MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) – A Rutherford County resident lost nearly $40,000 Wednesday after falling victim to a sophisticated scam involving fake deputies, spoofed phone numbers, and threats of arrest. The scammers convinced the man to deposit large sums of money into Bitcoin ATMs, claiming it was the only way to avoid jail.
It started with a phone call that appeared to come from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. The caller, posing as a deputy, told the man he faced arrest unless he paid immediately. After depositing $7,500, the scammers claimed a new charge had been added. The man complied again. Then they said a judge had added another charge, prompting yet another deposit.
When the scammers told him he’d used the wrong entry method and needed to pay $13,000 more, the man asked his wife to withdraw the cash — but didn’t tell her why. He was afraid she’d be charged as an accessory, a threat the scammers used to keep him silent…