Scammer Freezes iPad, Convinces Victim To Pay To Fix It In Westchester

Authorities in Northern Westchester are searching for a suspect who stole a large sum of money from a victim who was convinced to withdraw funds from their bank account by an online scammer.

A victim in North Castle was convinced to give money to a scammer after clicking on a link that froze their iPad, police said.
Photo Credit: *Pixabay/Niek Verlaan*

Ben Crnic

12/17/2023 2:00 p.m.

The incident occurred in the town of North Castle on Thursday, Dec. 14, when an 81-year-old resident clicked on an online spam link while using their Apple iPad and suddenly found that their device was frozen, according to North Castle Police.

Soon after, a phone number appeared on the screen, which the victim proceeded to call. The person who answered the phone managed to convince the victim that their bank accounts had been compromised and that the only way to fix it was to withdraw a large sum of money.

After the victim did this, the money was picked up by an unknown person, police said.

According to the department, the victim was kept on the phone for the entire day by the scammer, which they said is a "common tactic."

"This tactic is so that the victim can't call a loved one, or the police department to get advice on what to do," the department said.

North Castle Police are now investigating the theft. They also advised residents to alert their loved ones to protect themselves against similar incidents.

This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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