Blackstone Elderly Woman Nearly Loses More Than $20K In Scam

The woman called Blackstone police on Friday, June 28, after she became suspicious that the man was trying to steal from her.

She told investigators that she received a message that she believed was from her bank that said her account was compromised. She called the number on the message, and the person who answered said she needed to remove as much money as possible to "reclaim" her account, Blackstone police said.

He told her to meet with a "special agent," who would collect the cash and fix her account.

The woman called the police after becoming suspicious, and they set up a sting operation to catch the man on Monday, July 1, during that meeting.

Police arrested a 37-year-old man, but they are not releasing his name as this is an ongoing investigation.

He is charged with:

• Conspiracy to commit a crime — theft by false pretense
• Attempt to commit a crime — theft by false pretense
• Attempt to steal from a person
• Attempt to commit a crime — elder abuse by financial exploitation

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