Elderly Man Scammed Out of $22,000 in Bitcoin Scheme

Published on November 26, 2025

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Elderly Man Scammed Out of $22,000 in Bitcoin Scheme

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (November 26, 2025) — West Palm Beach Police are investigating a fraud case in which a man in his late 70s was tricked into depositing $22,000 into a bitcoin kiosk after receiving a fake Amazon alert and calls from a scammer posing as a federal agent.

The West Palm Beach Police Department responded to a financial institution along the 300 block of Southern Boulevard on Thursday, November 20, regarding a reported fraud incident.

Officers spoke with an employee who believed a customer had been victimized.

The victim, a man in his late 70s, reported receiving a text message in early November that appeared to be from Amazon, claiming there was fraudulent activity on his account. A short time later, he began receiving phone calls from a Washington, D.C. area code from an individual identifying himself as “Agent John Krebs” with the Federal Trade Commission.

The caller told the victim he was under investigation for money laundering and instructed him to withdraw $22,000 in cash and deposit it into a bitcoin kiosk. “Krebs” claimed he needed to verify the serial numbers on the bills to confirm the funds were clean.

The victim complied, withdrawing the funds and depositing $22,000 into a bitcoin ATM inside a gas station along the 6700 block of South Dixie Highway. After completing the transaction, the victim sent “Krebs” a photo of the receipt and a photo of his Florida driver’s license.

The victim later received an email from “Krebs” containing two attachments. One was a fraudulent PDF showing a government safety locker had been opened on his behalf through the U.S. Department of the Treasury, promising his funds would be returned after the “investigation.” The second document falsely accused the victim of fraud and claimed he was under investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Tips for avoiding becoming a scam victim:

  • Verify the source. If you receive a suspicious text, email, or call, contact the company or agency directly using an official phone number or website—never use the number provided by the caller.
  • Government agencies do not call demanding money. The FTC, IRS, and law enforcement will never ask you to send money, provide gift cards, or use cryptocurrency.
  • Do not share personal information. Never send photos of IDs, bank details, or verification codes to unsolicited callers or text messages.
  • Talk to someone you trust. If something feels off, pause and speak with a family member, friend, or local law enforcement.
  • Never deposit money into bitcoin kiosks at the request of a financial institution or agency. Requests to transfer funds through bitcoin ATMs or unfamiliar apps are major red flags.
  • Sign up for Operation Senior Shield. A free alert system committed to keeping Floridians alert, informed, and secure, https://opseniorshieldfl.com/

Case no.: 20250017984

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Rachel Leitão

Public Information Officer

pdpio@wpb.org

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