A recent case where an individual fell victim to a scam had a happy ending with the funds successfully recovered, thanks to officers’ due diligence, Amarillo police announced Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The Amarillo Police Department said that an Amarillo resident came to the front lobby of the department Aug. 14 to report being the victim of an employment scam. The resident said they had applied for a remote personal assistant job through an online job site.
APD said the scam “involved the suspect sending fraudulent checks, instructing the victim to deposit the funds, withdraw them, and then place the money into a Bitcoin ATM, where the funds were transferred to a digital wallet. The fraudulent deposit occurred on August 13, 2025.”
Amarillo Cpl. Carroll immediately notified the Financial Crimes Unit (FCU), and Officer Coleman began tracking the cryptocurrency, according to police. APD said the funds in question were traced as they moved from an initial wallet into a crypto exchange. Thanks to quick police action, the funds were frozen Aug. 18, four days after the initial report. A week later, on Aug. 25, legal processes were filed, and on Sept. 1, police received word that the funds had been returned.
“The Amarillo Police Department would like to commend Corporal Carroll for his attentiveness in recognizing the scam and notifying the FCU immediately, and Detective Coleman for her diligent work in tracking and recovering the majority of the victim’s funds. Their efforts prevented a significant financial loss and demonstrate the importance of quickly involving the Financial Crimes Unit in these types of cases,” APD said.
Amarillo police urge citizens to be cautious of unsolicited job offers, especially those requiring unusual financial transactions — such as depositing checks and/or converting funds to cryptocurrency. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, contact APD immediately.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo police say scam funds recovered thanks to officers’ work