Police: 84-year-old Hingham man lost almost $100,000 in phone scam

Police in Hingham issued a warning to the community on Monday after they say an elderly town resident recently fell prey to a phone scam, losing almost $100,000. 

The 84-year-old man reported to police on Saturday that last week he received a call from a man claiming to be from PayPal who said that $100 had been accidentally deposited into the Hingham man’s bank account. Hingham police said the caller asked the 84-year-old to open his bank account on his computer and type information and visit several websites. 

“This likely gave the caller remote access to the resident’s computer and open bank account,” police said. “The caller then said the amount deposited by mistake was actually $100,000 and not $100.”

Police said when the Hingham man looked at his bank account he saw what appeared to be a $100,000 deposit. The caller told the man to get two cashiers checks for $49,800 from the bank to pay the money back and mail them overnight to an address in North Carolina. 

“The caller warned him if he was questioned at his bank about the large transactions, he should tell them he was buying a car (his bank did not question the withdrawals),” police said. “He mailed out the checks and they were cashed immediately.”

Hingham police asked the public to share information about the scam with their senior relatives and friends.