WILKES-BARRE, PA – A South Main Street business employee was scammed out of hundreds of dollars Sunday afternoon after falling victim to a theft by deception scheme.
Police said the incident happened around 3:12 p.m. when the worker received a phone call from a man claiming to be the new owner of the business.
The caller instructed the employee to withdraw money from the cash register and deposit it into a nearby Bitcoin machine.
Believing the request was legitimate, the employee followed the directions and deposited nearly $800 before realizing it was a scam.
The Wilkes-Barre City Police Department is investigating the incident and reminding businesses to verify the identity of anyone requesting financial transactions over the phone.
A fake voice on the line turned an ordinary workday into a costly mistake.
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