Unusual Online Scam in Aberdeen

While the IRS phone scam is going around, a 61-year-old Aberdeen woman fell victim to a slightly more unusual scam, township police said this week.

The woman was on her home computer when a virus screen appeared that she could not delete or close, according to Chief John Powers of Aberdeen Township Police. There was a phone number on the bottom of the screen for a service to get rid of the virus.

She called the number and a man offered to get rid of the virus for $299.

When he could not get rid of the virus, he offered to refund her money through her bank account. The man told the victim he had accidentally refunded her $1,999 and he told her to wire him the overage of $1,700, said Powers. She withdrew the amount and wired it to the man using a MoneyGram.

But his so-called deposit of $1,999 had not cleared.

In total, the woman lost $1,999.

Aberdeen police are reminding everyone to be careful. Never wire money or use a MoneyGram online — it’s like sending cash and the payment cannot be reversed.

“We frequently get reports of different types of scams where money is asked to be sent via wire transfer or MoneyGram, but this is the first time I have seen this particular scam in Aberdeen,” said Powers.