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SLO County sheriff warns of cryptocurrency phone scam

December 8, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a phone scam targeting locals during the holiday season.

On Wednesday, numerous individuals reported that a person claiming to be from the sheriff’s office contacted them and informed them they were due in court for jury duty. The caller ID spoofed a real phone number, making it appear the call was coming from the sheriff’s office, officials say.

The caller would inform residents that they could clear the matter by paying a fine in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. One resident nearly lost $1,700, but the transaction was not successful, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Sheriff’s officials are cautioning residents that such calls are a scam. The sheriff’s office does not contact residents by phone regarding matters like that and requests that anyone who receives the scam call report it to their local law enforcement agency.


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I don’t know how people keep falling for this garbage. I really wish people would be forced to undergo scam training before they are allowed to drive, or vote, or get married, or to open a bank account, etc. so many very important life skills just are not learned by the people most in need of learning them.

I got a call once where the guy threatened to come and arrest me for some made up thing and I laughed at him and told him he better send the SWAT team because they were the only ones capable of getting me off of his mother…he cursed me out and hung up.


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I once had a scammer call (IRS scam) and tell me the Sheriff’s Dept was going to come by and arrest me if I didn’t pay him. I asked how many it would be so I’d have enough coffee made and donuts on hand. He just hung up on me.


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