A Fort Bend County woman sent $19,700 through a Bitcoin ATM after callers posing as law enforcement told her she had warrants tied to a missed jury summons for a murder trial.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office (FBCSO), which patrols the Fulshear area, warned residents about the scam in a Sept. 9 press release after a separate victim lost $50,000 in August. The scheme has continued into October, with at least two more Fort Bend County residents targeted.

The $19,700 victim, who asked not to be identified, told KHOU the scammers said she could either pay or turn herself in and face arrest, booking, fingerprinting and possibly a strip search. They told her not to hang up and claimed they could track her location.

The fear worked.

She followed the callers' instructions and deposited $19,700 at a Bitcoin ATM. A bank teller intervened and stopped her from sending more, KHOU reported.

"I'm thankful that that teller stopped me or it wouldn't have been $19,700. It would have been, you know, another $20K on top of it," the woman told KHOU.

Terry Hayward told KHOU she received a similar call on Monday, Oct. 5 while playing a game on her iPad at home. The caller claimed she had missed jury duty, threatened to send deputies to her house and demanded $5,500. Hayward contacted her daughter, who helped her spot the warning signs. She then verified with Harris County that she had no outstanding jury duty issue and avoided losing any money.

KHOU reported that the FBCSO received 15 reports in September from people who said someone impersonating a law enforcement officer called and demanded money. In the Aug. 28 case detailed in the FBCSO press release, a caller identified himself as an FBCSO captain and told a Fort Bend County woman she had failed to appear for federal jury duty. He directed her to withdraw $50,000 in cash and deposit it through multiple Bitcoin ATM transactions. The caller also told her she was under a "gag order" and could not discuss the situation with anyone.

The scammers are using real names of FBCSO employees to appear legitimate, according to the press release. The Fort Bend Herald reported that "Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office" even appears on victims' caller ID.

Sheriff Eric Fagan said in the September press release that the agency will never demand money to resolve a warrant or avoid arrest. "If you receive a call like this, hang up, verify the information independently, and never allow anyone to pressure you into sending money," Fagan said.

Dr. Scott Bronk, a University of Houston cybersecurity expert, told KHOU that scammers often demand cryptocurrency because it can make identifying the people behind the transactions harder. He said the chances of recovering money lost to a cryptocurrency scam are zero.

The FBCSO also launched a weekly "Scam Sunday" education campaign in September to share information about current scams and warning signs. Residents who suspect a scam can contact the FBCSO non-emergency line at 281-341-4665.