Colorado resident loses $6,000 in Bitcoin in jury duty scam

A Keystone, Colorado resident was scammed out of more than $6,000 in Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) last week after fraudsters, posing as law enforcement, threatened her with arrest for missing jury duty, according to the Summit County Sheriff's Office. 

The scammers convinced the victim she needed to pay a fine to avoid arrest, prompting her to send Bitcoin via an ATM. 

Deputies intervened just before an additional $4,000 transfer could be completed, but not before the scammers had accessed sensitive personal information.

"A deputy will never call anyone to notify them of a warrant for their arrest and then offer to clear it in exchange for gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin," the Summit County Sheriff's Office stated in its report, highlighting the tactics fraudsters use to instill fear and urgency. 

According to call logs reviewed by authorities, similar scams continue to target residents statewide.

In a separate incident in Denver, a woman reportedly lost nearly $5,000 in Bitcoin after scammers, impersonating Denver Police officers, convinced her that she had missed jury duty and needed to pay a fee to avoid jail.

Colorado has seen a sharp increase in crypto-related scams, with over 1,300 cases documented and $81 million in losses recorded in 2023, positioning the state as 15th in the nation for crypto crimes. 

State authorities warn that fraudsters are exploiting the anonymous and irreversible nature of cryptocurrency transactions, making it challenging to recover funds once transferred.

"These scammers can be aggressive and persuasive," the Sheriff's Office warned, noting that crypto’s irreversible nature makes it attractive to fraudsters. 

The FBI in Denver has also issued alerts regarding token impersonation scams, urging residents to be cautious. 

Colorado’s law enforcement agencies are increasing efforts to educate residents about crypto scams as cases continue to rise across the state.

At the time of reporting, the Bitcoin (BTC) price was $68,729.27.