A Delhi Township woman will be breathing a sigh of relief after about $35,000 she lost to cryptocurrency scammers was recovered by authorities.

According to reports, she fell for the scheme in 2024, after a pop-up appeared on her computer pretending to be from Microsoft. According to the 73-year-old, the pop-up had a number on display that she was mandated to call as soon as she saw the message.

After she called the number, the crypto scammer, who posed as a representative from Microsoft, convinced the Delhi native that her device had already been compromised. Like their usual modus operandi, the scammer gave her a lifeline, urging her to take out about $42,000 and turn it into Bitcoin to fix her supposedly compromised computer.

It was not long after the woman realized what had happened, and she swiftly contacted the Delhi Township Police Department. The local police force, on the other hand, contacted the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Electronic Financial Investigations Unit.

Delhi native recovers $35,000 lost to Bitcoin scammers

According to reports, the criminals convinced her to send a total of $41,750 in various transactions via a Bitcoin ATM.

“We have seen over the past few years an increase in cryptocurrency-type scams of all different kinds. They’re very convincing when they get you on the phone.”

~ Scott Stranahan from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

As a result of the quick and specialized efforts of the Delhi Township Police Department and the BCI’s Electronic Financial Investigations Unit, they were able to block all additional transfers, after identifying the flow of funds. They also worked with other legal authorities to go after the scammers’ accounts. This move yielded results, with the majority of the funds recovered from the criminals. Talking about the movement of funds, Stranahan said, “You can’t touch it, and there’s a perception out there that once you have put your dollars into it, we are unable to touch it.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who shared the announcement earlier, mentioned the importance of reporting such cases on time. “This case illustrates the elaborate traps that crypto criminals use to scam their victims. Thankfully, because the victim notified authorities quickly, BCI was able to recover most of the stolen money,” he said. Stranahan also echoed the same sentiment saying, “The sooner law enforcement gets involved, the moment you think you’ve been scammed, the better our chances at recovering your funds are.”

Authorities warn public over growing rate of Bitcoin ATM-related scams

Delhi Township Police Chief Jeff Braun also praised the collaboration with state investors and the benefits local enforcement derives from it. “I greatly appreciate BCI’s swift and effective assistance in this case,” he said. “Their expertise and collaborative approach in investigating electronic fraud and recovering stolen funds were invaluable to our department, and this partnership strengthens our ability to protect and support our community from scams like these,” he added.

Meanwhile, there have been calls by authorities in the United States over the alarming increase in Bitcoin ATM scams across several counties and states. For instance, in North Dakota, scammers have been targeting residents, urging them to pay their fines for missing jury duties via Bitcoin ATMs, and impersonating the police in Stanley County to carry out their criminal acts. The same applies to Westlake, where a native was urged to send funds via the same method to help with her compromised laptop.

Stranahan has also warned the public to be watchful and alert for subtle signs that give these criminals away. He mentioned that people should not, in a state of fear or panic, give out their hard-earned funds to these criminals. He added that the court or genuine law enforcement will not call or notify individuals of a warrant or missed jury duty before they carry out the order. “Being able to help somebody get through their retirement years by returning some of their hard-earned savings to them is the biggest win ever,” he added.

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