SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — Following a series of recent reports, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to be wary of scams asking for money deposits into Bitcoin machines.
Several reports of unsolicited phone calls and text messages have led the sheriff’s office to discovering a current impersonation and Bitcoin scam operation targeting families of inmates from the Smith County Jail.
According to the sheriff’s office, family members of inmates are contacted through phone calls and text messages from individuals claiming to be with Smith County Pretrial Services, the jail or a sheriff’s office official.
In some reported cases, the numbers appear to be from the jail or as a local number. Victims of the scam calls and texts are also often told accurate information about the relative in custody, lending credibility to the scam.
The victim is then told that their relative is about to be released, but that an ankle monitor or similar condition must be paid for first. The amount being quoted typically ranges from $1,800 to $5,500, the sheriff’s office said.
The caller tells the victim that the amount must be paid immediately, directing them to a convenience store or gas station with Bitcoin ATMs to deposit the money to a provided Bitcoin address, QR code or digital wallet.
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Review from the U.S. Secret Service found that the Bitcoin was rapidly transferred, which makes tracking the financial trail and recovering funds difficult.
“These scams are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly prevalent,” the sheriff’s office said.
The scams are being actively monitored and documented by the White Collar Crime Division of the sheriff’s office. Officials are urging residents in the area to not fall for the scams and said law enforcement would not request money through phone calls.
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