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Canada witnesses surge in Bitcoin-related scams

  • The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have reported a surge in Bitcoin-related scams in the city of Burnaby. 
  • Scammers have impersonated the police, blackmailed victims and demanded Bitcoin ransom in return. 
  • The authorities have clarified that police forces in Canada do not accept Bitcoin as a means of payment.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Burnaby, a district of Vancouver, have reported an increase in Bitcoin-related scams in the city. Police authorities noted that scammers have called their target victims and impersonated an RCMP member. The scammers then falsely stated that the police have an arrest warrant against the victim related to fraudulent activity. 

Victims have often received multiple calls from several numbers and are told that if they inform anyone in their family regarding the calls, they too will be arrested. The scammers have then requested a payment, asking the victim to deposit the funds through a Bitcoin ATM. 

Burnaby RCMP also warned that similar scams had involved perpetrators claiming to be from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The authorities have clarified that police forces in Canada do not accept Bitcoin as a means of payment and will never request Bitcoin ATM deposits. Authorities detailed that “this scam recently cost a resident nearly CAD 15,000 [$11,000].” RCMP officials are currently investigating two Bitcoin-related scams in Strathcona County in Alberta, Canada.

 

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