Fraudsters are still using old scams to cheat people out of their hard-earned cash.  But the way they get that money is changing with the times.

For years people told police how they were conned out of thousands of dollars through gift cards that swindlers told them to buy.

Two recent cases in Boardman involve fraud involving digital currency.

Township Police took a report from a woman on Wednesday who told officers she got a call from someone claiming to be from her bank.

The caller told the woman that her bank account had been frozen because of a fraud alert, and she would need to deposit $4,000 to clear the alert.

The victim followed the caller’s instructions and purchased $4,000 worth of Bitcoin from a kiosk at a convenience store.  She then transferred the crypto to various accounts as instructed by the caller.

It wasn’t until the caller then told the woman to send another $29,000 via UPS, that she realized that she’d been the victim of a scam.

The day before another Boardman resident took a call from someone claiming to be from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department.

The caller told the victim there was a warrant for his arrest, but he could avoid being jailed if he paid a “pre-arrest bond”.

The victim followed the caller’s instructions, purchasing $100 worth of cryptocurrency from a Coinstar machine at an Austintown supermarket.  Coinstar machines are used to convert change into gift cards and vouchers that can be converted to paper money.

The sage wasn’t over for the victim.   The scammer had him purchase more crypto from a Coinstar machine at a Canfield grocery store and then transfer the cash using pin numbers supplied by the caller.

The victim was out $4,100 before he became suspicious and called the Sheriff to learn that they never contacted him in the first place.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there is no legitimate reason for someone to send you to a Bitcoin ATM, especially someone from a government agency.

Scammers succeed because they’re good liars.  So, if someone calls and says you have to act now because your money is at risk, you might listen if they’re convincing. They’ll scare you into keeping it a secret, even from your closest loved ones.

The FTC says neither Bitcoin nor the ATM will protect your money. There’s no such thing as a government Bitcoin account or digital wallet. There are no Bitcoin federal safety lockers. Only a scammer will give you a QR code to “help” you deposit your life savings in a Bitcoin ATM.

What they’re doing is trying to rush you into something you can’t reverse: giving your money to a scammer. So, if you get a call like this, remember the following advice:

  • Never move or transfer your money to “protect it.” Your money is fine where it is, no matter what they say or how urgently they say it.
  • Worried? Call your real bank, broker, or investment advisor. Use the number you find on your account statements. Don’t use the number the caller gives you. That’ll take you to the scammer.
  • Report it. Tell your bank or fund right away. Especially if you moved money. Then tell the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.