WALDORF, Md. – This week, unknown callers / scammers called at least four local business owners claiming to work for SMECO and PEPCO. The callers, who sound friendly, said they would cut off power to the business unless they were paid an undisclosed amount of money. The callers directed the victims to specific locations where a Bitstop kiosk was located – some of the kiosks were at a gas station in Waldorf. A Bitstop kiosk is similar in appearance to an ATM and is usually located near the ATMs at businesses.
The scammer remained in direct communication, via phone, with the victim and provided instruction on how to deposit US currency into the Bitstop kiosk. This then allowed the scammer to convert the US currency into cryptocurrency and deposit it into the scammer’s wallet.
Unfortunately, some of the victims believed the caller and deposited money at various Bitstop Kiosks. Officers contacted the Maryland State Police Cyber Crimes taskforce who is assisting.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind citizens and business owners, legitimate businesses do not accept payments through cryptocurrency or gift cards. If you believe the call you receive is possibly a scam, call the business directly using a legitimate phone number from one of your previous billing statements or find the number by searching the business online.
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