The Sioux Falls Police Department is investigating scam calls to area residents claiming to be Xcel Energy calling people about paying their bills.

Police spokesperson Sam Clemens said a 55-year-old man in Sioux Falls lost $3,000 after scammers told him his Xcel Energy bill was overdue and his power was to be cut off.

The scammers instructed the man on how to buy Bitcoin from different kiosks around town. Once purchased he gave them the numbers to retrieve $2,000 worth of the cryptocurrency, Clemens said.

Scammers then demanded more money and the victim ended up sending $3,000 worth of Bitcoin before realizing he was being scammed, Clemens said.

Police have a hard time retrieving money lost, especially in cases involving cryptocurrency, Clemens said.

The scam the 55-year-old fell victim to is part of an ongoing scam police have heard reports of in the last week.

Abelardo’s restaurant in Sioux Falls posted on social media they received a scam call, too, claiming to be from Xcel Energy. They advised the public to double check the number before sending any money.