Crime & Safety

Scammers Steal $100K From Woonsocket Area Residents: Police

Police say the scammers tell victims their Wi-Fi, television, internet, and PayPal accounts have been hacked, and they must send bitcoin.

WOONSOCKET, RI — Woonsocket police have urged the public to be on the lookout for a bitcoin scam responsible for the theft of $100,000 from city residents.

In recent weeks, scammers from overseas have targeted Woonsocket area residents in the scam, police said. Police said the scammers tell victims their Wi-Fi, television, internet, and PayPal accounts have been hacked.

The scammers then ask victims to go to a bitcoin ATM to retrieve bitcoin, which is then sent to a digital wallet to "fix the hack," police said. Do not send any money or cryptocurrency.

Find out what's happening in Woonsocketfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Any suspicious activity can be reported to Woonsocket police by calling 401-766-1212.

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.

Find out what's happening in Woonsocketfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.