An 80-year-old Troy man reportedly fell for a ruse from scammer he met through a game on the internet — losing $30,000, police said.
According to the Troy Police Department, a resident recently reported her husband was scammed by someone he met through the web-based game, “Words with Friends.” Over the course of a year, he sent money to the alleged scammer who claimed he worked for an investment firm in Los Angeles. But when he tried to withdraw his funds, he was told more money needed to be sent, police said.
Troy Police Sgt. Benjamin Hancock told The Oakland Press that electronic transactions in such cases make them difficult to investigate. He reminds residents to never send money to people or a company they aren’t familiar with, adding: “What may sound like a good investment or a smart financial move online is likely a scam if they are claiming to return your money with earnings over a period of time or in a promised amount of time.”
A detective is assigned to the case.
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