Wisconsin man loses $150,000 in international bitcoin scam

An Eau Claire man has reported losing more than $150,000 in an international Internet scam using a different kind of money.

Jamie Russell, a 34-year-old software engineer who lives in Eau Claire, first invested in bitcoin -- digital currency exchanged through a peer-to-peer network -- in August 2012. He purchased hundreds of bitcoins in their infancy for $5 per coin. Since then the currency has increased in value to more than $800 apiece.

Concerned about the security of his digital bitcoins, Russell agreed to digitally submit 201.7 bitcoins to a man in the United Kingdom for 190 physical bitcoins, or tokens with a bitcoin digital key hidden behind a tamper-proof strip. (Russell actually has some of the physical currency, which he keeps in a safe place outside his home.)