CLIVE, Iowa — The Clive Police Department is warning residents about a "sophisticated scam" that recently swindled someone out of nearly $7,000.
According to a Friday Facebook post, someone claiming to be a Polk County Sheriff's Deputy lied to the victim about an outstanding arrest warrant and eventually convinced the victim to send $6,600 through a Bitcoin ATM.
Investigation into this scamming incident is ongoing, but police said it can be harder to trace currency changes from cash to cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, once they occur.
"Unfortunately, scammers are taking advantage of this technology to exploit innocent victims. Once the funds are transferred, they become virtually untraceable, making it incredibly challenging to recover the money," the post reads in part.
Police said that law enforcement would never reach out to anyone demanding payment over the phone or using Bitcoin ATMs. So, if you get a call asking for just that, take down the details and report it to police or the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
You can read the full post below: