Arnold Police are investigating an internet scam that cost a 71-year-old Arnold woman $689.92. The woman said she received an unsolicited email offering computer repairs and sent money for the services, which were not provided, police reported.
The woman said she received the email on Feb. 25 and sent the money using Zelle, a banking app that allows bank customers to send money through a mobile phone app. She said she realized the next day that the email was probably a scam, the report said.
Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher said March 1 that the case was being investigated. He said the case may be forwarded to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center after Arnold Police complete its investigation.
Christopher said people should be careful about using mobile bank applications to send money.
“These digital payment services are one more avenue for crooks to come up with scams,” he said. “The main thing is to know who you are sending the money to. If it is a source, you are having any second thoughts about, don’t send that money. You should call the company to confirm what you are paying for. A lot of the issues with digital forms of payments is that people are finding ways to hack into them and send money to themselves through the accounts.”