A victim lost $32,500 after being targeted in a high-pressure phone scam involving someone claiming to be an Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputy.
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus issued a public warning following the incident to alert residents about impersonation schemes.
The scheme began when the individual received a phone call while at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday. The caller identified themselves as a deputy with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and claimed the victim had signed paperwork the previous month to appear as a witness in federal court. The scammer stated that the victim failed to appear and that a warrant had been issued for their arrest, but claimed the warrant could be resolved by paying a bond and later completing a signature verification process at the sheriff’s office to recover the money.
After the victim explained they would not return to Pittsburgh until Tuesday evening, the caller provided a phone number for hourly text check-ins. The scammer placed the victim under a fake gag order, warning that speaking to anyone about the warrant would result in additional charges and promised a follow-up call the next day.
On Wednesday morning, the scammer called again, claiming the victim faced charges for failure to appear and contempt of court. Each charge carried a $25,000 bond, totaling $50,000. The caller told the victim the cases could be settled for half that amount if the victim remained on the phone continuously and deposited $25,000 into a bitcoin kiosk at a local gas station using a texted QR code.
After the victim withdrew the cash from a bank and completed the transfer, the call was transferred to a second scammer impersonating Kraus. The impersonator claimed the partial payment had not been authorized and demanded an additional $7,500. The victim returned to the bank for another withdrawal and scanned a second QR code at the kiosk, bringing the total paid to $32,500.
The fraud was uncovered when the victim arrived at the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office to begin the signature authorization process and was informed by staff that no such warrant or verification existed.
Following the incident, the sheriff’s office emphasized that its personnel will never request payments over the phone, instruct anyone to use cryptocurrency kiosks or ATMs to pay fines, or request money through gift cards or mobile payment apps such as Venmo, Zelle or Cash App.
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office stated that the investigation into the scam remains ongoing.
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