The West Virginia district court has issued a warning to the public regarding a Bitcoin scam that involves fake jury duty arrest warrants. According to a recent notification from the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Virginia, cryptocurrency scammers have been impersonating officials from the U.S. District Court and using forged documents that falsely claim to come from the Eastern District of Virginia.
The scammers are targeting individuals by accusing them of skipping jury duty and demanding immediate payment through Bitcoin and other hard-to-trace means like gift cards. Victims are coerced into paying the scammers over the phone, and if they refuse, they are threatened with arrest. It is important to note that U.S. district courts do not issue arrest warrants for failing to appear for jury duty unless the individual has been summoned.
Authorities are urging anyone who receives such documents, especially those demanding Bitcoin payments over the phone, to contact the court directly to verify their authenticity. This warning comes in the wake of a rise in scams where bad actors impersonate government officials and industry figures in the crypto sector. In 2024 alone, the crypto sector lost over $3 billion to fraud and hacks, according to a report from PeckShield.
In late 2023, the FBI cracked down on a similar scheme targeting residents of El Paso, Texas, with phishing email letters pretending to be from the bureau. Around the same time, the agency issued an alert about scammers on Telegram posing as venture capital investors and tricking crypto users into downloading malicious software. More recently, law enforcement agencies have raised alarms over scammers impersonating representatives of crypto exchange Binance to defraud users.
It is crucial for individuals to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of any communication they receive, especially when it involves demands for payment in cryptocurrency. By staying informed and cautious, individuals can protect themselves from falling victim to these types of scams.