The Branch County Sheriff doesn’t want Bitcoin but phone scammers do

The Branch County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about an active phone scam. A caller is posing as a sheriff’s office sergeant and demanding payment in <a href="https://xpertsstudio.com/cartel-linked-bitcoin-mine-found-stealing-power-in-mexico/” title=”Cartel-Linked Bitcoin Mine Found Stealing Power in Mexico”>Bitcoin

Sheriff Fred Blankenship said the scammer is using the real name and badge number of a Branch County Sheriff’s Office sergeant to appear legitimate. The caller then pressures victims to send money through Bitcoin.

The sheriff’s office emphasizes it will never call residents to demand money or request payment through Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or prepaid cards.

The sheriff urges residents not to share personal or financial information and not to trust a caller just because they know an officer’s name, rank, or badge number.

Anyone receiving such a call should hang up immediately and contact the Branch County Sheriff’s Office at 517-278-2325 to verify the claim.

Blankenship encourages residents to share this warning with family, friends, and anyone vulnerable to scams.

“Do not send money,” the sheriff said. “Hang up and contact law enforcement directly.”

Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter:The Branch County Sheriff doesn’t want Bitcoin but phone scammers do

Source: www.yahoo.com