September 13, 2024
Josh Friedman
Detectives with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office have recovered about $5,000 of the roughly $17,000 a cryptocurrency scammer stole from a victim in Osos, Los Angeles, two years ago.
Victims reported the scam to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 12, 2022. Victims told investigators they received a call from a man asking them to send money for bail and other expenses because a relative had been arrested in another area.
The scammers then directed the victims to several local cryptocurrency ATMs, where they deposited approximately $17,000 in cash, and the victims sent photos of the receipts to the scammers.
The receipts contained information that gave the scammers control over the funds.
Detectives from the Sheriff's Major Crimes Unit investigated and discovered that the victims had converted the funds into Bitcoin, which detectives traced to a major cryptocurrency exchange.
On Tuesday, after a two-year investigation, detectives recovered some of the funds and returned about $4,700 to the victims. The SLO County District Attorney's Office assisted in the recovery efforts.
The sheriff's office said it continues to investigate similar crimes and is working to warn people about cryptocurrency-related scams, and urges people to contact the sheriff's office if they experience anything suspicious, such as a pop-up saying their computer has been hacked or a phone call demanding money.
The sheriff's office also urges the public to inform family and friends about cryptocurrency scams to help prevent them.
