04/26/2026
🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 🚨
SCAM ALERT: Reeves County Sheriff’s Office Warns Public of Law Enforcement Impersonation Calls!!!
Scammers are pretending to be local law enforcement and demanding payment through Bitcoin ATMs, gift cards, wire transfers, and payment apps.
PECOS, Texas —4/25/2026— The Reeves County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an urgent public safety warning after receiving numerous complaints over the past week involving scam phone calls targeting residents of Reeves County.
In these reports, callers are pretending to be members of law enforcement, including local law enforcement personnel, and are falsely telling residents they have an outstanding warrant, unpaid fine, missed court appearance, pending legal matter, or other urgent issue that must be handled immediately.
The scammers then pressure victims to send money through Bitcoin or cryptocurrency ATMs, gift cards, wire transfers, Cash App, prepaid cards, or other unusual payment methods.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: THIS IS A SCAM
The Reeves County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call you and demand payment by:
🚫 Bitcoin
🚫 Cryptocurrency
🚫 Gift cards
🚫 Cash App
🚫 Wire transfer
🚫 Prepaid debit cards
🚫 QR codes
🚫 Deposits into a Bitcoin ATM
No legitimate law enforcement agency will ask you to settle a warrant, fine, court issue, or legal matter by depositing cash into a Bitcoin ATM.
📞 How These Scams Work
These scammers often sound convincing. They may:
Use the name of a real law enforcement agency
Claim to be a deputy, investigator, court official, or government employee.
Tell you there is a warrant for your arrest.
Claim you missed jury duty or a court appearance.
Threaten arrest if you hang up.
Tell you not to contact family, friends, or law enforcement.
Spoof the phone number so it looks local or official.
Order you to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM.
Send a QR code that transfers your money directly to the scammer.
Scammers use fear, urgency, and confusion to keep victims from slowing down and verifying the information.
The FBI specifically warns that scammers rely on pressure tactics and urges the public to “take a beat” before sending money or personal information.
🇺🇸 This Is Happening Nationwide
These scams are not isolated to Reeves County. They are part of a growing nationwide trend involving impersonation scams, cryptocurrency scams, and fraud schemes targeting citizens across the country.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers filed 3 million fraud reports in 2025 and reported $15.9 billion in losses. The FTC also reported that imposter scams were the most frequently reported fraud category, with more than 1 million reports and over $3.5 billion in reported losses.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report states that Americans reported nearly $21 billion in cyber-enabled crime losses, and cryptocurrency-related complaints accounted for more than $11 billion in reported losses. The same FBI report listed government impersonation losses at nearly $798 million in 2025.
🟡 Bitcoin ATM Scam Warning
Bitcoin ATM scams have become a major tool for criminals. The FTC reported that fraud losses involving Bitcoin ATMs increased nearly tenfold from 2020 to 2023 and topped $65 million in just the first half of 2024. During that same period, the median reported loss was $10,000.
The FTC explains that scammers often tell victims to withdraw cash, go to a nearby Bitcoin ATM, scan a QR code, and deposit the money. Once the QR code is scanned, the money goes directly into the scammer’s cryptocurrency wallet.
🛑 STOP. HANG UP. VERIFY.
If you receive a suspicious call about a warrant, fine, missed court date, jury duty, or any other legal matter:
1. Do not send money.
Law enforcement will not demand payment through Bitcoin, gift cards, Cash App, prepaid cards, or wire transfers.
2. Do not stay on the phone.
Scammers want to keep you on the line so you cannot verify the information.
3. Do not provide personal information.
Do not give out your Social Security number, banking information, debit card number, passwords, date of birth, or identification information.
4. Do not trust caller ID.
Scammers can spoof phone numbers to make the call appear local or official.
5. Verify directly. Hang up and contact the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office using the official number below.
📍 Contact the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by this scam, or who has already sent money, should contact the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
Reeves County Sheriff’s Office
Phone: (432) 445-4901
Address: 500 S. Oak Street, Pecos, Texas 79772
Residents may also come in person and speak with a deputy if they receive a phone call involving a legal matter and are unsure whether it is legitimate.
The Reeves County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating these reports. Residents are encouraged to preserve any evidence, including phone numbers, voicemails, text messages, receipts, QR codes, Bitcoin ATM receipts, wallet addresses, and any instructions provided by the scammer. Reports can also be filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.
✅ Remember: Real Law Enforcement Will Not Demand Bitcoin
If someone calls claiming to be law enforcement and demands immediate payment, hang up.
Do not send money. Do not scan a QR code. Do not deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM. When in doubt, contact the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office directly.
🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨
Fake law enforcement calls are targeting Reeves County residents.
Scammers are claiming you have a warrant, fine, missed court date, or legal issue.
They are demanding payment through:
Bitcoin ATMs
Gift cards
Cash App
Wire transfers
Prepaid cards
THIS IS A SCAM!!!
The Reeves County Sheriff’s Office will Never demand payment by Bitcoin, gift cards, Cash App, or wire transfer.
STOP. HANG UP. VERIFY.
Call the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office directly:
(432) 445-4901
Or visit:
500 S. Oak Street, Pecos, TX 79772
