Keystone, Colo. – Officials in Colorado are alerting the public about an ongoing scam after a recent victim in Keystone was coerced into sending thousands of dollars in Bitcoin under the threat of arrest. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office reported that scammers, posing as law enforcement officers, contacted the victim and demanded payment to avoid supposed legal troubles.
Scammers tricked the individual into transferring over $6,000 in Bitcoin and were on the verge of obtaining an additional $4,000 when deputies intervened and prevented the second transaction. During the scam, the victim was also manipulated into sharing personal information. Authorities have since taken steps to help the victim safeguard their identity moving forward.
This incident is not an isolated one in the area. In September, a similar scheme was thwarted at a Keystone bank. In this case, the scammer pretended to be a sergeant from another Colorado county and tried to extort $8,000 from a woman to prevent her from being allegedly arrested. Alert bank employees noticed the suspicious nature of the demand and stopped the transaction just in time.
Commonly known as the “jury duty scam,” this type of fraud has been a recurring problem across Colorado. It typically involves scammers contacting potential victims, falsely claiming they have missed jury duty and threatening them with arrest unless a fine is paid. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office highlighted in a 2021 announcement that missing jury duty is erroneously described by scammers as a felony, using this intimidation tactic to demand fines.
Both the Summit County and El Paso County sheriff’s offices have repeatedly informed the public that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not contact individuals to demand payments for warrants or missed jury duty over the phone. They stress the importance of hanging up on any such calls and contacting the claimed agency directly to verify the legitimacy of the call.
These fraudulent activities exploit the fears of law-abiding citizens using the guise of law enforcement authority to extort money. The public is urged to remain vigilant, question any phone call that involves payment requests, and always verify such claims directly with the agencies involved.
Authorities continue to educate the public on these scams, emphasizing the importance of awareness and caution in handling unexpected calls demanding money or personal information.
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