Mechanicsburg resident scammed after pop-up directed bitcoin payment

On July 1, 2026 at about 1:04 p.m., a resident on the 200 block of West Maplewood Avenue reported being scammed after a June 26 computer pop-up alleged the presence of child pornography and directed them to call a provided number for the Federal Trade Commission. The caller instructed the victim to withdraw several thousand dollars and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine in Enola; bank employees warned it may be a scam but the victim followed the directions and later realized they had been defrauded. Police ask anyone with information to contact the department and remind residents not to call numbers shown in pop-ups, to verify contact numbers independently, and to treat requests for gift card or bitcoin payments as likely scams.