Be wary of cops asking for information over the phone
A new Bitcoin (BTC) scam is being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) because it involves fraudsters impersonating local authorities. According to the investigation of two scams in Strathcona County in Alberta, Canada, these thieves are posing as police officers in order to extort their victims for money. Both scams were made over the phone, but, in each case, the thieves presented themselves as different kinds of officers, reported The Sherwood Park News.
According to the police reports, both unidentified victims from Alberta county were called and asked to withdraw cash from a bank and then deposit it into a Bitcoin machine. Both thieves threatened the residents by getting them arrested if they didn’t pay. One of the victims was contacted by a thief impersonating an agent from the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, and the other victim was contacted by someone impersonating an officer from the RCMP. The victim who was contacted by the fake CRA agent lost nearly $8,836 due to this scam.
The other victim was told by the fake police officer that there was a problem with his insurance numbers, which had allegedly been compromised. The criminal stated that there were several fraud allegations against him due to this. The scammer then asked the victim to withdraw money from the bank and, in the same way, deposit it into a Bitcoin kiosk.
These two individuals lost over $15,460 in total as a result of this scam. The RCMP warned people about this threat and warned them to contact the RCMP immediately if they experience suspicious, seemingly fraudulent attempts at extortion. “There is no circumstance where police will contact individuals requesting Bitcoin. These scammers typically contact hundreds of people hoping someone will send them money,” said Chantelle Kelly, Strathcona County’s RCMP officer.
