Arizona woman loses $4.3M in elaborate cryptocurrency scam, deputies say
VERDE VALLEY, Ariz. - Fraudsters posing as FBI agents and NYPD officers scammed an Arizona woman out of millions of dollars in a "devastating, aggressive and sophisticated cryptocurrency scheme," authorities said.
What we know:
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says the suspects targeted the woman using fake phone numbers and emails, claiming someone tried buying guns in her name using a New York credit card. The suspects allegedly told the victim she was being implicated in a federal money-laundering investigation.
"To isolate the victim, the thieves told her she was under digital surveillance and threatened severe repercussions if she spoke to anyone," the sheriff's office said. "The criminals utilized terrifying tactics to convince her to cooperate, sending fabricated paper documents that closely mirrored official FBI records, hosting online Microsoft Teams meetings with the fake officials (who kept their cameras off to hide their faces), demanding she transfer funds through a Bitcoin application, claiming the money needed to be "scanned" to prove her innocence."
The woman ultimately transferred $4.3 million in cryptocurrency before reporting the incident to the sheriff's office on June 26. Because the funds were transferred via cryptocurrency through multiple accounts, the sheriff's office says the money wasn't recovered.
"The IP addresses, spoofed phone numbers, and emails all led to dead ends," YCSO said.
What you can do:
The sheriff's office says law enforcement will never ask for money over the phone. They also say you should never send cryptocurrency to people you do not know.
"If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be law enforcement, hang up and independently contact the agency directly using a verified, public phone number," YCSO said.
The Source: The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office