A Bowling Green family was reportedly scammed out of $7,800 Tuesday (12/2), when the husband was told his wife was being held by U.S. Marshals, and the wife was told a warrant was out for her arrest for failing to show up as a witness in a federal grand jury case.
The husband called Bowling Green Police Division when he couldn’t get ahold of his wife. He told police she never misses work.
The woman’s daughter used an app that showed her mom went to a bank on West Wooster Street three times, a bank on North Main Street once, and a gas station on North Prospect Street.
When she was located, police said she was frantic. She said that while at work, she got a call from an unknown number from a male falsely identifying himself as with the sheriff’s office. He reportedly said there was a warrant for her arrest for failing to show up for grand jury. The man allegedly told her that if she contacted anyone about the call, that person would also be subject to a felony charge.
The scammer reportedly said her bond was $12,000, but she could start by paying just half. So the woman got $6,000 out of the bank and put it in a Bitcoin machine at a local gas station.
She was then told that she needed to send another $1,800 to conduct a signature comparison. The woman told the caller she wanted to go to the sheriff’s office to do that, but was reportedly told if she went there she would be held in custody for 24 to 72 hours. So she withdrew another $1,800 and put it in the Bitcoin machine.
The caller then told her she needed to pay the other $6,000 – which she said was not possible. She was reportedly told to go to a local hotel, turn off her phone location, and stay there overnight.
A police officer was present the next time the scammer contacted her by phone, but the caller immediately hung up. The case was forwarded to the BGPD Detective Division.
