(WWJ) – A Wayne County man is warning the public to beware of scam callers posing as law enforcement, trying to take your money.
The man, who identifies himself as “Tom,” tells WWJ he was recently scammed out of nearly $10,000 through a Bitcoin ATM scam.
Tom says he got a call from someone claiming to be with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, who told him he had to pay a $9,800 bond so his wife wouldn’t be arrested.
Tom then drove to the BP gas station at 13 Mile and Orchard Lake Roads and deposited the $9,800 into a Bitcoin ATM machine.
But then, “we were informed they got the money but they needed another $9,800 for another bond, which was a federal bond,” Tom said. “And on that note, we said, ‘this is a fraud.’”
Tom contacted police to report the scam.
He doesn’t expect his money to be returned and offered some words of advice: avoid picking up the phone if you don’t recognize the number.
Earlier this week Michigan State Police warned the public of a “significant uptick” in phone scams, saying scammers are updating their tactics to change with the times.
Detective Sgt. Barkley says scammers often pose as law enforcement, but other common stories include posing as a victim’s child or grandchild in trouble and asking for money.
Legitimate law enforcement officers will never ask for money over the phone, in the form of gift cards or in the form of cryptocurrency.
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