Angelina County sheriff warns of Bitcoin kiosk phone scams

ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman said his office is seeing a rise in scams targeting residents through phone calls from people posing as sheriff’s department employees.

How the scam works

Selman said callers identify themselves as sheriff’s office employees or deputies, sometimes using deputies’ real names, which are public information. He said the callers use spoofing technology to make the sheriff’s office’s official telephone number appear on the recipient’s caller ID.

The callers threaten people with arrest, telling them they failed to appear for jury duty or court, Selman said. He said the callers then pressure victims to pay money to avoid arrest.

“Anybody that calls you from law enforcement that tells you that you’re in trouble and that you need to pay money to get out of trouble, don’t believe them. It is a scam,” Selman said.

Victims lose thousands at Bitcoin kiosks

Selman said one person recently went to a local Bitcoin kiosk and put $35,000 in cash into the machine, and the money was lost. He said a woman brought $10,000 in cash to the sheriff’s office to pay because she did not know how to operate the machine.

Selman said scammers stay on the phone with victims while they travel to the Bitcoin kiosk and while they put money into the machine, keeping victims engaged with pressure tactics.