Wymore Man Nearly Taken in by “Bitcoin Scam”

On Thursday, March 23, 2023, a resident of rural Wymore came to the Gage County Sheriff’s Office to report a suspicious incident that occurred online earlier that morning. According to the sheriff's office, the reporting party stated he had received a message from what appeared to be a legitimate company on his home computer regarding a $7,000 charge for use of a pornographic site. The victim called the number on the e-mail to complain about the charge, since he insisted he did not visit those sites. The male suspect was able to convince the victim to allow him access to his computer and the suspect stated he set up a “cloned account” for the victim. The suspect allegedly stated he was with the victim’s bank at the headquarters in Rapid City, South Dakota. He convinced the victim to withdraw $7,000 from his bank and told him to go to a convenience store in Beatrice to convert the money to Bitcoin.The victim, who had already withdrawn the money, went to the sheriff’s office first instead of the convenience store and spoke to a deputy, who confirmed the situation involved fraud and advised the victim to deposit his money back in the bank.The deputy spoke with the suspect on the phone. The deputy noted “numerous inconsistencies,” such as the suspect claiming he was from Rapid City when the area code for his phone number indicated Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Gage County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to be wary of providing financial, personal, or confidential information to anyone they do not know personally. It is a common tactic of scam artists and fraudsters to convince victims they need to act immediately and/or to keep the matter secret from others.The sheriff's office issued a statement, “If you believe you are becoming, or have been, the victim of fraud, contact a family member, trusted friend, or professional financier, such as a banker or accountant. You may also contact the police department or the Gage County Sheriff’s Office at 402-223-4080 or call the sheriff’s office directly at 402-223-5222.”For Jefferson County, citizens can call 402-729-2284.

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