BOSTON — The Boston Police Department has received two reports of a scam targeting local businesses in the downtown area, resulting in losses of over $10,000.
The suspect calls businesses posing as a delivery company representative from companies such as UPS or 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.
Police say legitimate delivery companies will never demand payment via cryptocurrency, especially over the phone.
The department advises businesses to inform all employees who may handle cash or receive business calls about the scam.
Police recommend verifying any payment requests independently by contacting delivery providers directly using known numbers.
Businesses should not act on payment instructions given over the phone without supervisor approval.
Police ask that suspicious calls be reported to local law enforcement or Community Service Offices immediately.
