Elderly Woman Scammed Of $24K: Bradenton Police

BRADENTON, FL — An elderly woman was recently scammed out of $24,000, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

The victim was tricked into believing she’d missed a federal court date and had to pay a fine to avoid being held in contempt of court.

The scammer told her to make multiple deposits into a cryptocurrency ATM, police said.

The case was investigated by the agency’s Elder Fraud Unit.

“No legitimate law enforcement officer or government official will call and threaten you with arrest or legal consequences or request payment using cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or gift cards,” the department said. “Remember — scammers often cite the names of actual law enforcement officers and use ‘spoofing’ to appear they're calling from an official phone number.”

Those who receive such calls should hang up and immediately call Bradenton police at 941-932-9300, the agency said.