Crypto scam in Houston: 80-year-old woman robbed as she brought $19,000 in cash to a cryptocurrency kiosk, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Houston police are searching for the two men who allegedly robbed a woman as she attempted to deposit thousands of dollars into a cryptocurrency kiosk.

HPD released surveillance video of the men from the convenience store on Fannin near Gray in Midtown.

Officials said the victim had been contacted by a third party several days earlier and was told that her bank had been hacked and the only way to protect her money was to transfer it to a crypto account.

Investigators said the victim made several withdrawals and the alleged scammers even taught her what to say to the tellers so they wouldn’t become suspicious.

“She did it to repair her house, which was damaged by the hurricane, which was not the case. But she does it because she considers the possibility that the tellers may have been involved in hacking her bank,” said Jeff Brieden of HPD’s Robbery Division.

When the two men tried to deposit $19,000 on July 12, police said they saw the woman with the envelope and took it.

At this time, investigators do not believe they have any connection to the suspected scammers. If you recognize them, you are asked to call the police.