Solicitors Pose As Milton Police In Elaborate Bitcoin Scam

MILTON, MA — Milton police are warning residents to beware of an elaborate Bitcoin scam in which solicitors use phone number cloning and law enforcement impersonation to make it appear that local police departments are validating their identity and claims. A Milton resident fell victim to the scam, believed to have originated out of India or Pakistan, this past week when scammers transferred the call to someone pretending to be a member of the Milton Police Department using an actual current officer's name.

"We continue to see people being victimized by more advanced telephone and online scams," Milton police posted on their Facebook page Friday. "Sometimes these scammers clone real phone numbers and account numbers so the phone call or email may appear to be coming from legitimate agencies you do business with agencies (Banks, IRS, etc.)."

In this scam, Milton police said a resident received a call alerting her that her social security number was used in a Texas drug deal and that there was a warrant issued for her arrest. When the resident pressed the caller on the details of the suspected scam, the call was transferred to what appeared through caller ID to be the Milton Police Department's business line. The person on the other end of the line identified themselves with the name of a current Milton police officer — which the victim confirmed through the department website — and the caller posing as a police officer appeared to verify that the Social Security number had been compromised. The victim was told she needed to protect the remaining money in her bank account through transferring it to Bitcoin.

The victim was told to go to an address on American Legion Highway in Boston, where she converted several thousand dollars to Bitcoin. When the victim followed up with Milton police, they determined it was, in fact, part of an ongoing Bitcoin scam out of India or Pakistan.

Milton police caution that anyone who receives a phone call that makes them suspicious — prior to sending money or giving away Social Security or account information — should contact family, friends, neighbors or police to verify the identity of the claim. The state's Office of Consumer Affairs hotline for scams is 617-973-8787.

"Remember to never be pressured into making a quick decision or taking a quick action," Milton police advised. "Only provide information when you initiated the contact, never when someone else initiated the contact."