SPOKANE – The Spokane Police Department’s Stolen Property Enforcement and Recovery Unit (SPEAR) is actively investigating an apparent scam where over 100k has been stolen. The suspect, who many victims refer to as “Crypto Mike,” purports to be an investor and convinces victims to transfer money to him under the guise that he will invest it in cryptocurrency.
“Mike” reportedly takes the money and disappears; multiple individuals in the Spokane area have reported that “Mike” stole from them.
The suspect has met victims in a variety of ways. SPD believes there may be additional persons who have been victimized and is releasing these photographs in case someone has had a financial dealing with the suspect and has not yet spoken with SPD. This individual is believed to have left the Spokane area, and currently has an arrest warrant for theft out of California.
If you have any information about this individual, or if you have given money to this person, please email Detective L. Taylor at ltaylor@spokanepolice.org. At this time the depicted individual is suspected of criminal activity but has yet to be charged as the investigation is ongoing. As always, suspects are presumed innocent until adjudicated otherwise.
Unfortunately, some individuals exploit the trusting and friendly nature of others. Please be cautious when conducting any financial transactions, and conduct thorough research before parting with your hard-earned money.