Chilliwack resident victimized by bitcoin scam

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The incident marks the second incident in two weeks in which Fraser Valley residents have been victimized. A woman from the small community of Hatzic east of Mission, fell victim to a cyber-currency scam recently, losing approximately $25,000.

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According to an RCMP news release, the fraudster began by making contact with the victim through Facebook, enticing her to invest small sums of money with the promise of quick and significant returns.

As the victim continued to invest, the fraudster directed her to download an application to assist with the transactions. Instead, the application granted the scammer unrestricted access to her bank account, allowing for unauthorized withdrawals and transfers.

The situation escalated when the victim’s financial institution detected suspicious activities and froze her accounts. But at that point, the damage had already been done, leaving the victim facing a significant financial loss.

RCMP warn residents who are interested in crypto-currency investment to consult reputable financial advisors before proceeding. And they emphasize the importance of promptly reporting any suspicious activity to financial institutions to mitigate potential losses and prevent further exploitation.

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, you should call your local police detachment immediately. If you have been able to avoid a fraudster and have information related to the scam, you should report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1 888-495-8501.

The RCMP have released links to a number of websites that are meant to protect Canadians from becoming a victim of fraud. The website links are below:

https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/phishing-hameconnage-eng.htm

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/protect-yourself-against-fraud.html

https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en/blogs/phishing-introduction

https://cba.ca/email-fraud-phishing