Friday, March 29, 2024

Bitcoin scammers impersonate Saanich Police in aggressive new phone scam

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Saanich police have issued a warning to the public of an ‘aggressive’ new phone scam surfaced this week.

In a release, police say the scammers change their call display to show as the Saanich Police Department or use the detachments phone number and are demanding SIN card information and Bitcoin.

The fraudsters are claiming that a breach has occurred with the recipient’s SIN number and are asking to verify the last 3 digits of the card. The scammers then threaten the person that they owe money because their card has been compromised.

According to police, the scammers are being extremely aggressive and demanding that people withdraw money from their bank accounts and then deposit it into a local Bitcoin machine.

iTunes cards (and subsequent numbers) are also being requested from residents.

“Saanich Police will never call you and ask you to withdraw money or direct you to Bitcoin machines,” sad detective sergeant Damian Kowalewich. “If you suspect that a scammer has called, document the caller ID number and hang up. Do not provide any personal information to the caller. We are also asking residents to share details of this recent scam with any vulnerable persons in their lives.”

So far, nobody has reported being duped by the scam.

If you suspect that you have received a call from one of these scammers, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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