Ohio law enforcement recovers $36,000 lost in cryptocurrency scam by Fairfield Twp. woman

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation helped a Butler County woman recover tens of thousands of dollars that she lost in a cryptocurrency scam.The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says that the bureau helped the 67-year-old Fairfield Township woman, who was not identified by authorities, recover approximately $36,000 in stolen money that she lost last year.In total, the woman lost $88,000 in the scam. The additional $52,000 still remains unaccounted for.Authorities say that the scam started on Dec. 4, 2024, when a prompt on the computer that the woman was using suggested that her device was hacked, and that she call a phone number attached to the prompt for further support in resolving the issue.The woman then did so, leading her to a man who falsely posed as a Microsoft support technician.Afterward, the woman was then persuaded to talk to individuals who posed as representatives of her bank and the Social Security Administration.Eventually, the scam artists persuaded the woman to buy a new laptop and grant them access to it, as well as deposit $88,000 into a cryptocurrency account, which they would also have access to.When the woman eventually realized that she had been defrauded, she notified the Fairfield Township Police Department, which then in turn notified the Ohio BCI’s Electronic Financial Investigations unit.Some of the money was later able to be traced by the investigations unit, with freezes able to be placed on additional transfers to the scammer.The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says that the most common targets for scammers are older adults, who typically are less familiar with the specifics of technology than younger adults.Law enforcement officials say that one of the most common pretenses that scammers typically use to convince people to give money to them can be by offering to help remove a computer virus or by offering to help with an account that may be hacked. Additionally, other common scams include bail or warrant removal requests from people who pose as loved ones, money requested from online romantic interests, and threats to publish pornographic photos or videos of the targeted victim if money is not sent.Authorities urge people to remain highly skeptical every time that unknown individuals ask for money either over the phone or over the Internet, especially when fear is used to cajole victims into acting quickly.”Technology drives innovation, but sometimes cybercriminals are behind the wheel,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “While we can help after the fact, your best defense is to be skeptical anytime a stranger asks you to make a financial transaction.”The Attorney General’s Office, in coordination with Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser, is continuing to look into the case.”Scammers use technology to steal from our elderly population, but we can use that same technology and the long arm of the law to get those stolen funds back,” Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser added.The Ohio Attorney General’s Office urges those who are victims of suspected scams to report them to local law enforcement.