KITCHENER -- A 71-year-old Guelph woman is out $9,000 after police said she became the victim of a Bitcoin scam.
According to a news release, the victim told police that she had received several calls from phone numbers she didn't recognize last week. She finally answered one of the calls that came from a Kitchener phone number, believing that it was a friend calling.
The caller, posing as a police officer, told the victim her social insurance card had been found at a violent crime scene and that she could potentially face charges. The man also told the victim that her bank account was compromised and that she needed to move her money to protect it.
Police said the victim was scared and she followed the instructions, withdrawing $9,000 from her bank account and depositing it in a Bitcoin machine in downtown Guelph.
Officials said in the release that these scams are difficult to investigate, saying that the odds of recovering her money were low.
The Guelph Police Service reminded the public that police officers won't ask you to deposit money in a Bitcoin machine. Police are asking residents to get advice from a family member or trusted friend before following instructions from an unknown person.
