With support from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) has launched a program to post signs on virtual currency machines warning buyers that they may be victims of fraud.

Attorney General Chris Mays on Nov. 13 assists YCSO in its effort to stop Yavapai County business owners from losing thousands of dollars in virtual currency transactions initiated by fraudsters at Coinstar machines and Bitcoin ATMs. issued a letter asking them to do so. Mays said Arizonans have collectively lost millions of dollars over the past year to various scams that use cryptocurrencies for payments, most of which target vulnerable seniors. “It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of people who have lost some or all of their life savings to scammers,” Mays said.

The YCSO Fraud Investigation Unit has spent thousands of dollars in recent weeks paying off bogus claims, including old fines, arrest warrants, relatives in some kind of legal or medical trouble, unpaid taxes, and possibly collections. We have received reports of multiple victims who transferred virtual currency. An online lover who has a hacked financial account or needs cash for some kind of emergency or special investment opportunity.

So far, local business owners have been very welcoming to partnering with YCSO in this effort, and we hope that they will warn potential victims at the time of purchase before sending them unrecoverable cryptocurrencies. are.

YCSO fraud investigator Ron Norfleet has been conducting seminars throughout the county on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, but criminals also encourage payment by wire transfer or gift card. However, it has been stated that these funds cannot be recovered. His advice: Don’t answer the phone and never click on links in emails or text messages.

If you have been contacted by a scammer, please call YCSO at (928) 771-3299.