Numerous people in Lubbock, Texas, have lost a huge amount of money due to an increase in scams involving Bitcoin.
Twenty to thirty people have reported scams using gift cards and Bitcoin transactions to the police in the last several months.
Most victims of these scams are older people, who are tricked into thinking their accounts are compromised and require authentication.
The Lubbock police claim that con artists frequently give their victims instructions to create checks, take out cash, and then put it into Bitcoin ATMs.
 Sgt. Brandon Stewart described a particularly tragic situation to the local media in which the victim deposited $25,000 and then another $30,000.Â
Another noteworthy instance allegedly included a homeowner who, upon learning that his debit card was being used fraudulently in Florida, was tricked into transferring about $60,000.
Another example involved con artists posing as Apple representatives and tricking a victim into donating $4,400 worth of Bitcoin.
The victim was misinformed that in order to prevent an alleged fraudulent transaction, he needed to change his money into Bitcoin.
Stewart stressed that because scammers are usually located abroad, recovery is nearly impossible once the money is sent.
In addition, he exhorted the populace to recognize the telltale indicators of fraud and to remain watchful, believing their intuition.Â
For example, it is a serious red signal when someone asks you to remain on the phone while doing financial transactions.
He emphasized that respectable institutions like law enforcement would never request payment or insist on constant phone contact throughout a transaction.
The police sergeant observed that the technology used in these frauds frequently mimics real phone numbers, making it difficult to find the people behind them.
Furthermore, he underlined how crucial it is to disclose the crimes to raise awareness and stop additional victimization, particularly when the stolen monies are unlikely to be recovered.
Stewart also suggested that anyone who feels they are being scammed should hang up immediately and confirm the call’s veracity by contacting their bank or the appropriate authorities.
Requests to remain on the line throughout transactions or instructions not to contact their bank or law authorities are typically red flags.