Greg's Corner

Store manager accosted during scam

By Greg Collier

Many scammers often operate from overseas, however, sometimes they can be right next door.

Recently, a store manager in Maryland was targeted in a scam. The store she works for is a popular convenience store chain from the Northeast that’s famously open 24 hours a day. The scammer called the store at 3:30 in the morning. The caller claimed to be from the store’s corporate office and told the manager that the store had an overdue bill that needed to be paid right away. The manager was instructed to take the money from the store safe and make a deposit at the Bitcoin ATM at the gas station next door.

When the manager took the money to the gas station, the cashier informed her that the call she received was likely a scam. The manager must have been relieved as she was exiting the gas station, but unfortunately, the story didn’t end there. The scammer must have been monitoring her closely because as she left the gas station, a man described to be a heavy-set man in his 40s allegedly grabbed the manager’s arm and tried to take the money from her. Thankfully, she was able to flee to safety.

This is not the first time we’ve heard of a scam like this. Scammers frequently target store chains that tend to have a younger workforce. By posing as the police or the stores’ corporate offices, they’re often trying to get store employees to drop off the store’s money to them. We suspect the scammers target younger employees, as they may not be familiar with how payments from the store actually work.

Anytime someone mentions making payment to a Bitcoin ATM, they’re trying to scam you. No legitimate company or agency will ever ask for payment through a Bitcoin ATM, or any other type of cryptocurrency exchange. Also, we doubt many corporate offices are doing any kind of financial business at 3:30 in the morning.

If faced with such a situation, verify the call’s authenticity before acting. If unable to reach a supervisor, contact the purported office directly. And remember, any payment demand at odd hours should raise suspicion and can wait until proper verification during business hours.