BPD Community Alert: The Boston Police Department has received two reports of a recent scam that has affected at least two businesses in the downtown area, resulting in losses of over $10,000.
The suspect calls local businesses posing as a delivery company representative (e.g., UPS, FedEx). The caller claims that a manager has failed to pay for a delivery and insists that immediate payment is required to avoid further issues. The scammer then instructs employees to remove cash from the store’s safe and deposit it into Bitcoin ATMs.
This is a fraudulent scheme. Legitimate delivery companies will never demand payment via cryptocurrency, especially over the phone.
What You Can Do:
- Inform all employees, especially those who may handle cash or receive business calls.
- Verify independently any payment requests by contacting your delivery provider directly using known numbers.
- Do not act on payment instructions given over the phone without supervisor approval.
- Report suspicious calls to local law enforcement or your Community Service Office immediately.
Let’s work together to keep our businesses safe.