MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – She thought she was getting a good deal from a customer service rep with a company she trusted.

However, a Macomb County woman is opening up to Local 4 about a scam that cost her more than $30,000.

It’s another unfortunate case of scammers taking advantage of a senior citizen to target their savings.

Con artists know people are looking to save money right now, and that was certainly the case for this Roseville woman named Rosalie.

Rosalie shared her story, so at least what happened to her doesn’t happen to you.

The crime started one day when she received an email notifying her that she had signed up for home internet security protection, but when she called to cancel, everything went haywire.

“He says, ‘You need to call your bank and withdraw $7,000 in cash,” said Rosalie.

The thief on the other end of the phone line asked for her banking information, which was when she quickly started to see her money vanish.

“So, at that point, we had started taking another $9,000 out. So now we’re down another $25,000,” Rosalie said.

Withdrawals were made, cash was sent, and then she was told to go to a Bitcoin ATM.

In total, over $30,000 was sent to the scammer.

“He’s had me lying to everybody. ‘Don’t tell them this, don’t tell them that. This is what you should tell them,‘” Rosalie said the scammer told her.

In a devastating final blow, the thief made it appear that he was refunding some of the money that he had taken. It was nothing more than another peg in this elaborate scam.

“He withdrew (the money) from my savings account to my checking account to make it look like they put it in,” Rosalie said.

Police are investigating the manipulation of Rosalie.

Officials say that those are gigantic red flags if you hear the term “Deposit at a Bitcoin ATM” or “Go out and purchase gift cards” to pay a particular bill. Ignore those scammers and contact the police.

A new warning from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel follows another recent case in which someone lost thousands of dollars in a scam involving a Bitcoin ATM.

Nessel put out an official alert on Tuesday (April 8).

“Because money sent through Bitcoin ATMs is nearly impossible to recover and these machines lack oversight and regulation, they have become an attractive option for criminals engaged in fraud and money laundering.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Last week, Troy police reported that a 79-year-old woman lost a lot of money to a scammer using a Bitcoin ATM.

She got a text about charges to her Apple account, called the number, and was told she would need to speak with a supervisor.

The fake supervisor told her to withdraw $12,500 from her bank account and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine.

Nessel’s office said the scammer asked for a receipt or QR code for the transaction, but it was too late at that point.

Four things to remember:

1. No legitimate company or government agency will ever ask you to deposit money into a Bitcoin account.
2. Beware of urgent requests. If the person you’re speaking or texting with is trying to rush you, end the conversation. Your real bank will never ask you to hurry.
3. Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can manipulate the number appearing on your phone and make it appear with the name of a legitimate company.
4. If you have any inkling you’re being scammed, don’t hesitate to call your local police or sheriff or the attorney general’s consumer protection team at 517-335-7599.