New Lenox woman reported losing $37,560 to Bitcoin-related phone scam

A New Lenox woman said she was persuaded by a caller claiming they’re from a federal department to deposit $37,560 into a Bitcoin machine, police said.

About 2:50 p.m. on Aug. 11 an officer responded to a deceptive practices complaint from a 79-year-old woman, according to a statement from the New Lenox Police Department.

The woman said she was contacted by a caller claiming to work for the United States Department of the Treasury, police said.

The person told the woman her information was stolen and used to open accounts.

The woman was persuaded to withdraw funds from the bank and deposit them into a Bitcoin machine to “assist in resolving the issue,” police said.

In total, the woman deposited $37,560 into a Bitcoin machine, police said.

The woman visited three different Bitcoin machines but did not recall the locations, according to New Lenox Deputy Police Chief Tim Perry.

The majority of Bitcoin-related scams involve “government impersonation, business impersonation, and tech support scams,” according to the Federal Trade Commission.

“The lies told by scammers vary, but they all create some urgent justification for consumers to take cash out of their bank accounts and put it into a bitcoin ATM. As soon as consumers scan a QR code provided by scammers at the machine, their cash is deposited straight into the scammers’ crypto account,” FTC officials said.