83-year-old East Bay woman loses nearly $50K in Coinstar, Coinme scam
ROSSMOOR, Calif. (KGO) -- An 83-year-old East Bay woman lost nearly $50,000 to a scam. Now, she's warning others about the call she believed she received from her grandson and why there's no way to get her money back now.
Lois, who asked that we not use her last name, was home on a Friday night when her phone rang.
"A man said, I have your grandson. He was so distraught and crying," said Lois.
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Through sobs, she said he explained, "I've had too many beers. I drove the wrong way on a one-way street. I hit a car and I got arrested."
"Don't tell anyone. Promise me, not even family," Lois continued.
Lois promised and also agreed to help with the $9,500 bail.
"He said the court has devised a way for people to pay for bail because a check takes too long. We have an account with Coinstar," said Lois.
You may have seen Coinstar machines in local markets like Safeway. That's exactly where the caller sent Lois after she stopped off at the bank.
One by one she fed $100 bill after $100 bill into the machine, taking crypto account instructions from someone on the other end of the phone.
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The next day, another call - this time saying the prosecutor had added more charges and raised her grandson's bail by another $15,000.
"The extra charges are because the woman in the car he hit had suffered a miscarriage," Lois recounted.
Back to the machine she went, putting in $100 bill after $100 bill.
"It took me over an hour. Every $10,000 it prints a receipt," said Lois.
And then a third call. This time it would be another $25,000 for attorney's fees and court costs.
"What I was to do then just say 'oh I'm going to abandon him.' I couldn't do that," said Lois.
People tried to warn Lois, including bank managers who asked why she was taking out so much money.
"My story was 'oh I've been to an estate sale and they won't take a check so that's why I have to get cash,'" said Lois.
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"They were like 'are you sure?' I mean they tried," Lois continued.
The Coinstar machine itself has warnings.
"If you think you're being defrauded stop. Well I couldn't stop," said Lois.
And even another Safeway shopper who saw Lois standing at the machine for far too long tried to warn her.
"'Are you sure this is not a scam?' and I said, I'm fine, I'm fine and she said I think you should check on this," recounted Lois.
It was that warning that finally prompted her to try texting her grandson.
"Hi, how are you? How you doing? And he replied, doing fine, how are you," Lois explained.
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After she spoke to him, she called her daughter Lisa.
"She said I want you to sit down, something horrible has happened," said Lisa.
"I'd heard of it before but when it actually happened to me it never occurred to me that it was a scam," said Lois.
"It's hard to believe that there are people out there who are basically making a living out of scamming older people," said Lisa.
Lisa says she spent four days trying to get a person from Coinstar on the phone.
"Very difficult," said Lisa.
In an email, the company apologized to Lois but explained due to the nature and design of cryptocurrency, the transactions are irreversible, and Coinme no longer has the funds in custody.
A sentiment the company echoed in an emailed statement to 7 On Your Side, writing in part, "While we work hard to protect our customers through multiple full-screen warnings at various stages of the transaction process ... we understand the emotional manipulation scammers use to deceive individuals..."
The statement continued, "...in cases like this, transactions are instantly sent outside of Coinme's platform making the funds unrecoverable."
Coinme also told 7 On Your Side it permanently closed the scammer's accounts.
"They just destroy people's lives. They're despicable people," said Lois.
Lois suggests families have a secret password or phrase with loved ones should they ever call with an unlikely story or plea for help.
"Well maybe it won't happen to someone else."
Coinme's full email to 7 On Your Side:
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the incident involving someone who was tragically scammed after being misled by a criminal posing as her grandson in distress. At Coinme, we take these situations very seriously and assist with investigations as best we can. While we work hard to protect our customers through multiple full-screen warnings at various stages of the transaction process, including three warnings at Coinme-enabled Coinstar kiosks that appear while conducting transactions, we understand the emotional manipulation scammers use to deceive individuals, particularly vulnerable populations. It's crucial to understand that once a cryptocurrency transaction is completed and funds are sent on the blockchain, they cannot be reversed. This irreversible nature is a key feature of blockchain technology, and it's why we stress the need for extreme caution when sending funds to an unknown person or someone you recently met. Our customer service team is dedicated to supporting victims of scams, but in cases like this, transactions are instantly sent outside of Coinme's platform making the funds unrecoverable. It's similar to trying to recoup funds that were sent via bank wire and the cash was picked up at the receiving bank. We additionally understand the frustration surrounding the time it took for the family to connect with our customer service team. We responded as promptly as possible in an email sent on September 5th. Coinme remains committed to continuously improving our communication channels and customer support services to better assist in these critical situations. We encourage all customers to be vigilant, particularly when asked to send money urgently, and always to verify the identity of anyone requesting financial assistance."
Coinstar's full email to Lois:
"Greetings Lois,
Recently, you reached out to our partner, Coinstar, and disclosed that you believe you are a victim of a suspected scam. I'm very sorry to hear that this has happened to you; if you have not already done so, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local Law Enforcement using their non-emergency line and/or online at ic3.gov. Unfortunately, no accounts can be opened for you; therefore, we ask that you please not purchase any additional vouchers and/or attempt to open any accounts. Due to your vouchers already being redeemed, we are unable to offer reimbursement. I understand how frustrating this is; however, due to the nature and design of cryptocurrency, the transactions are irreversible, and Coinme no longer has the funds in custody. Lastly, Coinme fully cooperates with Law Enforcement after receiving a subpoena or search warrant and will provide law enforcement documents that will possibly assist in their investigation. Again, I'm very sorry that this has happened to you. Please know that Coinme wishes you the best! Please reply to this email if you need anything else."
