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Maryann Nunnally was reunited Aug. 20, 2026, with Wilmington Police Officer Nicholas Morrison, who stopped her from feeding thousands of dollars into a Bitcoin ATM on July 27 after scammers falsely claimed she owed $390 to Geek Squad and later demanded nearly $10,000 to resolve the fabricated problem.
Nunnally had already withdrawn more than $9,000 from her bank account and was preparing to feed the money into the Bitcoin machine when Morrison approached her.
The intervention prevented the elderly woman from transferring the money to the scammers and ultimately helped her recover the cash she had withdrawn.
The crypto scam began with an unsolicited message telling Nunnally that she owed $390 to Geek Squad, a technology-support service associated with Best Buy. The scammers subsequently escalated the deception, telling her they were in trouble with their boss and needed $10,000 to resolve the situation.
Believing the claims were legitimate, Nunnally went to her bank, withdrew more than $9,000 and headed to a local gas station where she intended to make the payment through a Bitcoin ATM.
That decision placed her on the verge of losing thousands of dollars before Morrison noticed something unusual.
“Usually not the type of person I would see operating these bitcoin machines,” — Nicholas Morrison, Wilmington police officer. “Then as I got closer, I saw the money in her hand and the phone, and the phone to her head and so I kind of put 2 and 2 together of what may have been happening.”
The circumstances immediately raised concerns for Morrison. Rather than simply approaching Nunnally because she was using a cryptocurrency ATM, the officer said her behavior and conversation suggested she might be responding to fraudulent instructions.
The crypto scam relied on creating a sense of urgency and convincing Nunnally that she needed to act quickly to resolve a supposed financial problem.
Morrison said he began asking Nunnally questions after noticing the cash and her phone conversation.
“The responses she was giving indicated that it was probably a scam so I asked, ‘Ma’am, who are you talking to?’ I immediately let her know that is not gonna be something that is legit,” — Nicholas Morrison, Wilmington police officer.
Nunnally initially misunderstood the officer’s intervention. With the scammers still influencing her decisions, she feared Morrison might be attempting to arrest her.
“…You came up on me at that awful machine and I thought, I really thought you were going to arrest me,” — Maryann Nunnally.
Instead, Morrison helped her establish whether the demand for money was genuine.
The officer took Nunnally to Best Buy and Geek Squad, where she learned that the original message was fraudulent and that she did not owe the company the money she had been told to pay.
That verification was critical. Rather than relying solely on the information provided by the people contacting her, Nunnally was able to confirm the claim directly with the organization allegedly demanding payment.
The crypto scam was therefore exposed before the transaction could be completed.
After helping Nunnally determine that the demand was fraudulent, Morrison accompanied her to her bank.
The officer’s assistance ensured that the more than $9,000 she had withdrawn was returned to her account, preventing what could have been a significant financial loss for the 89-year-old.
Nunnally later described Morrison’s intervention in deeply personal terms.
“Officer Morrison was a Godsend,” — Maryann Nunnally.
The crypto scam left Nunnally shaken, but her encounter with Morrison ultimately became an example of how timely intervention can prevent financial exploitation, particularly when scammers use urgency and trusted brands to persuade victims.
The two were reunited Thursday, and Nunnally has since invited Morrison to attend her 90th birthday celebration on November 4.
Authorities say the crypto scam targeting Nunnally reflects a broader pattern in which fraudsters impersonate organizations that consumers already recognize and trust.
Police warn that older adults are frequently targeted by scammers posing as representatives of technology companies, government agencies, banks and other institutions. The criminals may use fabricated bills, security warnings or alleged account problems to persuade victims to transfer money.
Cryptocurrency ATMs can be particularly attractive to scammers because victims may be instructed to convert cash into Bitcoin or another digital asset and send it to a wallet controlled by the fraudster. Once the cryptocurrency is transferred, recovering the funds can be difficult.
Authorities emphasize that legitimate businesses will not demand payment through Bitcoin, gift cards or cryptocurrency to settle an unexpected bill.
Consumers who receive an unexpected demand for money are advised to stop the conversation, independently contact the organization allegedly making the request and verify the claim before making any payment.
The case involving Nunnally demonstrates how quickly a crypto scam can progress from a seemingly ordinary message into a demand for thousands of dollars. It also shows the importance of slowing down when a caller or message creates pressure to make an immediate payment.
For Nunnally, the crypto scam ended before she lost her savings. For Morrison, recognizing the warning signs at the Bitcoin ATM made the difference between a suspicious encounter and a potentially devastating financial loss.
And while Nunnally originally feared the officer had come to arrest her, the intervention instead ensured that the money returned safely to her bank account and gave her a reason to invite the officer who stopped the crypto scam to her upcoming 90th birthday.
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