Phone scams claim two more victims totaling over $22,000 in losses

A Summit County Sheriff vehicle. Photo: TownLift // Kevin Cody

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County Sheriff’s Department responded to two separate fraud cases on August 29 and 30. Both cases involved a phone call with the scammer posing as a government official and demanding money be transferred to resolve a fictional legal problem.

The case on August 29 took place in the Snyderville Basin area, where the victim received a call saying she skipped Jury Duty and needed to make a payment for bail. The victim attempted to send around $4,200 through cash apps however, only $2,231 were transferred to the suspect. Deputies obtained the suspect’s user handle.

The second case took place in the morning hours on August 30. The victim, a 63-year-old Park City woman, was contacted by a person claiming to be a US Customs Agent who accused the victim of being involved in criminal activity. The victim was directed to visit multiple locations in Salt Lake City, where she was instructed to upload cash into a machine where it was converted to Bitcoin and deposited in the suspect’s account. The total amount transferred from the victim’s bank account was $20,000. The victim stated she would contact the FBI and the Attorney General’s Office.

Neither case of fraud has any identified suspects at this time.