Bradenton residents are getting hit with a high-tech twist on an old scam: callers posing as local police, ordering people to pull out large amounts of cash and feed it into a so-called “government currency” machine. Today, Bradenton police urged residents to be on alert, stressing that while two of their officers do share the last name Sanchez, neither they nor any other officer would call from the department’s number and demand money. Anyone who gets one of these calls, the department said, should hang up, contact their bank, and report the incident.
Bradenton PD's Alert
According to the Bradenton Police Department, scammers have been spoofing the department’s non-emergency line (941-932-9300), dropping the names of real officers and strong-arming victims into depositing cash into what they describe as a “government currency” kiosk. The department is clear that these calls are not legitimate. Residents are urged to hang up immediately, and anyone who shared account information or moved money is being told to contact their bank right away.
How the Scam Works
Scammers often fake caller ID and sprinkle in personal details to sound convincing, then crank up the pressure so victims act fast, frequently by converting cash at cryptocurrency kiosks. AARP notes that criminals are increasingly steering victims to crypto ATMs because transfers move quickly and are hard to reverse once sent. Authorities also encourage victims to file complaints so investigators can trace wallets and spot fraud patterns through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.
How to Protect Yourself
If a caller claims to be from any agency and demands money, do not comply. Hang up and verify the story by calling the agency back using a phone number you find yourself, not one provided by the caller. The Federal Trade Commission warns that no legitimate government agency will demand payment by cryptocurrency, gift card, or other hard-to-trace methods; guidance is available at consumer.ftc.gov. If someone pressures you to act immediately, take a beat, contact your bank, and check in with local law enforcement.
Report and Recovery
If you moved money, contact your bank right away and try to halt any transfers, then gather transaction receipts and other records. Next, file a complaint with the FBI through IC3 so federal investigators can begin tracing where the funds went. Bradenton police are also asking residents to report suspicious calls to the department’s non-emergency line and to keep records of caller IDs and receipts. The department’s contact page lists local numbers and its headquarters address at bradentonpd.com. Sharing those details with law enforcement helps them track trends and get warnings out to the wider community.
