Scam Alert: Bend Police warn of scammers posing as law enforcement

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend Police have reported a significant increase in scams impersonating law enforcement over the past several weeks, with individuals losing thousands of dollars to fraudulent demands for money under threats of arrest or legal action.

Scammers pose as officers, claiming victims have missed federal jury duty or have outstanding warrants. These individuals direct victims to make payments through unconventional methods like Bitcoin ATMs or banking applications, which are not used by legitimate law enforcement agencies.

A Bend woman on May 15 deposited approximately $7,000 into a Bitcoin ATM after being told she missed federal jury duty and had a warrant for her arrest. Another Bend woman lost $4,500 on May 21 by sending funds through a banking app after receiving a call and text with a court document. On the same day, a Bend man deposited $2,900 into a Bitcoin ATM after being threatened with a warrant for failing to appear at a trial.

These scams frequently involve the use of Voice over Internet Protocol phone numbers, which transmit calls over the internet and are untraceable. Scammers often spoof legitimate phone numbers for law enforcement agencies, making their calls appear credible.

The fraudsters frequently possess personal information about their victims, which further lends legitimacy to their schemes. Victims are typically instructed to take out cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM or to purchase gift cards and then share photos of the gift card codes with the scammers.

Money lost to these scams is almost never recovered. In 2025, the federal government received more than 1 million reports of scams.

Law enforcement agencies consistently advise the public that they will never call, text or email to demand money. Furthermore, legitimate law enforcement and federal agencies do not request payments through gift cards or Bitcoin.

The public should not transfer money into Bitcoin ATMs or online applications if directed to do so by any agency or business. Individuals who are unsure if a call is legitimate are encouraged to trust their instincts, hang up and directly contact the law enforcement agency to verify the call, as caller ID can be faked by scammers.

Victims of these scams are advised to call nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 to report the incident. Complaints can also be filed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.IC3.gov.