Police Department

SPD Seeking Information/Victims in Scamming Incidents

Cpl. Nick Briggs, PIO

Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 4:33 p.m.

SPD investigating elaborate scam; attempting to locate additional victims

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.

At this time the depicted individual is suspected of criminal activity but has yet to be charged as the investigation is on-going. As always, suspects are presumed innocent until adjudicated otherwise.

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, reference incident 2022-20097401.

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.

Related Photos

• Photos of "Crypto Mike"

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