In 16 hours, Kimberly Ryan said she lost her life savings.
“It was legitimate threats that sounded like they were coming from a legitimate authority figure,” the mother said.
Scammers are increasingly using cryptocurrency ATMs to trick people into sending money.
It’s a trend Troy police are actively combating by placing warning signs near crypto ATMs throughout the city.
The scams often start with a phone call, text, or email claiming the victim has an outstanding warrant, a family member in jail, or a past-due bill.
“They’re going to use fear, urgency, or even sympathy to get you to make payments. And a lot of these cryptocurrencies because it’s more difficult to track,” said Sgt. John Julian of the Troy Police Dept.
Legitimate organizations will never rush you to pay, demand cryptocurrency, or ask you to keep the matter secret. “Pause, verify, and don’t pay,” Sgt. John Julian urged.
The scammers often instruct victims to deposit money into Bitcoin ATMs or send it to cryptocurrency addresses. Once the money is transferred, it’s moved through multiple accounts, making it nearly impossible to trace.
“These scammers are typically outside the community, across the country, or even around the world. If they get one or two yeses from people, it’s a big payday for them,” Sgt. John Julian said.
In Ryan’s case, a $52,000 payday for scammers.
The digital deception began Nov. 6 when a caller notified she failed to serve for jury duty in a murder trial.
“They sent me a screenshot of the warrant. It sounded like a legitimate police station. I could hear people answering phones, saying, ‘This is Officer Smith,’” Kimberly Ryan said.
The scammers pressured her to keep the call secret, threatening jail time and the loss of her son’s job—her son had just become a Wayne County deputy.
The callers coached her to lie to family members and stay on the phone with the scammers for hours, withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars from multiple banks and depositing it into Bitcoin ATMs, Ryan said.
The woman tells Local 4 she did it partly out of fear, but also love for her son.
What ended the nightmare?
When she asked her brother to meet her at a Bitcoin ATM in Livonia and loan her $8,000.
“He said, ‘Oh, I’m coming. I’m coming,” she recalled.
But not for the reason she thought.
He arrived, but reportedly so did Livonia police.
The scam ended when the callers heard real officers on the radio and hung up, she said.
“If you hear the word Bitcoin, say absolutely [no]. Call 911. Don’t give out personal information or money,” the Allen Park woman said.
Allen Park police confirmed the department did receive a report, but couldn’t comment on the active investigation.