Crypto-Related Scams in 2024: FCPD Gives Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to Fraud

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Fairfax County, VA – Detectives and investigators from our Financial Crimes Unit warn community members of Bitcoin and crypto-related scams being reported within the county.

In over a dozen reported cases since the beginning of the year, our investigators have observed a trend in scams involving cryptocurrency. Criminals are exploiting individuals into depositing money into crypto ATMs and defrauding them of their money.

DateDescription of Incident
1/11/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $10,500 into bitcoin ATM.
1/12/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $31,100 into bitcoin ATM.
2/13/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $10,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/14/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $6,500 into bitcoin ATM.
2/15/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $15,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/20/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $20,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/21/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $8,500 into bitcoin ATM.
2/21/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $8,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/22/2024Attempted – Scammer posing as law enforcement asking for deposit into bitcoin ATM.
2/22/2024Scam call posing as law enforcement. Victim scammed into depositing $15,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/27/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $19,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/28/2024Victim was scammed into depositing $16,000 into bitcoin ATM.
2/29/2024Scam call posing as law enforcement. Victim scammed into depositing undisclosed amount into bitcoin ATM.
3/1/2024Scam call posing as law enforcement. Victim scammed into depositing $3,000 amount into bitcoin ATM.
3/1/2024Attempted – Scammer asking for victim to deposit into bitcoin ATM.

The Scam:

These scams typically begin when suspects call victims and pose as law enforcement, banks, legitimate entities, businesses, or federal government agencies. Scammers then use varying deceptions to convince victims into depositing funds into a crypto ATM or converting money into gift cards or other forms of payments that are difficult to trace or recover. These criminals often prey on the elderly victims.

Prevention:

The Fairfax County Police Department urges community members, particularly seniors, to remain vigilant and follow these essential tips to protect themselves from falling victim to phone scams and fraud:

  • Just HANG UP: If an unsolicited call comes from an unknown number just hang up.
  • Verify Caller Identities: Always confirm the identity of the person or organization contacting you; hang up and call the institution by using their known contact information from official websites, official bills, invoices, etc. APPLE, MICROSOFT, Norton, MacAfee, eBay, PayPal, AMAZON, or GOOGLE will NEVER call you on the phone and ask for any kind of payment.
  • Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Calls: Anyone who calls you on the phone, requires you to stay on the phone, and asks for payments with gift cards of any kind (Greendot, iTunes, Google Play, Target, Walmart etc.) should be considered suspicious and it is likely a scam. Other fraud indicators are requests for money through wire transfers (MoneyGram, Western Union, Walmart to Walmart, Zelle, Venmo, CashApp) or deposits into Bitcoin ATMs.
  • Consult with Family or Friends: Before making any financial decisions, especially those involving large sums or unfamiliar technologies, consult with trusted family members or friends.
  • Don’t Share Personal Information: Never share personal or financial information over the phone unless you initiated the call and are certain of the recipient’s legitimacy.
  • Use Trusted Platforms: When dealing with Bitcoin or other digital currencies, use reputable and well-established platforms for transactions.
  • Beware of Phishing: Beware of emails or pop-ups claiming you must click a link, call a number, or open an attachment. These emails often convey a sense of urgency or even a threat of some kind. Report the email as spam and delete it.

Other important tips:

  • Law Enforcement will never call you on the phone and ask you to pay money to avoid arrest or post a bond.  Other common scams include notices of missing jury duty or a Federal Agent calling you to say your name and identity has been discovered being involved in criminal activity or money laundering.  The FBI, DEA, SSA, DHS, ICE, FTC, IRS, or any local police, just to name a few, will never call you on the phone and ask for money for any reason.
  • Never let anyone “remote” into your computer.  Scammers pretending to be from Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google (or others) and will ask for remote access to your computer to “fix” the issue or attempt to refund money to you for an alleged fraud charge.  Do not allow remote computer access, this is a scam. Scammers will claim they are going to refund money to your bank account, but instead they will steal it.
  • Some cryptocurrency ATM’s may offer partial transaction reimbursements for victims of fraud at their machines after a police report is filed.

If you have been a victim of a financial crime, please contact the Fairfax County Police Department by filing a report through our Financial Crimes Online Reporting (FiCOR) website. If you are unable to file a report on the computer, call our non-emergency line at 703-691-2131 to have an officer assist you with making a FiCOR report.

For more information about Elder fraud, visit the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crimes website by clicking HERE. If you have been a victim of elder fraud and reside outside of Fairfax County, you can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

For ongoing updates, please read our blog and follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @FairfaxCountyPD.