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Undersheriff warns of caller‑ID spoofing scam seeking Bitcoin payments
Summary
Elko County Undersheriff Justin Ames told the commission that scammers are spoofing the sheriff's office caller ID and demanding payment, sometimes using real local names; he urged residents to call the Sheriff's Office to confirm and reported at least one local loss of $6,000.
Elko County Undersheriff Justin Ames used the public comment period to warn residents about a phone scam that displays the Elko County Sheriff's Office number while calling from overseas; scammers demand payment and instruct victims to use Bitcoin or make payments over the phone.
Ames described the pattern: callers claim there is a warrant or delinquent fines and direct victims to send payment in cryptocurrency, and noted the calls often appear to come from legitimate local names. "We don't clear warrants via Bitcoin, we don't clear warrants via paying with a credit card over the phone or anything," Ames said, urging anyone who receives such a call to contact the Sheriff's Office directly. He said staff have fielded many calls and at least one resident deposited $6,000 at a Bitcoin kiosk after being targeted. Commissioners said they would publicize the warning through county channels.
