Woman Regains More Than $35000 Lost in a Cryptocurrency Scam

CINCINNATI, OH — A 73-year-old Delhi Township woman has regained more than $35,000 lost in a cryptocurrency scam, thanks to the quick action of local police and a specialized unit within the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI)

A 73-year-old Delhi Township woman who lost more than $35,000 in a cryptocurrency scam has had a portion of the stolen funds recovered, thanks to the combined efforts of local police and a specialized unit within the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Attorney General Dave Yost and Delhi Township Police Chief Jeff Braun announced this week.

The woman's ordeal began in August when she encountered a pop-up message on her laptop, falsely claiming the device had been hacked.

The message displayed a Microsoft logo and a phone number to call for help.

Thinking she was contacting Microsoft, the woman called the displayed number and spoke with a scammer who instructed her to withdraw large sums of cash and convert it into Bitcoin using a local ATM.

The scammer then provided her with a Bitcoin wallet address to which she scanned and sent the purchased cryptocurrency.

In total, the woman transferred $41,750 in seven separate transactions over the course of several days.

After each transaction, the scammer would again instruct her to withdraw more cash and convert it into Bitcoin.

However, at one point, the woman realized she had been scammed and immediately contacted the Delhi Township Police Department.

The police department, in turn, requested assistance from BCI's Electronic Financial Investigations unit, which is specially trained to handle cases involving digital assets.

BCI agents worked tirelessly to trace the transactions, freezing any further transfers and, through multiple search warrants and a court order, successfully recovered $35,600 of the stolen money.

"This case highlights the elaborate traps that crypto criminals use to scam their victims and the devastating financial impact it can have," Attorney General Yost said. "Thankfully, because the victim notified authorities quickly and BCI's specialized unit was able to intervene, most of the stolen money will be returned to the victim."

Police Chief Braun added, "We are grateful for the assistance provided by BCI's Electronic Financial Investigations unit in this case. Their expertise and collaborative approach in investigating electronic fraud and recovering stolen funds were invaluable. This partnership strengthens our ability to protect and support our community from scams like these."

Electronic Financial Crimes

BCI's Electronic Financial Investigations unit is a specialized unit that focuses on providing support to state, local and federal law enforcement agencies investigating crimes involving digital assets.

The unit is composed of agents from multiple specialized areas within BCI, including cybercrime, forensic accounting and public corruption.

Together, they combine their skills and experience to conduct complex investigations into cryptocurrency fraud, racketeering, corruption and other crimes.

Law enforcement agencies in need of assistance can contact BCI at 855-BCI-OHIO or email [email protected]

Warning Signs of Crypto Scams

Crypto scams often begin with a pop-up message on a computer or mobile device, displaying a logo for a well-known company or government agency and a phone number to call for help.

The message claims that the device has been hacked and warns the victim not to tell anyone about the situation.

If the victim calls the displayed number, they will speak with a scammer who will instruct them to withdraw large amounts of cash and convert it into Bitcoin using a local ATM.

The scammer will then provide the victim with a Bitcoin wallet address to which they can scan and send the purchased cryptocurrency.

Victims are typically instructed to repeat this process multiple times, withdrawing more cash and transferring it in smaller amounts to avoid suspicion.

If you or someone you know encounters a suspected scam, contact your local law enforcement agency immediately. For more information on common scams and how to protect yourself from fraud, visit the Ohio Attorney General's Office website at OhioAttorneyGeneral.com.