A Texas woman has lost $50,000 after scammers posed as law enforcement in a jury duty scheme that demanded immediate payment through cryptocurrency.
The victim answered a call that appeared to come from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, reports Fort Bend Herald.
The caller claimed to be a captain and said she had missed federal jury duty, faced arrest warrants, and must stay on the line under a supposed gag order.
She withdrew the cash from her bank
She withdrew the cash from her bank and deposited it at a Bitcoin ATM across multiple transactions to cover the alleged fines.
Suspicion eventually set in, prompting her to stop complying and report the incident straight to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Eric Fagan says these schemes rely on fear and urgency to keep people from questioning what they are told.
These scammers are deliberately creating fear
“These scammers are deliberately creating fear and a sense of urgency to keep people from stopping to question what they’re being told.”
The office stresses it never demands money by phone to settle warrants or avoid arrest.
In response, officials have started a weekly “Scam Sunday” effort to share alerts on current fraud tactics and safety steps.
