Scam alert: Gresham man, 79, loses $40,000 to caller posing as sheriff's lieutenant (Oct. 31)
Quick Read
A 79-year-old Gresham man lost $40,000 after a caller claiming to be "Lieutenant White with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office" said he had missed jury duty and faced arrest, the sheriff's office said.
He withdrew $20,000 from his bank on two separate occasions and fed the cash into a bitcoin machine at a Southeast Portland convenience store. Bitcoin payments cannot be reversed.
No law enforcement agency will call to demand payment for a fine, a warrant or to avoid arrest, and people are not arrested for missing jury duty, deputies said.
Got a call like this? Hang up, call the agency yourself using a number you look up, and report it. Contacts are below.
GRESHAM, Ore. - The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about callers who pretend to be deputies after a 79-year-old Gresham man lost $40,000 to one of them, KGW, KOIN and KATU reported.
What happened
On Sept. 23, Tarisa Whitney told the sheriff's office she had received a concerning phone call from her father, Steven, and then lost contact with him, KATU reported. He had said he was working with the sheriff's office but could not share what he was doing. Whitney suspected a scam and contacted the sheriff's office.
The caller had left a voicemail on Steven's phone, introducing himself as "Lieutenant White" from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, and told Steven he needed to pay a fine to avoid jail time for missing jury duty, according to KOIN. Steven withdrew $20,000 from his bank twice and deposited the cash into a bitcoin machine in a Southeast Portland convenience store.
When Steven returned home, still on the phone with the suspected scammer, a deputy was there to meet him, and the caller hung up, KATU reported. By then the money was gone.
"I just thought I had to pay it," Steven told KOIN.
"This unfortunately was one of the bigger ones that we're aware of," Plock, of the sheriff's office, told KGW.
How the scam works
The caller claims to be a deputy or officer, often using a real agency's name and a rank, and says you missed jury duty or have a warrant. The caller then offers a way out: pay a fine right now and you will not be arrested.
Payment is demanded in a form that is hard to trace or reverse, such as cash deposited into a bitcoin ATM. Scammers also push secrecy, telling victims not to talk to friends or family. In this case, Steven messaged his daughter to say he would be out of reach and could not discuss what he was doing, KGW reported.
"They want people to panic and act before they know what has happened," Detective Tamari Johnson of the sheriff's office told KOIN. The sheriff's office said older adults are more likely to be targeted by impersonation scams, according to KATU.
Warning signs
Someone says they are law enforcement and demands money over the phone to clear a warrant, pay a fine or avoid arrest. Real agencies do not do this, the sheriff's office said.
You are told you will be arrested for missing jury duty. People are not arrested for missing jury duty, deputies told KGW.
You are told to pay with cash at a bitcoin machine, gift cards or a wire transfer.
You are told to keep it secret or to stay on the line while you go to the bank.
You feel rushed or scared. That pressure is the point.
What to do
The sheriff's office advises people to hang up immediately and not give out payment or personal information, verify the caller independently, talk to a trusted family member and never send money to someone claiming to be law enforcement. "If you know whatever law enforcement agency they say they're from, contact that agency and ask if it's real," Plock told KGW.
If you have family members who are older, talk with them about this scam now, before a call comes. A quick check-in call from a relative is what flagged this case.
Who to call
Emergency or a scam in progress: call 911.
Gresham police and Multnomah County non-emergency dispatch: 503-823-3333. Gresham Police Department main line: 503-618-2318, according to the city of Gresham.
Federal Trade Commission: report fraud at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: report at ic3.gov, especially if cryptocurrency or a bitcoin ATM was involved.
Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline: 1-877-877-9392, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or help@oregonconsumer.gov, according to the Oregon DOJ.
Your bank: call right away if you sent money. Recovery is rare with bitcoin, but acting fast gives you the best chance.
Sources
KGW: Gresham man loses $40,000 in jury duty scam, Multnomah County deputies say, by Alma McCarty (Oct. 28, 2026)
KOIN: Elderly Gresham man gives scammers $40k in bitcoin after falling victim to phone trick
KATU: Gresham man loses $40,000 in law enforcement impersonation scam, MCSO says
City of Gresham: Police Department contact information
Oregon Department of Justice: Consumer Protection contact
Federal Trade Commission: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov
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