you don't help me I will expose all your files."

The resident must now pay to have his computer professionally repaired, police said. His personal and financial information has been accessed and he runs the increased risk of identity theft, police said.

Information in this article was provided by the Hingham Police Department.