Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Authorities are cautioning residents following a recent surge in fraudulent scams targeting unsuspecting individuals involving Bitcoin and even gold bricks.

Northville Township Police said in the scams, perpetrators falsely represent themselves as law enforcement officials to intimidate victims into making immediate payments under false pretenses.

Additionally, email phishing cases are said to be on the rise, where victims receive an email and are misled into believing they have overpaid their PayPal or similar accounts.

In July, one resident became a victim to one of the email phishing scams, resulting in the loss of $50,000 in cash and an additional $50,000 in bitcoin. The suspects came to the resident’s home to collect the payment and then fled the area. Police said fortunately in this case, prompt action by Northville Township investigators and the utilization of License Plate Reader technology, led to the apprehension of suspects just outside Cleveland, Ohio and the recovery of $50,000 in cash.

More information to safeguard against fraudulent schemes is available in the provided link.