MOUNT DESERT — An elderly resident has been bilked out of $70,000 by a telephone scammer, according to police Chief Jim Willis.
The Mount Desert woman is typical of other phone scam victims, Chief Willis said. She is in her late-70s or early-80s, lives alone and has some cognitive issues.
The con artist, a man, phoned her, saying she had won a large amount of money in a lottery. But, before he could send her winnings, she was to send him money for processing. He directed her to purchase a prepaid debit card – in this case a Green Dot card – and tell him the code so he could redeem it.
She did this and was directed to do it again, and again.
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Mark Good
Reporter at Mount Desert Islander
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