Police body cam footage shows North Texas elderly woman being scammed out of $40,000
By: A good Samaritan intervened when she saw an elderly woman depositing $40,000 into a Bitcoin ATM machine at a gas station while on the phone with an alleged Chase Bank representative — it turns out the call was a scam, according to White Settlement police.
"I have the bank on the phone. I'm in danger," the elderly woman is heard telling White Settlement Police Sgt. James Stewart in his body camera footage.
Sgt. Stewart responded to a 911 call from 38-year-old Myndi Jordan, who said she's been a victim of identity theft herself in the past. She was concerned, watching the victim depositing thousands of dollars into a Bitcoin ATM machine inside a Chevron gas station.
"She was tired," Jordan said. "She was sweating. It was very intense for her."
Jordan asked the elderly woman if she was okay and then noticed she was on a FaceTime call with someone.
"She just insisted that she knew what she was doing, that they were bank security, and she had to fix somebody else's mistake," Jordan said.
By the time the officer arrived, the woman had already deposited $23,900. In the police body camera footage shared by WSPD, the officer is seen approaching the elderly woman, who was on Facetime with a man pretending to be a member of Chase Bank's security team.
The officer asked to speak to the woman, to which she responded that the alleged Chase Bank representative had told her her account was "in danger."
He then asked her to stop putting money into the ATM and to speak with the man on her phone. She handed him the officer her phone and the man repeatedly asked to speak to the woman, but the officer did not oblige.
Investigators found out the suspect on the other end of the line had a ride-share service pick the elderly woman up and take her to a local Chase Bank to withdraw $40,000 in cash. After that, the alleged scammer ordered another ride to take the victim to the gas station so she could deposit the money into the Bitcoin ATM.
"All I could do is visualize my mom in this case," Sgt. Stewart said. "I wish we could find this guy and place him behind bars for a very long time because he is probably doing this to other people."
White Settlement PD says it's working with the Bitcoin law enforcement liaison and the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office to recover the woman's money.
"We are extremely grateful for the citizen who recognized these danger signs and contacted us," said Chief of Police Christopher Cook. "It is sickening that these suspects prey on our most vulnerable community members with these types of frauds."
The department said it's going to recognize the good Samaritan in a City Council meeting for her help.