Arnold Police are investigating a phone scam that defrauded a 61-year-old Arnold resident of $12,800. The victim reported that he was contacted by someone posing as a police officer from the “Federal Bureau of Fraud,” according to police.
On May 21, around 7:40 p.m., the man alerted Arnold Police about the scam. He recounted that the caller claimed there was an active warrant for his arrest and demanded he post bond.
The victim was instructed to withdraw money through multiple transactions and then transfer the funds via Bitcoin ATMs located at various gas stations in Arnold and St. Louis County. These ATMs convert cash into cryptocurrency and send it to a specified virtual bitcoin address, as detailed in the police report.
By May 30, none of the money had been recovered, and no suspects had been identified, Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher stated. He advised anyone receiving similar calls to contact Arnold Police at 636-296-3204.
Christopher added that no other victims have come forward, and no additional reports of similar phone calls have been received. Once the Arnold Police complete their investigation, they may refer the case to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.