A woman from Michigan in the United States has been defrauded of $9,500 (approximately £7,600) in a sophisticated scam where the criminal impersonated a police officer and claimed she had a federal arrest warrant.
The Elaborate Deception
According to the Dundee Police Department, the victim, a resident of the town about 50 miles southwest of Detroit, received a call from a man pretending to be a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy. The caller falsely informed her that a federal arrest warrant had been issued because she had missed jury duty. To add credibility, the scammer even sent a text message containing a copy of a fabricated arrest warrant.
The fraudster then issued a chilling threat, warning the woman that she would be arrested immediately if she contacted anyone or failed to follow instructions. Under this pressure, she was manipulated into withdrawing the large sum of cash.
The Cryptocurrency Trap
The scammer directed the woman to deposit the $9,500 into a Bitcoin machine, known as a kiosk, located in nearby Carleton, Michigan. Bitcoin is a type of digital currency, or cryptocurrency, often favoured by criminals due to the difficulty in tracing transactions.
Once the payment was confirmed at the kiosk, the scammer abruptly ended the call. It was only after the woman contacted her family and the genuine Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to confirm the supposed "bond payment" that she discovered the devastating truth: she had been conned, and the caller was not a law enforcement officer.
A Warning to the Public
Authorities have confirmed this was not an isolated incident. Several other residents in Michigan have reported similar calls from someone fraudulently claiming to be from the same sheriff’s office. An investigation is now underway, with officers working to recover the stolen funds.
In a stark warning, the Dundee Police Department stated: "The Dundee Police Department reminds everyone that law enforcement will NEVER demand bond money, cryptocurrency or gift cards for the immediate payment of anything."
The scam utilised a 'spoofed' phone number, making it appear as if the call originated from a legitimate local source. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) advises the public to decline calls from unknown numbers and never give out personal information to unexpected callers. If in doubt, hang up and contact the agency directly using a verified number from an official website or statement.
This case reflects a broader, alarming trend. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported a record $16.6 billion in losses from online scams in 2024. A 2025 Pew Research survey found that most Americans receive spam communications weekly, with 73% of adults having experienced some form of fraud like credit card scams or ransomware.
