Sherwood Park, Alta. – Strathcona County RCMP remind residents that no government agency or organization will request you to put money or pay fines through a bitcoin machine.
Last month a local resident received a call from a male claiming to be an employee of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The male reported that someone opened an account using the victim’s Social Insurance Number (SIN) and had racked up a large debt on her credit.
The male stated that she must safeguard the money she currently has in her bank accounts and instructed her to deposit a large amount of money into a bitcoin machine in Edmonton.
Unfortunately, scammers will try to instill a sense of urgency and panic in their victims and keep them on the phone during the entire scam, even teaching them how to send bitcoin. It may seem like an obvious scam, but remember the fraudsters are targeting seniors, new Canadians and other vulnerable populations.
We need to educate our family and friends because if these callers reach them first, the money is most likely unrecoverable.
If you ever get a feeling that you’re being scammed, get off the phone. Take a few minutes to think about it.
If any government agency calls requesting you to deposit money into a bitcoin machine for any reason, it is a scam.
The CRA will never demand immediate payment in Bitcoin, prepaid credit cards, or gift cards.
If you wish to report deceptive or suspicious telemarketing, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or go to their website. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, call your local police detachment.