A Jonesboro resident lost almost $10,00 in Bitcoins after receiving a call from someone claiming he was with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department.
Based on the report, the scammer threatened to arrest the woman unless she paid a fine in Bitcoin which is paid via Kroger Marketplace ATM.
This underlies a commonly used ploy by con artists to pretend to be authorities who sought immediate payment through the threat of service interruption or legal actions.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued a warning about utility companies using this trick, stating that genuine corporations do not ask for instant payment over the phone.
Authorities recommend double-checking the identification of any caller by contacting directly to an official source, such as the police department or utility company. If you are suspicious of a scam, hang up and file an official complaint with the Attorney General’s office.
