Tampa, Florida — A Tampa man says he was left devastated after scammers posing as members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office allegedly tricked him into depositing hundreds of dollars into a Bitcoin ATM through an elaborate fake arrest scheme.
The incident is the latest example of increasingly sophisticated scams targeting Florida residents using fake legal threats, spoofed phone numbers and cryptocurrency payment methods.
Fake Sheriff’s Office Call Sparked Panic
According to victim Derek Haydt, the frightening ordeal began while he was at work when he received a call from someone claiming to represent the sheriff’s office.
The caller allegedly informed him that there were active warrants for his arrest because he had failed to appear in court.
Immediately alarmed, Haydt recalled questioning what he had supposedly done wrong.
“What am I in trouble for? What have I done?” Haydt remembered thinking after receiving the call.
The scammers then reportedly sent him documents containing his personal information, including his name, address and what appeared to be an official signature showing he had allegedly received prior notice.
Scammers Used Fake Documents and Threats
Haydt said the callers kept him on the phone for hours while pretending he was involved in an official legal matter.
According to him, the scammers created a convincing atmosphere by using professional language and even background radio chatter to imitate a real law enforcement office.
“According to them, I was being recorded on a government line, and they wanted me to acknowledge that I was aware of what my citations were and what fees were going to be,” Haydt explained.
The scammers allegedly told him he needed to immediately pay part of his “bond” in order to avoid arrest.
Victim Directed to Bitcoin ATM
Haydt said the callers instructed him to travel to what they described as a special government-operated ATM machine.
“They said that there was these government ATMs that they had set up in multiple different locations,” Haydt said.
The location turned out to be a Bitcoin ATM inside a South Tampa gas station.
Standing in front of the machine, Haydt said he began doubting the situation but still feared the consequences if the threats were real.
“I literally [am] standing in front of the ATM, tell him, ‘I really hope this isn’t a scam because this is all the money I have in my account right now,’” Haydt said.
Believing he would later recover the money after verifying the documents at the sheriff’s office, he deposited approximately $800 before the callers suddenly disconnected.
That was the moment he realized he had been scammed.
“The only word I can really think of is… I’m just devastated,” Haydt said.
Florida Continues to Rank High for Scams
According to the Better Business Bureau, Florida consistently ranks among the top states for fraud and scam complaints.
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BBB representative Bryan Oglesby said scammers frequently target Florida due to its large retiree population and overall concentration of wealth.
“Florida and California are usually the two top states when you look at BBB reports and even Federal Trade Commission reports,” Oglesby said. “Florida is always in the top of the list when it comes to scam and fraud.”
Authorities say scammers are becoming increasingly advanced by using fake documents, spoofed phone numbers and even AI-generated materials to appear legitimate.
Authorities Warn About Bitcoin Payment Requests
Officials stress that demands for payment through Bitcoin, gift cards, wire transfers or peer-to-peer apps should immediately raise red flags.
“No legitimate company. No law enforcement. No government agency is going to ask you to go to a Bitcoin ATM machine, put your real money in that and send that code over to them,” Oglesby warned.
Haydt has since filed a police report with the Tampa Police Department, though he says authorities told him there may be little chance of recovering the stolen money.
Now, he hopes sharing his experience will prevent others from becoming victims.
“I would rather be the last than have multiple other people get scammed like this,” Haydt said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office also reminded residents that deputies will never request payment over the phone through cryptocurrency, wire transfers or gift cards.
Have you or someone you know encountered a similar scam attempt? Share your thoughts and experiences respectfully in the comments below.
