Woman Loses Thousands In Bitcoin After Fake Sheriffs Dupe Her Into Clearing Fraud Arrest Warrant

In another case of a shocking cryptocurrency scam, a Colorado resident was tricked into sending $6,000 worth of Bitcoin BTC/USD to bogus law enforcement officials.

What Happened: As per documents first accessed by Decrypt, the scammers threatened the victim with arrest for supposedly missing jury duty. The victim, under the impression that she had missed a jury summons, followed the scammer’s instructions to settle a fake warrant via a Bitcoin ATM.

An additional transfer of $4,000 was in progress, but deputies managed to prevent it from being completed.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident and warned that similar cases of scammers masquerading as law enforcers were on the rise across the state.

“A deputy will never call anyone to notify them of a warrant for their arrest and then offer to clear it in exchange for gift cards, wire transfers or Bitcoin,” the statement from the office read.

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Why It Matters: The rising cases of impersonations intended to swindle cryptocurrency holders have become a cause for concern for the entire country.

Earlier in August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sounded the alarm on incidents of scammers impersonating cryptocurrency exchange employees to defraud people.

Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $68,784.68, up 0.56% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro. 

What's Next: Investors and enthusiasts alike can stay informed on these issues at events like Benzinga's upcoming Future of Digital Assets conference on Nov. 19, where industry experts and law enforcement officials are expected to discuss the latest trends in cryptocurrency security and fraud prevention.

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• Ethereum Could Hit $6K, Predicts Top Analyst — But Here’s Why Its Long-Term Future Remains Under A Dark Cloud

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