SIOUX FALLS, SD (Dakota News Now) – Sioux Falls Police say a 69-year-old man was defrauded out of nearly $20,000 in a Bitcoin scam.
Sgt. Aaron Benson stated that the victim clicked on a pop-up window on the computer which led to him receiving a phone call from someone claiming that the victim’s computer had been hacked. The caller told the victim that the bank and the FBI were involved and that she would have to pay a certain amount of money to resolve the matter. The victim was instructed to transfer cash through a Bitcoin ATM.
Due to the $15,000 limit on Bitcoin ATMs, a man had to use two different ATMs in Sioux Falls to transfer $19,700.
Sgt. Benson said the incident is not uncommon as Bitcoin fraud is on the rise.
“When I was a fraud detective, we didn’t hear that term at all, but in the last five years it’s pretty common now,” Benson said.
Benson also stated that catching the suspects is difficult because the perpetrators are not in Sioux Falls and often work out of state.
Police advise individuals to ask questions and confirm the legitimacy of any inquiries with their bank. They encourage people in the victim’s position to call their family or the police before taking action.
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