The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a cryptocurrency scam that occurred in Los Osos, resulting in the loss of approximately $17,000.
Detectives from the sheriff’s major crimes unit launched an investigation and determined the funds had been converted to Bitcoin, which allowed them to trace the transactions to a major cryptocurrency exchange.
After a two-year investigation, on Sept. 10, 2024, detectives, in cooperation with the cryptocurrency exchange, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, partially recovered and returned approximately $4,700 to the victims.
If you receive something suspicious like a pop-up on your computer saying you have been hacked or a phone call demanding money, contact the sheriff’s office to speak with law enforcement so they can hopefully prevent any loss. Please inform your family and friends about this scam so they can be prepared in the event this happens to them.
For more information or to report a suspicious incident, contact the sheriff’s office at (805) 781-4547.
