ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Allentown Police Department is warning residents in the city to be wary of a bail bond scam calls.
Officials say that a Bitcoin bond scam is a fraud where callers impersonating law enforcement or government officials coerce victims into paying fake fines, warrants, or bonds using cryptocurrency.
Scammers demand the payment be deposited into local Bitcoin ATMs to clear an arrest warrant or missed jury duty, exploiting fear to steal funds, police said.
Police say that scammers claim to be from a local sheriff’s office, U.S. Marshals, or the courts, often using real names of actual officers or judges to sound legitimate.
They threaten immediate arrest, jail time, or frozen bank accounts for a fabricated offense, such as missing a court appearance or a DNA test, according to police.
Authorities say to resolve the “warrant,” they instruct the victim to withdraw cash, go to a local store with a Bitcoin ATM, and feed the cash into the machine using a QR code provided by the scammer.
Bitcoin Cryptocurrency is preferred by scammers because transactions are immediate, anonymous, and practically irreversible, according to officials. Once the Bitcoin is sent to the scammer’s digital wallet, the money is nearly impossible to recover.
Police say that if anyone receives a call like this, they should hang up.
“Legitimate law enforcement, court officials, or government agencies never demand bond, warrant fees, or fines via Bitcoin, wire transfers, or gift cards,” the police said in a Facebook post.
Police also say you can verify a suspicious call by hanging up and calling the police department or court clerk’s office using their authentic numbers.
Authorities ask those that have been targeted to report the incident to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and file a detailed complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov and or you local Law Enforcement.