A fake sheriff's lieutenant talked a 79-year-old Oregon man into feeding $40,000 in cash to a Bitcoin machine. His daughter's instinct stopped it from going further.
A caller posing as "Lieutenant White" left a voicemail telling a 79-year-old Gresham, Oregon man that he had missed jury duty. The man pulled out $40,000 in cash and put it into a Bitcoin machine. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office shared the case publicly on Oct. 27, after his daughter reported it to investigators on Sept. 23.
The voicemail used the sheriff's office name and a lieutenant's title. The caller said the man owed a fine and would be arrested if he did not pay. He made two separate $20,000 cash withdrawals from his bank. He then took the money to a Bitcoin machine in Southeast Portland, a kiosk that turns cash into cryptocurrency, and deposited it.
A deputy met him at his home as he arrived. He was still on the phone with the caller, who hung up. The news report does not say what the fine was supposed to be.
There was no fake website and no cloned voice. It was a voicemail, a phone call and a borrowed title. The sheriff's office says scammers want people to panic and act before they know what is going on. Detective Tamari Johnson put it that way to FOX 12.
The daughter noticed the key warning sign. Her father called and said he was working with the sheriff's office but could not talk about what he was doing. Then she lost contact with him. The sheriff's office says that demand for secrecy is a red flag.
Anyone can get this call, but the sheriff's office says older adults are more likely to be targeted by impersonation scams. A retired parent with savings and a phone is the typical target. The family is often the only second opinion available.
The Federal Trade Commission says courts and government agencies never demand payment over the phone. Real law enforcement does not text or email arrest warrants, it adds. The sheriff's office says it never calls about missed jury duty, warrants, missed court dates or fines.
The alert box above lists the steps. The simplest safeguard is an agreement made now: any call about the law, a fine or secrecy gets shared with a relative before any money moves. Victims can file a report through the non-emergency line, 503-823-3333.
District Attorney Nathan Vasquez told FOX 12 his office will prosecute if a scammer can be identified. He also said these cases are hard to investigate. The material does not say whether anyone has been identified or whether the man's money can be recovered.
Real police and courts never demand payment by phone, so hang up and tell a family member before any money moves.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
Read more: Mississippi sheriff warns residents about scam phone callsScammers are posing as Texas sheriff's officers and claiming you missed jury duty. Caller ID can show a real police number even when the call is fake.
Read more: Fake jury duty calls spoof a real Texas sheriff's phone numberFake PayPal emails and texts, some posing as a security report, try to get you to tap a link and type your login. Checking your account directly avoids the trap.
Read more: Got a fake PayPal message? Skip its link and check your account yourself
