Don’t fall for Bitcoin phone scam: DeKalb County sheriff

SYCAMORE – No, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has not asked anyone to contribute money to a Bitcoin account to resolve a legal matter.

But if you believe that has happened to you or someone you know in DeKalb County, then you should contact the sheriff’s office because you may be the victim of a phone scam.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced via a social media post Friday that it has become aware of a phone scam in which an unknown caller presents themselves as a sheriff’s office employee and asks for money to be deposited into a Bitcoin account in regard to a legal matter.

Authorities said the telephone number linked to the phone scam – 815-826-9542 – is not associated with the sheriff’s office.

The caller has pretended to be multiple known members of the sheriff’s office, including Deputy Chief Jim Burgh, authorities said.

“They engage in conversation for extended periods of time with victims and threaten people with arrest if they don’t comply,” officials wrote in the post. “The public is reminded that no sheriff’s office employee will ever ask people for money or Bitcoin over the phone to resolve any legal matter.”