Texas Woman Loses $50,000 in Jury Duty Scam Using Bitcoin
A Texas woman fell victim to a jury duty scam that used fear and urgency to extort $50,000 in Bitcoin from her.
The scammers claimed to be from the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, saying she had missed federal jury duty and faced arrest warrants. They allegedly told her to stay on the line under a gag order and demanded immediate payment through cryptocurrency.
The victim was convinced by the scammers' claims and withdrew cash from her bank account, depositing it at multiple Bitcoin ATMs in small transactions to cover the alleged fines. However, suspicion eventually set in, prompting her to stop complying and report the incident directly to the sheriff's office.
Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan emphasized that these scams rely on creating fear and a sense of urgency to keep people from questioning what they are being told.