BEND, Ore. — Bend Police are warning residents about a growing number of scams in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers and threaten victims with arrest or legal consequences unless they immediately send money.
According to police, officers have seen a significant increase in these types of scams over the past several weeks, with multiple cases reported in May involving thousands of dollars lost through Bitcoin ATMs and banking apps.
In one case reported May 15, a Bend woman received a call from a phone number appearing to belong to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The caller claimed she had missed federal jury duty and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest. Following the caller’s instructions, the woman deposited about $7,000 into a Bitcoin ATM in Bend.
On May 21, another Bend woman reported receiving a phone call and text message containing what appeared to be a court document stating she owed $4,500 for failing to appear for jury duty in Deschutes County. Police said she transferred the money directly to the scammer using a banking app.
In a separate incident reported the same day, a Bend man told police he received a call claiming he had a warrant for failing to appear at a trial. The caller instructed him to deposit $10,000 into a Bitcoin ATM. The man deposited $2,900 before the machine stopped working.
Police said the scams share several common tactics. Scammers often pose as law enforcement officers using Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, phone numbers that are difficult to trace. In some cases, the scammers spoof legitimate law enforcement phone numbers to appear credible.
Victims are commonly instructed to withdraw cash and deposit it into Bitcoin ATMs or purchase gift cards and send photos of the card numbers to the scammers. Authorities said the callers frequently possess personal information about the victim, making the scam appear more convincing.
Police noted that money lost in these scams is rarely recovered. Federal authorities reportedly received more than 1 million scam reports in 2025.
Bend Police emphasized that law enforcement agencies will never call, text or email demanding payment, and government agencies do not accept payments through Bitcoin, gift cards or similar methods.
Authorities urge residents not to transfer money into Bitcoin ATMs or online payment apps at the request of anyone claiming to represent law enforcement or another agency.
Anyone unsure whether a call is legitimate is encouraged to hang up and contact the agency directly using a verified phone number rather than trusting caller ID information, which can be falsified.
People who believe they have been the victim of a scam are encouraged to contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and file a complaint with the FBI through IC3.gov.
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Look at all the sh*t the once beautiful city of Bend is filled with, I guess the California invasion brought their law breaking with them. Bend is forever tainted with the stench of the Cali FORNICATORS. THEY ARE LIKE LOCASTS DESTROYING EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH.