Law enforcement warns about the dangers of crypto scammers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – An increasing number of people in the metro have been cheated out of their money through cryptocurrency scams. Scammers can get you even if you don’t use it.

Cryptocurrency scams have stolen billions worldwide and can snatch up your savings, too. Now, law enforcement has stepped up their game to help you stop it.

With a Bitcoin ATM at his gas station, Alfredo Antolin has seen many times firsthand, how people come to make transactions after they have received a phone call but don’t realize they have been scammed.

“I try to tell all the employees in there if they’re older and they’re on the phone, please check in with them,” Antolin said. “And make sure that they’re doing it on their own. That they know what they’re doing and they have their own account and they’re not pushing it to someone else’s.”

In 2023, the Federal Reserve Estimated 18 million adults in America used cryptocurrency, a 3% drop compared to the year before. Now in Clay County, Prosecutor Zach Thompson has seen a rise in scam cases.

“Scammers will direct investors to an online investing platform with the promise of a giant return when in fact they’re actually just stealing that person’s money,” Thompson explained. “The second type of scam, someone will call up their victim and pressure them to pay their bill with cryptocurrency.”

Lately, law enforcement has also seen thieves and drug dealers use digital assets to hide their dark money from the law. Now, investigators have gotten new training to track it down.

“It’s going to go over the basics of cryptocurrency so investigators can recognize potential evidence when they’re out in the field,” Thompson said.

Brian Karman led the course. And wants the public to know they can help you. So, never be afraid to report it.

“We have to take that report, we have to get that into the hands of the detective,” Karman said. “So, we can track those stolen funds and recoup those losses.”

Investigators notice more young people fall for scams like this than the elderly. If you do get involved, they advise you to use U.S.-based crypto companies which have more oversight.

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