SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman fell victim to a phone scam that cost her $2,000, prompting police to ramp up efforts to prevent others from falling into the same trap.
Kathy Bushon says she was at work when she received a frightening call from a man who identified himself as a San Antonio Police Department officer.
The caller told her that she had missed jury duty and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest.
The man also said Bushon could avoid being arrested by paying a $6,000 fine. When she said she didn’t have the money readily available, the scammer told Bushon that he would transfer her to their attorneys and warned her that she could not end the phone call until they found a solution.
“The only thing you can feel at that point is complete fear,” Bushon said. “You know, you rationalize in your head that you haven’t done anything wrong, but the authoritative voice of somebody that says they’re a police officer telling you that there is a warrant for your arrest, you’re going to believe them. And that’s exactly what I did.”
Scammer directs victim to crypto ATM
Still on the phone with the scammer, Bushon was instructed to drive to an ATM at a specific location — a 7-Eleven gas station.
Confused but following directions while the caller stayed on the line, Bushon ultimately sent $2,000 through a cryptocurrency machine to the scammers. It was only after the call ended that she realized what had happened.
“If I had just stopped and taken a breath or asked for his name and called SAPD back and asked for him, it would have changed the scenario,” Bushon said. “But you’re so scared at that point, you just don’t.”
San Antonio police say they are now taking steps to warn the public before others fall victim to similar scams. SAPD is placing posters above Bitcoin and cryptocurrency ATMs across the city to caution people before they complete what could be an irreversible transaction.
“SAPD would never call and demand money over the phone,” said Camelia Juarez, an SAPD spokesperson. “We’re never going to demand money through cryptocurrency. The best way to verify and make sure that this is a legitimate call from SAPD is to call our number.”
The city has also recently ordered any business that operates a cryptocurrency ATM to display a warning poster outside the kiosk. Business owners who fail to comply could face a fine of up to $500.
Anyone who receives a call like Bushon’s is urged to hang up and contact SAPD’s non-emergency line directly at (210) 207-7273.