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FOSTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WILX) – Michigan State Police are investigating a fraud complaint after a 68-year-old woman from West Branch was scammed out of thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n
According to authorities<\/a>, the woman was contacted over the phone by someone posing as a representative of the Federal Trade Commision, who told her she was under investigation for laundering more than half a million dollars.<\/p>\n The woman was told police would be summoned to her house to arrest her immediately if she didn\u2019t comply with their demands.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>Scam alert – Hillsdale County didn\u2019t call you for delinquent taxes<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Police said she was told to withdraw $15,000 from her bank account and to tell the clerk it was for medical bills. He instructed the woman to take the money to a bitcoin for cash machine in West Branch, where he directed her to deposit the money into his account.<\/p>\n Once the $15,000 was deposited, the scammer allowed the woman to disconnect the call. She was kept on the phone for more than five hours.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>\u2018Nearly impossible to trace\u2019 – Michigan couple loses $350,000 in bitcoin ATM scam<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Michigan State Police are urging residents to contact law enforcement before sending money if something seems off. <\/p>\n The department released the following signs that may indicate a scam:<\/p>\n The official Federal Trade Commission<\/a>\u00a0website has more information on how to recognize scams and\u00a0avoid scams<\/a>.<\/p>\n Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released multiple warnings about scam attempts that use similar patterns. Consumer complaints can be filed online at the Attorney General\u2019s website<\/a>, or if you have questions call 877-765-8388.<\/p>\n Read next:<\/b><\/p>\n Subscribe to our <\/i>News 10 newsletter<\/i><\/a> and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.<\/i><\/p>\n Copyright 2022 WILX. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n