U.S. Attorney’s Office Warns of National Scam Involving Fake Arrest Warrants and Cryptocurrency Payments
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has issued a warning to the public regarding a nationwide scam that tricks individuals into paying cryptocurrency in order to lift fake arrest warrants.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the scam targets individuals by sending them court documents claiming that they are under investigation for Payroll Protection Program (PPP) fraud, with an accompanying arrest warrant.
The fraudulent documents, purportedly sent from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, provide detailed instructions on how to make the cryptocurrency payment through a designated kiosk, such as Coinflip, a popular Bitcoin kiosk.
These documents are not approved or legitimate, and individuals are urged not to respond if they receive any documentation demanding cryptocurrency payments in exchange for lifting an arrest warrant.
To combat this scam, officials advise the public to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. This can be done by calling the DOJ’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or submitting an online complaint form through the NCDF website. Alternatively, individuals can also report the scam to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
As the authorities continue to investigate this national scam, it is crucial for the public to remain vigilant and be aware of these deceptive attempts to defraud individuals using false arrest warrants and cryptocurrency payments.
Analyst comment
This news is negative as it informs the public about a nationwide scam involving fake arrest warrants and cryptocurrency payments. The market is not directly affected by this news, but it highlights the importance of being cautious and reporting suspicious activities to law enforcement.
