IROQUOIS, IL – Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office are warning residents about a disturbing phone scam that has been targeting the elderly across the area.
The scam involves scammers posing as police officers, demanding payment in the form of Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, or iTunes gift cards to resolve supposed legal issues or avoid arrest.
According to reports received by the Sheriff’s Office, victims have been receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be police officers or other officials from the Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office, Watseka Police Department, or Iroquois County Officials. The scammers use scare tactics, claiming that the victim has a warrant for their arrest and must make immediate payments in Bitcoin or other digital payments to resolve the issue.
One victim was told to purchase Bitcoin and send it to the scammer to clear an alleged warrant. In another case, the victim was asked to purchase iTunes gift cards and provide the codes from the back of the cards. There have also been reports of scammers calling into local businesses with slot machines, posing as business owners and instructing employees to send them money from the machines in the form of Bitcoin.
If you receive a phone call that you believe may be a scam, the Sheriff’s Office advises hanging up immediately and calling the non-emergency line at 815-432-4918.
