The Fake Investigator Scam: Police Warn of Crypto Cons Draining Accounts

A Pennsylvania State Police unit is advising the public of a new bitcoin scam targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly seniors. Scammers contact them through email, phone, or other electronic means, claiming there’s a fraudulent activity involving their personal information. Posing as representatives of the victim’s financial institution, these scammers then direct victims to contact a supposed “investigator” at a federal agency, such as the FBI or FTC. This fake investigator instructs the victims to withdraw large sums of cash from their bank accounts and deposit the money into a bitcoin ATM to “safeguard” their funds. Once deposited, the victim is asked to send a receipt or scan a QR code, which gives the scammer access to the funds. The transferred funds are impossible to recover. The scammers often “spoof” their phone numbers to appear legitimate, leaving authorities with limited options for tracing or solving these crimes.