Lehigh County man lost over $62K in cryptocurrency scam, cops say

A 57-year-old Emmaus man fell victim to a cryptocurrency scam that bilked him out of more than $62,000, state police said.

Pennsylvania State Police in Fogelsville said the man on July 15 reported to authorities he was being duped. Investigators say the scheme involved the victim providing financial information to a scam artist posing as a legitimate well-known cryptocurrency investor and entrepreneur.

The incident began in October 2023 over a Google workspace chat thread and went on until early April, according to a state police news release.

The victim received assistance from whom he thought was the legitimate investor in setting up several bitcoin transactions over a span of seven months. Investments totaled $62,115, according to state police.

When the victim went to access the funds, he realized all the cash was gone, police said.

Pennsylvania State Police in Fogelsville are investigating the scheme. The victim also has reported the scam to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.