SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Sioux Falls police reported a 69-year-old man was conned out of nearly $20K through a bitcoin scam.
Sgt. Aaron Benson stated the victim clicked on a computer popup that led to him receiving a phone call from someone who claimed the victim’s computer was hacked. The caller told the victim that the bank and the FBI were involved, and he needed to pay a certain amount of money to fix the issue. The victim was instructed to transfer cash through a bitcoin ATM.
Because of the $15,000 limit on bitcoin ATMs, the man had to use two different ATMs in Sioux Falls to transfer $19,700.
Sgt. Benson reported the incident is not uncommon as bitcoin-related fraud cases are increasing.
“When I was fraud detective, we didn’t hear that term at all, but in the last five years, it’s quite frequent now,” Benson said.
Benson also stated catching suspects is difficult as the people perpetrating the crime are not in Sioux Falls, often working from outside the country.
Police recommend individuals ask questions and confirm the legitimacy of any requests with their bank. They encourage people in the victim’s position to call their family or the police before acting.
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