RI couple loses $13K in Bitcoin jail scam

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. — An East Greenwich couple was nearly tricked into losing $20,000 after scammers convinced them their daughter had been arrested following a crash in Providence, police said. The couple ultimately lost $13,000 before realizing something was wrong.

According to police, the scam began the afternoon of Dec. 29 when a 68-year-old woman received a phone call from someone pretending to be her daughter. Officers say the caller sounded convincing, mimicked her daughter’s voice and mannerisms, and claimed she had been involved in an accident and was being held in jail on a DUI charge.

The imposter told the woman to contact a lawyer and provided a phone number. When the woman called, a man answered and claimed to be a “board-certified public defender.” Police say he repeated the same story and demanded $20,000 for bail.

Investigators say the man instructed the woman to withdraw the cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM at a Stop & Shop in North Kingstown. The woman deposited the maximum allowed amount of $10,000 using multiple codes provided by the scammers. She was then directed to a second Stop & Shop location in Warwick, where she deposited another $3,000.

While at the Warwick store, a staff member warned the woman that she might be the victim of a scam. Police say she immediately ended the call and did not deposit any more money.

Officers later confirmed the couple’s daughter was never involved in an accident and was not in police custody. Authorities are reminding the public that legitimate law enforcement agencies and attorneys will never request bail money through Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency machines.