A Grand Island couple has lost $18,000 after being tricked into converting a portion of their savings into bitcoin.
Police responded to a call at a Grand Island home Thursday evening, where they learned that an unidentified man posing as an Amazon employee had deceived the couple into withdrawing the money from their bank.
According to the police, the victim then went to a local convenience store and converted the $18,000 into bitcoin. The digital currency was subsequently transferred to the scammer.
Police Captain Dean Elliot reported that they have received several similar scam reports over the past six months. Elliot emphasized that no legitimate business will ever request payment in bitcoin, Green Dot cards, or gift cards.