The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning to residents regarding a scam in which individuals impersonate law enforcement officers and demand payment via Bitcoin. In a statement released last week, the Sheriff’s Office detailed a concerning trend where scammers contact victims, falsely identifying themselves as law enforcement, and instruct them to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM. “We have had several cases where the caller identifies as Law Enforcement and has the victim go to a store and send money via a bitcoin atm,” the statement read. The Sheriff’s Office urges residents to exercise extreme caution when receiving unsolicited calls demanding payment through cryptocurrency. They emphasized that no legitimate law enforcement agency will ever request payments via Bitcoin or solicit payments over the phone. “If you have any questions on a call you receive, please call your local law enforcement agency,” the statement continued. “NO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WILL REQUEST PAYMENTS VIA BITCOIN OR SOLICIT PAYMENTS OVER THE PHONE.”