On January 15, 2026, a Zanesville resident filed a report with the Zanesville Police Department in reference to a potential scam.
Two days prior to the report, the victim received an email informing her that her computer virus protection software had expired. She reached out to the number on the email and was informed that there were certain files on her computer needing to be removed and that in order to have them removed, she was to purchase gift cards and provide the PIN numbers.
As instructed, the victim purchased $7,000 worth of various gift cards. A day later, she was then informed by the scammer that her bank was pending a large withdrawal, and in order to prevent it from withdrawing, she would need to deposit money into a Bitcoin account. The victim deposited $12,000.
Detectives Bryan Ruff and Phil Michel investigated the case and found that the scammer is a resident of Pakistan.
A seizure warrant was served, and the Zanesville Police Department was able to successfully retrieve $7,403.50 of the victim’s funds in cryptocurrency. Detective Phil Michel collaborated with a U.S based foreign exchange company and was able to successfully convert the digital assets into U.S currency in the amount of $7,392.92.
“As cases become more complex and advanced, it is important for law enforcement and prosecutors to remain technologically up to date,” said Prosecutor Welch. “This was an excellent job by the Zanesville Police Department. “
Foreign exchanges are not required to comply with law enforcement, although some, as in this case, voluntarily do.
A check of $7,392.92 was presented to the victim by Detectives Phil Michel and Bryan Ruff, who investigated and brought the case to resolution.
Digital assets such as cryptocurrencies fluctuate with the market and may be worth more or less than initially seized, according to Detective Phil Michel.
The victims were grateful to recover a portion of their funds—an outcome made possible by the detectives’ diligent work and one that is uncommon in cases of this nature.
“We were fortunate enough to recover some of the victim’s money because most cases like these, the money goes overseas and we can’t get it back,” said Detective Phil Michel. “Scammers like this one use high-pressure tactics and want you to send money as soon as possible. We want to remind the public to slow down and think before sending anyone digital currency because it is very hard to recover. Our team is thankful that we are able to go to training classes and have specialized tools that help us try to recover funds for victims of crime in Zanesville. It was amazing to bring joy to this couple who thought that they weren’t going to see a dime of their money back.”
Article originally appeared on www.muskingumprosecutor.org.
