Richmond, B.C., residents are mainly being snared in one of three common cryptocurrency scams, including fake investment opportunities, a romance con or contact with someone the victim believes represents a government agency
RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say they have received 22 reports of alleged cryptocurrency fraud since January with losses topping $2.6 million.
These include fake investment opportunities, a romance con or contact with someone the victim believes represents a government agency. Police say the fraudsters use tactics ranging from charm to threats and, in most cases, ask or order the victim to send Bitcoin payments or Google Play or iTunes gift cards.
“If someone claiming to be from a government agency asks for Bitcoin, Google Play or iTunes gift cards as a method of payment hang up immediately,” says the RCMP statement, because “no government agency would accept these methods as payment.”