22-year-old Wisconsin woman defrauded of $500 by fake law enforcement scam call with police codes and Bitcoin ATM directive

Summary

A 22-year-old woman in Racine, Wisconsin, was scammed out of $500 by a scammer posing as a law enforcement officer. The scammer called her, claiming she had missed jury duty and would face arrest unless she paid a fine. The caller used police codes, a badge number, and a police scanner sound to appear legitimate. The scammer directed her to a Bitcoin ATM to send money under threat of arrest. After realizing it was a scam, she went to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, where officials confirmed it was a scam. The sheriff’s office reported receiving similar complaints monthly and urged residents to verify the legitimacy of unsolicited calls and avoid sending money or sharing personal information.