The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says a caller who left a voicemail as “Lieutenant White” convinced a 79-year-old Gresham man that he had missed jury duty, and the man withdrew $40,000 in cash and fed it into a Bitcoin machine. The office publicized the case on Oct. 27, after the man’s daughter reported it to investigators on Sept. 23. A deputy met him at his home as he arrived, still on the phone with the caller, who hung up.
No such lieutenant was calling. The sheriff’s office says legitimate law enforcement never demands payment over the phone to clear a warrant, avoid an arrest or settle any criminal matter. The case shows how a single call, built on a missed-jury-duty claim and a fine, can move $40,000 out of a retiree’s bank account.
How the “Lieutenant White” call worked
The voicemail named the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the title “Lieutenant White,” according to KATU’s report on the case, which includes the recording the sheriff’s office supplied. The caller said the man had missed jury duty and owed a fine, and that he would be arrested if he did not pay. The report does not give the amount of the fine…