It is no secret that cryptocurrency is quite popular these days. Tokens like Bitcoin and Ether have become especially profitable in the last few years and this means that more people are looking to invest in them.
The crypto space certainly has no shortage of tokens, whether it's the more traditional ones or the myriad of meme coins in the market. As Alan Draper explains, many are looking for the upcoming meme coins to invest in and make a profit. This has been spurred on by the success of tokens like DOGE and PEPE.
Then you have the use of crypto in things like gambling. Because they offer more privacy and control than fiat currencies, an increasing number of people are turning to crypto betting sites to wager and hopefully win more crypto.
Needless to say, all this crypto being invested in has made more people targets for scammers. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office recently informed the public about a scammer who posed as a representative and swindled a woman out of $30,000. The scam involved a woman who lives in the county receiving a call from someone claiming to be Commander Leo O'Neill, an overseer with the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office courts division.
This fake commander told the victim that there were warrants for her arrest and that she needed to make payments to the sheriff’s Office using cryptocurrency. Following the instructions, the woman went to two Coinstar crypto ATM machines and deposited about $28,000 in crypto.
After she sent the money, however, she began to have some doubts. There was nothing to indicate that the funds had actually gone to the Sheriff's office and while the caller ID said that the call had come from the office, she still had doubts. So, she contacted the Mulhall police, who spoke with the sheriff’s office and confirmed that it was a scam.
They have also put out a warning to the public stating that they would never call anyone to discuss a warrant over the phone, ask for payment using crypto, or even request payments using crypto. Furthermore, it was noted that creating a feeling of panic in victims is a common way for scammers to carry out their crimes.
The average person hearing that there are warrants out for their arrest might not think too clearly and thus, might not consider that the scenario is unrealistic.
"We empathize with the fact that being told over the phone that you risk being arrested is upsetting and stressful, but it is exactly that feeling of stress that the scammers are using to convince victims to do something that would never take place with legitimate law enforcement procedures," a statement from the Sheriff's office said.
Crypto scams have sadly been an issue for years and one of the common tactics has been impersonation. This includes celebrities and official bodies online and as we can see from this example, in the real world as well.
