CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati woman recently received just over $35,000 back from Ohio officials after she fell victim to a cryptocurrency scam. 

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation said the Electronic Financial Investigations unit was involved in the case and returning the funds. 

In August, 2024, a 73-year-old Delhi Township woman received a message on her laptop that said the device had been hacked. She called a number that she believed was a Microsoft hotline and spoke with the scammer. The scammer told the woman to withdraw money and convert it to Bitcoin to fix her computer. 

The scammer convinced her to send $41,750 in multiple transactions via a Bitcoin ATM.

“This case illustrates the elaborate traps that crypto criminals use to scam their victims,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Thankfully, because the victim notified authorities quickly, BCI was able to recover most of the stolen money.”

After realizing it was a scam, the woman called the Delhi Township Police Department, who worked alongside BCI’s Electronic Financial Investigations unit. The unit was able to trace the funds and freeze additional transfers to the scammer. 

BCI recovered most of the stolen money through search warrants and a court order, returning $35,600 to the victim.

“I greatly appreciate BCI’s swift and effective assistance in this case,” Delhi Township Police Chief Jeff Braun said. “Their expertise and collaborative approach in investigating electronic fraud and recovering stolen funds were invaluable to our department, and this partnership strengthens our ability to protect and support our community from scams like these.”