CBS computer tech discovers possible Bitcoin scam

By Mark Squibb

A local computer technician is sounding the alarm after witnessing what he believes to be a Bitcoin scam.
Eric Penney of CBS said he was at a business in Manuels on February 4th when an older woman, who appeared nervous and disoriented, entered the store. She was speaking with someone on her cell phone.
“I watched as she approached a Bitcoin machine and seemed to be telling the caller what she was seeing,” said Penney. “It appeared as though she was being directed on how to use it. I asked her if everything was okay and if she could use any assistance. The caller pulled her attention back and I heard her tell them that somebody was speaking to her. She shook her head and said something to the effect of ‘no, not really’ and kept speaking with the caller and continued pressing buttons on the machine.”

Penney said he again asked the woman if she needed help, and told her that if someone was trying to talk her into buying Bitcoin over the phone, she was likely being scammed.

“She appeared very nervous and again just told the caller that I was speaking to her and then spoke in a quiet voice to them,” said Penney. “She then turned and told me she was going to her car now. She looked very disoriented and shaken. I called the RNC and explained to the dispatcher what I had witnessed and then went outside to get the make, model and license plate of her car. I explained that I believed the woman was being scammed and likely coerced into buying the Bitcoin. I described to the dispatcher that she was leaving the parking lot and heading east on Route 60. She thanked me for the information and assured me she would relay it to local officers.”

Penney also told police that he believed that woman was being directed to another cryptocurrency machine elsewhere.

“About 35 minutes later the office called me back to say they were able to locate the woman, and that she was being scammed, and although she did send a few hundred dollars, they were able to stop her before it went any further,” said Penney. “I am so happy they were able to stop her before she wasted too much money. I’d just like for people to be aware of these types of scams and maybe if they spot something like this themselves, they too can help thwart somebody getting taken advantage of.”

As a computer technician, Penney said part of his job is helping people avoid dangerous scams.
“I’m always trying to highlight some of the dangers that are out there, and how easily these things can happen, and what can happen to somebody, and very quickly,” said Penney. “I never, ever expected to witness it personally, myself. I’m usually called after the fact.”

As to how to tell if a caller is trying to scam you, Penney said a scammer will typically convey an extreme sense of urgency and try and get you to act immediately.

If you feel you may be receiving a scam call, hang up and report it to a loved one.

A Bitcoin machine, meanwhile, works much the same as an ATM machine. The machines allow customers to convert cash into Bitcoin (BTC) and other forms of cryptocurrency, such as Ethereum (ETH), Doge (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), and Shiba Inu (SHIB).

And what is cryptocurrency, you may ask? It’s a digital currency that is transferred peer-to-peer through a computer network. The currency is exchanged outside of the traditional banking systems.