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Clay County resident falls victim to $200,000 cyber security scam

Clay County Sheriff's Office
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Clay County Sheriff's Office is investigating a cyber security scam after it was reported a resident fell victim to losing $200,000 on May 3.

A man called the victim, who is in her late 60s, and said her cyber security service expired, according to officials. The victim is a customer of a cyber security company, and the scammer spoofed its phone number to make the call appear authentic. He told the victim he knew her account information.

According to the victim, the scammer did not sound like he was from the United States.

The victim granted the scammer remote access to her computer. He then told her he would refund her $1,500 for her security service subscription, but accidentally sent $3,000. The scammer instructed the victim to return the money via a Bitcoin kiosk in Liberty, Missouri.

The scammer continued to tell the victim he was working on her computer and requested that the victim make several deposits at different Bitcoin kiosks for several days.

The victim quickly found that $200,000 was missing from her bank accounts.

Law enforcement continues to investigate this incident. The Clay County Sheriff's Office has provided tips on how to avoid being a victim of scams here.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.