Public Safety Release: Fraud Reports
Contact: Lt. Andrew Hadfield
248-658-3392 / ahadfield@berkleypublicsafety.net
Berkley, Michigan
The Berkley Public Safety has received several fraud reports in the last few weeks
involving victims sending cash through BITCOIN machines in the area, to unknown suspects. In two of the cases, there were transactions of $5000 and $10,000 sent due to fear of being in trouble or arrested.
The method of operation is for the suspects to contact potential victims to notify them of outstanding warrants, tax violations, money laundering or other criminal activity. The caller represent themselves to be either Federal Employees or Berkley Public Safety officers over the phone, and even have the ability to make the incoming caller ID appear to be Berkley Public Safety. They tell the victim to stay on the phone, drive to their bank to remove all their cash, and then transfer the money using BITCOIN ATM machines located in the area. The unsuspecting victims then insert the cash and their money into the ATM and their funds are sent to random people all over the world. Tracking this is very difficult and usually ends up out of the country.
Berkley Public Safety will never call and ask you to provide funds over the
phone or to go to Bitcoin ATM’s. If there is a warrant or outstanding case, contact the local department or court, DO NOT SEND MONEY to individuals you do not know. This entire operation is a scam and occurring all over Metro Detroit.
The second scam Berkley Public Safety is investigating, involves people who are looking for jobs online and are accepting jobs to work from home by receiving packages from unknown sources, repackaging them, and then having the victim send to a new address. These packages being delivered are items purchased with Stolen Credit cards. Do not accept this type of business as it will put residents in the middle of a criminal investigation.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Residents can contact Berkley Public Safety if you have concerns over potential fraud. Never send money to people you don’t know or owe. Never provide personal information, credit card information to people that pretend to be from IRS, FBI or other Federal Government Agencies or local agencies including DTE, Consumers or Law Enforcement.