Chester police warn residents of Bitcoin arrest warrant scam

CHESTER, N.J. (Morris County) — Chester police are warning residents about a scam in which callers falsely claim a person has an active arrest warrant and demand payment through Bitcoin for bail.

According to police, scammers contact potential victims and tell them they have an active warrant for their arrest and must send money using Bitcoin.

The scammers may also tell victims that a “gag order” prevents them from discussing the purported arrest warrant with anyone, including law enforcement or family members.

Police said scammers have gone as far as sending victims documents designed to look like legitimate arrest warrants.

Anyone who receives such a call should immediately hang up and report it to their local law enforcement agency, police said.

Chester police emphasized that law enforcement agencies will never accept Bitcoin as payment.

Anyone unsure whether a caller is actually a police officer should hang up and call the law enforcement agency directly using the telephone number listed on its official website. The Chester Police Department can be reached at 908-879-5514.

Police also encouraged residents to alert friends and family members about the scam, noting that other law enforcement agencies have recently investigated similar incidents.