OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A woman who was reportedly told to send $9,000 in Bitcoin to cancel a court warrant was intercepted before making the transfer, thanks to a fast-acting deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO).
The OCSO said the woman had made multiple visits to a Bitcoin machine at a local convenience store after receiving a call from the sheriff’s office administration line, which scammers had spoofed.
According to the report, the caller falsely identified himself as a real sergeant with the OCSO and claimed the woman had missed a court appearance. He told her she needed to send $9,000 via Bitcoin to rescind the warrant. He also claimed a gag order prevented her from speaking to anyone.
Fortunately, the woman had not sent any money when the deputy arrived. She expressed concern over the call, saying the impersonator had been “nice at first, then became rude and forceful.”
The sheriff’s office thanked those in the community who stay vigilant and help protect others from scams.
“We recently had a citizen prevent another senior citizen from losing $8,000 to a scam due to his willingness to check into something that appeared suspicious and contact law enforcement,” the OCSO said.
Officials warned that scammers will spoof real phone numbers and use names of actual employees to trick victims. The OCSO emphasized that they will never ask for money over the phone or tell someone to stay silent about legal matters.
“Major red flags,” the sheriff’s office warned.
