TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Cryptocurrencies of all kinds are hitting record highs, but the unregulated currencies have become a target for scammers here in Pima County.
Sara Cullen works a full-time job in Pima County, takes care of her dog, and is planning her wedding in the spring.
The last thing she needed was a dire call from someone saying they were from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
“There was a warrant out for my arrest for failure to appear for the jury summons,” Cullen said.
Apparently, she needed to pay thousands of dollars to avoid going to jail and had to send that money through one of the 300 Bitcoin ATMs in the Tucson area. She thought with them having so much information… it couldn’t be fake.
“They knew my old address, they called me from a Tucson area code number, it didn’t come up as spam or anything on my phone and,” Cullen said, “it goes to a voicemail that even says ‘you’ve reached the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.’”
Thousands of dollars later, she became one of many who have fallen for scams like these.
“We’re seeing these scams just skyrocket all over the place,” said PCSD Financial Crimes and Fraud Unit Det. Michael Wilson. “They trick you into thinking that if you don’t act now, something terrible is going to happen.”
PCSD is trying its best to prevent people from putting their money in the machine. As soon as it’s out of your hands, it’s hard if not impossible for authorities to track.
“The money moves very rapidly, so five or six days could be the difference between getting money back for victims or nothing at all,” Wilson said.
Leaving Cullen to start saving for her honeymoon all over again.
“If it happened to you, don’t feel stupid, and don’t feel gullible because we are all capable of being deceived,” Cullen said.
PCSD has made multiple resources available for people who believe they may be getting scammed including a hotline for a quick response.
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