BLOOMINGTON — A 50-year-old Bloomington man lost $7,600 this week after falling victim to a sophisticated “spoofing” scam involving a fake sheriff’s deputy and cryptocurrency.
The Bloomington Police Department (BPD) launched an investigation last week after the victim reported receiving a call from an individual identifying himself as “Lieutenant Greene” with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect informed the victim that he had failed to appear for jury duty, resulting in an active warrant for his arrest. To “resolve” the legal matter and avoid jail time, the caller instructed the man to pay $7,600 via Bitcoin.
Under pressure, the victim withdrew the full amount from his bank and began a two-stop journey to complete the transfer:
The victim visited a Bitcoin kiosk in the 100 block of East 6th Street, where he deposited $6,000 – the machine’s maximum limit.
To fulfill the remainder of the “fine,” he traveled to a convenience store on North Indiana Avenue to deposit the final $1,600.
BPD officials confirmed that the total of $7,600 was successfully transferred to the digital wallet provided by the scammer. No arrests have been made, and suspect information remains unavailable as investigators work to trace the digital transaction.
This incident is part of a troubling rise in digital impersonation crimes across Central Indiana.
In April 2025, a Grant County resident lost $2,000 in a Facebook-based Bitcoin scam traced to Nigeria.
According to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report released last August, older Americans are losing record amounts of money to scammers who impersonate government agencies.
How to Protect Yourself
Law enforcement officials emphasize that while failing to respond to a jury summons is a serious matter that can lead to a “contempt of court” charge under Indiana law, the legal process never involves the following:
- No Phone Payments: Official fines are handled through the court clerk’s office, not via phone calls from deputies.
- No Cryptocurrency: Government agencies will never request payment via Bitcoin, gift cards, or wire transfers.
- Verification is Key: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and dial the official, publicly listed number for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office or the Clerk of Courts.
“Any information regarding punishments related to jury duty will come through official channels and will never require crypto payments,” BPD stated in a warning to the public.
