Scam warning: 2 women tricked into withdrawing thousands to purchase Bitcoin, Pittsburgh police say

PITTSBURGH — Police are alerting the public to a scheme in which at least two people in Pittsburgh have been tricked into handing over large sums of money.

In one instance, a 70-year-old woman was alerted via her MacBook that her computer had been hacked. She spoke with someone whom she believed was Apple support and was then transferred to another person she was told was a PNC fraud specialist.

She was then convinced to withdraw $22,000 to buy Bitcoin at a convenience store in the city.

In the second reported case, a 72-year-old woman was alerted on her iPad to call a phone number provided. She too spoke with someone she thought was an Apple customer service representative. Her call was transferred twice and she was ultimately told her account was hacked and used for child pornography.

The woman then withdrew $7,000 and purchased Bitcoin, also at a local convenience store.

Pittsburgh Police are investigating. They encourage anyone who may have fallen victim to this scam to call 911 and report it to your local police.

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