Off-Duty Waltham Cop Halts Bitcoin Scam

WALTHAM, MA — An off-duty Waltham cop is credited with halting a Bitcoin scam in progress that could've left a Massachusetts resident out $12,000.

Officer Dan Collins stopped at a gas station on Aug. 14, while on his way to a walking beat assignment. Inside, he noticed an elderly man carrying a large sum of cash toward a Bitcoin machine while talking on the phone, police officials said.

Collins was able to spot the signs that this could be a scam and intervened.

According to officials, the man was speaking to someone on the phone who claimed to be from "Apple Customer Support" and the "FTC". They were instructing the man to deposit $12,000 in cash into a machine to "fix a computer virus," officials said.

Collins identified himself as a Waltham police officer and confirmed with the man that he was being scammed. He stopped the transaction and contacted the police department in the neighboring community he was in to assist.

"Because of his quick actions, this individual was spared a significant financial loss," officials said.

See Also

• North Shore Warning: Bitcoin Scams On The Rise
• Cape Cod Police Put A Halt On Bitcoin Scam