Two women in Massachusetts have become victims of a phone scam that has left them out of a total of $6,700. The scam, which revolves around alleged missed jury duty, involved the use of Bitcoin ATMs for payment, according to Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott.
Sheriff McDermott reported an uptick in fraudulent calls where scammers impersonate law enforcement officers and threaten individuals with arrest unless immediate payments are made for missing jury duty. He emphasized that the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments never engage in such practices. “Just hang up on anyone who is demanding money and acting like they are from our office, or another law enforcement agency,” he advised.
The two victims reported their experiences to the sheriff’s office after transferring money to the scammers. One woman from Sharon lost $5,250 after being told she would face detention for 10 to 12 days unless she complied with the payment demand. Despite seeing a warning sign on the Bitcoin machine regarding scams, she felt compelled to pay due to the threat from the person on the phone.
The second victim, a woman from Dedham, reported paying $1,450 through a Bitcoin kiosk in Roslindale. The scammer had allegedly provided her with a fraudulent court document to substantiate their claims and threatened her with a 72-hour arrest unless she paid immediately.
This situation highlights growing concerns over Bitcoin ATMs being exploited by scammers, particularly to target vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly. Recently, the city of Gloucester has even banned Bitcoin ATMs due to worries about their potential use in scams. Further illustrating this crisis, authorities in Waltham intervened this summer to prevent an elderly man from sending $12,000 to scammers via a Bitcoin ATM.
In August, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning regarding similar scams, where impersonators direct individuals to fake websites or to pay fines through cryptocurrency for alleged missed jury duty. They clarify that any request for payment made under such circumstances is a scam, aiming to enlighten the public and prevent further victimization.
