The Bexar County Sheriff warned of a cryptocurrency scam targeting relatives of inmates after an elderly Comal County couple lost $25,000 to callers posing as law enforcement and bond agents. The couple, both in their 70s, were on the phone for about eight hours, with the callers telling them they could help secure their son’s release from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. The callers had them drive from Comal County to several San Antonio retail establishments using Bitcoin machines before they paid the money.
Salazar said the money was lost to scammers posing as law enforcement and bond agents. “Our hope is that we can hopefully help these folks get their money back,” he said, adding that the chances of identifying scammers are slim to none. In an effort to prevent future scams, he has asked the San Antonio City Council to pass a city ordinance requiring a visible sign near cryptocurrency machines warning people not to deposit money and to hang up if they are on a call with someone claiming to be law enforcement. He said he will be meeting with city council members periodically over the next couple of weeks to pursue the ordinance.
The sheriff noted that Castillo reached out to BCSO and seemed to spearhead the effort, indicating ongoing community concerns about crypto-related scams. He emphasized the need for clearer warnings at crypto kiosks.
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