Aberdeen senior scammed out of $12,000 in jury duty scam

On June 27, a 77-year-old Aberdeen resident was scammed out of $12,000 after receiving a fraudulent phone call.

The caller, who claimed to be from Grays Harbor County, told the resident that he had failed to show up for jury duty and now had a warrant for his arrest, which could be cleared after paying a $12,000 fine.

The caller instructed the man to withdraw $12,000 from his bank and deposit it into a local Coinstar machine, transferring the money in Bitcoin.

Feeling uneasy about the transaction, the resident asked to verify the information with the county.

The caller provided a website to what appeared to be the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office, but the site routed back to the scammer, who confirmed the story.

Despite his doubts, the resident completed the transaction but reported the incident to the Aberdeen Police Department an hour later.

Unfortunately, due to the encrypted nature of Bitcoin transactions, the man is unlikely to recover his money.

Aberdeen police reminded residents that law enforcement will never ask for money over the phone or request payment in Bitcoin.

Officers urge the community to share this incident, especially with senior citizens who may not be aware of such scams.

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