Guelph police say there are no leads after a 27-year-old women lost nearly $8,000 in a Bitcoin scam.
On Monday afternoon, the victim walked into police headquarters to report the scam, but the service explained that payments through Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies are nearly impossible to trace.
The woman explained she received a call earlier in the day from someone claiming to be with the Canadian Border Services Agency.
Police said in a news release “the caller claimed a package had been received with the female’s name on it, and that it contained materials consistent with trafficking.”
“The caller advised the female would be arrested unless she paid a fine of $8,050 via Bitcoin. While still on the phone with the caller, the victim attended a downtown business with a Bitcoin ATM and deposited $7,750.”
Police said that the woman did not deposit the rest as she became suspicious of the person on the phone.
The phone number used to call the victim is now out of service and police said there are “no viable investigative leads.”
The police are urging residents to not release any personal information to callers they don’t know.
The service provided a list of tips to prevent falling victim to a scam:
- “Do not click on links provided or follow directions from a caller you don’t know.
- If the caller claims to be from an agency such as Canadian Border Services or the Canada Revenue Agency, hang up and call the agency back directly before following any instructions. Look up the number yourself rather than using a number provided by the caller.
- The caller will use various means, including threats, to try to force you to act quickly. Don’t fall for it.
- No government agency will demand payment by gift cards or cryptocurrency. If they ask for this, hang up.”
This article was originally sourced by www.globalnews.ca.
