TRAVERSE CITY — A woman transferred $3,980 to Bitcoin after she received text messages from someone identifying themselves as the general manager of the medical marijuana business where she works.
Traverse City Police Department’s Sgt. Matt Richmond said the person requested the 29-year-old employee take pictures of the building, get money from the business’ safe at the 700 Block of Parsons and that the cash withdrawn be put into Bitcoin.
As a result, he said, the woman physically removed cash from the safe and made two separate deposits into Bitcoin, one for $2,990 and one for $990, a total of $3,980.
Sgt. Richmond said that, after making the deposit, the callers got a little more agitated and wanted more money, at which point the woman became suspicious and didn’t deposit any more money at the Bitcoin Depot ATM where she had made the previous two deposits. The woman then contacted the business’ owner, who then contacted police.
When the real store manager found out, Richmond said, he wanted the situation looked into as a possible scam.
Richmond said scams are frequent, and Bitcoin is a new, or different, method of taking money from people.
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