An elderly couple in Comal County fell victim to a sophisticated bitcoin scam, losing approximately $25,000 after receiving calls from individuals posing as employees of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Javier Salazar revealed the details during a recent press conference.
The couple’s son had recently been incarcerated at the Bexar County Jail, making them susceptible to the scammers who capitalized on publicly available inmate information. According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, the fraudsters used this accessible data to target the elderly couple, falsely claiming that they were from the sheriff’s office or a bond company. They assured the couple that they could arrange for the release of their son.
This fraudulent scheme mirrors the previously reported “jury duty scam,” which also involves threats of arrest from individuals claiming to be with the sheriff’s office if a fine isn’t paid for failing to attend jury duties. In this instance, the couple remained on the phone for almost eight hours. Following the scammers’ instructions, they traveled from Comal County to San Antonio, making multiple stops at retail locations equipped with bitcoin machines to transfer money.
Acting under the belief that they were helping their son, the couple lost a substantial amount of money during these transactions. Once they realized that they had been deceived, they reached out to local authorities, prompting an investigation into the matter. Sheriff Salazar noted that although the sheriff’s office is working diligently to recover the lost funds, the likelihood of tracking down the suspects is minimal.
In response to this alarming incident, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has begun collaborating with city council members Teri Castillo and Misty Spears. Together, they are exploring the possibility of introducing a city ordinance that would mandate retail establishments with bitcoin machines to display warning signs regarding the potential for scams.
Sheriff Salazar offered crucial advice to residents: The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office will never call individuals to provide information about warrants, discuss fines, or instruct them to visit multiple locations for payments via bitcoin. He urged anyone receiving such calls to hang up immediately, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in the face of fraudulent activities.
