An older adult in El Granada was duped out of thousands of dollars in an online scam, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim replied to a computer notice that his machine had been hacked and was instructed to call a phone number, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook posting.
The victim was directed to remove cash from his bank account and buy gift cards, then meet the scammers in person at his home in the 100 block of Balboa Avenue, the sheriff’s office said.
The scammers, who identified themselves as couriers, came to the residence Thursday separately and at different times. One was described as an Asian man in his early 20s, with blonde or pink hair, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies took a separate but similar report in El Granada earlier this week. In that case, the target received a message on his computer stating that the device had been compromised.
The scammer then called the target and instructed him to withdraw a significant amount of money from his bank account.
The victim recognized this was a scam and reported the attempted fraud to the sheriff’s office.
Anyone who is directed to withdraw money or purchase gift cards should stop immediately and call law enforcement, the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at (650) 363-4911.
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