Arnold Police are investigating a phone scam that cost a 61-year-old Arnold man $12,800. The man said he sent the money to someone who identified himself as a police officer with the “Federal Bureau of Fraud,” police reported.
The man reported the scam to Arnold Police at about 7:40 p.m. May 21. He said the caller told him there was an active warrant for his arrest and that he needed to post bond, the report said.
The man was then instructed to make several transactions to withdraw money from his bank account. He was then told to go to several gas stations in Arnold and St. Louis County to transfer the money through Bitcoin ATMs, which convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to a virtual bitcoin address, according to the report.
As of May 30, none of the money had been recovered, and no suspects had been identified, Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher said. He said anyone who receives a similar phone call should call Arnold Police at 636-296-3204.
Christopher said the department has not been contacted by any other victims of the scam, and no other residents have reported receiving similar phone calls.
He said after Arnold Police complete its investigation, it may forward the report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.