At least a half-dozen folks in and around Struthers have been scammed out of thousands of dollars over the last year and a half.

Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy says they are trying to get the word out to prevent others from falling victim.

Typically, people are contacted by someone they don't know who directs them to a Bitcoin ATM to deposit money. That's where the money is converted over to digital currency.

"The new twist is the bitcoin, so whereas consumers a few years ago were being told they had to go buy a prepaid debit card. They are now being told to go buy bitcoin," said Melissa Ames of the Better Business Bureau of Youngstown.

Bitcoin, like Apple Cash and the aforementioned prepaid gift cards, helps scammers to eliminate a paper trail that leads back to them.

"If that phone call that you receive—if you don't know that caller ID—then hang up the phone. Let them leave a voicemail again; you don't know who they are, and you don't know why they are calling," Ames added.

The Struthers Police Department asks that if you're questioning whether something is a scam, to call them at 330-755-9849.

The Struthers police chief adds that the quicker a scam is reported, the more likely it is that something can be done. 

"If we can get to the information quickly, in less than 2-3 hours, we can forward that info to BCI or the FBI, who have the technical means to get into a deeper investigation," Roddy explained.