The victims acquired dividends for a time frame, however their accounts have been additionally drained.
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Simply weeks after Saanich police reported that cryptocurrency frauds had price native victims $1.4 million, Comox Valley RCMP say they’re investigating comparable frauds with reported losses of greater than $1 million.
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Cryptocurrency is a time period for digital currencies resembling bitcoin.
In two Comox Valley instances, victims have been phoned and introduced with a chance to take a position cash in return for dividends. The victims gave the scammers entry to their private computer systems to create buying and selling accounts on a specific platform, however the con artists additionally used the entry to gather private data.
The victims acquired dividends for a time frame, however their accounts have been additionally drained.
Different victims desirous to put money into cryptocurrency clicked on Fb commercials for cryptocurrency brokers, then transferred cash to the brokers and have been proven on-line stories suggestng their investments have been doing properly. The brokers then inspired the victims to take a position extra money, earlier than chopping off communication.
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The victims couldn’t entry their cash after that.
“When you’ve taken your cash from the financial institution and transferred it elsewhere, you’re liable for the place it goes and who is ready to entry it,” mentioned Const. Monika Terragni, who urged individuals to take the time to know the place their cash goes. “Don’t get lured in by fancy web sites, on-line commercials or surprising cellphone calls.”
Saanich police mentioned such instances may be exhausting to research, since they have a tendency to incorporate a number of layers of fraud and steadily contain scammers based mostly abroad. As well as, the scammers’ strategies proceed to evolve.
Comox Valley RCMP supplied the following tips for shielding your self from the sort of fraud:
• Be cautious of on-line and social-media commercials and be suspicious in case you are contacted out of the blue about an funding.
• Do your analysis and observe that scammers will typically attempt to rush you into a choice. Guarantee that you’re utilizing respectable companies.
• By no means give anybody distant entry to your laptop to create accounts.
• Do not forget that if one thing sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Extra data is on the market on the RCMP cybersafety net web page at rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/cyber-safety.
