A woman residing in Columbia, South Carolina, was taken into custody on Monday following allegations that she participated in a sophisticated phone scam. The fraudulent call falsely claimed to originate from the Lancaster County Sheriff's Department.

Details of the Bitcoin Deception

Court documents reveal the timeline of the incident began on January 30. On that date, Manheim Township police interviewed a victim who detailed the scam he experienced.

Impersonation and Coercion

The victim stated he was contacted by an individual identifying himself as "Sgt. Dean Mitchell." This scammer falsely informed the man that an active arrest warrant had been issued against him for failing to appear for jury duty.

To prevent immediate arrest, the perpetrator instructed the man to withdraw a substantial sum of money from his bank. The victim was then directed to deposit the funds into a specific Coinhub Bitcoin ATM.

The Bitcoin ATM Transaction

The required deposit totaled $12,000 in Bitcoin. The location specified for this transaction was a Sunoco station situated on Copley Drive in Lancaster County.

Following the investigation, an affidavit confirmed that the Bitcoin account receiving the funds was traced directly to the arrested woman. The victim asserted that he had no prior knowledge of or contact with this individual.

Legal Proceedings Underway

The accused woman was previously scheduled for a court appearance on March 25. Her next appearance in court is now set for April 28 at 2 p.m.