Beware Of New Phone Scam, McKinney Police Warn

A McKinney resident is the victim of a new type of phone scam. The McKinney Police Department posted the scam on social media to warn residents.

On March 31, 2023, a McKinney resident received a text message stating there was a fraudulent bank transaction and gave them a phone number to call back. The resident called the number and was told that the U.S. Marshal’s Office was then going to call. 

The resident was instructed to get $10,000 out of the bank and send bitcoin. After the resident become suspicious, they hung up but then received a phone call, shown to be from the McKinney Police Department’s non-emergency number. In reality, it was not. 

The resident believed that charges were being filed unless the money was transferred into bitcoin. The resident lost $10,000 in the scam. 

According to the McKinney Police Department, scammers are using government phone numbers and even government employees’ names while demanding payment via Bitcoin ATMs.

If you receive any text or call asking for money:
– Don’t respond or hang up
– Call the company or organization yourself to verify the legitimacy
– Call the police who can investigate 

Remember: no government agency will ask for bitcoin payment, wire transfers or gift cards. If you are being asked to make these types of payments, hang up, search for the number and call back to verify. Do not call the numbers listed on the text messages, as those are often part of the scam. 

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