Guelph, Ont. man loses $28K to online cryptocurrency scam featuring video of Prime Minister
Coins bearing the Bitcoin logo are pictured in Krakow, Poland in this file photo. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images/CNN)
A Guelph, Ont. man says he has lost $28,500 after he fell for an online scam featuring a video of the Prime Minister.
Members of the Guelph Police Service were told the victim saw a social media ad in late June that showed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking during a press conference. The victim says there was no audio on the video, but a banner at the bottom claimed the government was removing taxes on investments and urged people to take action.
The victim clicked on the link, believing it was a legitimate story.
The man spoke to several people over the phone and created a Bitcoin account. Over the next couple of months he sent 10 e-transfers from his bank account to an email address allegedly connected to his cryptocurrency account.
However, when the man tried to withdraw funds last week, he received a phone call telling him he needed to pay capital gains tax in order to access his money. He became suspicious and contacted police.
Police say online frauds are almost impossible to investigate due to the often multi-national nature of the crimes, and urge residents to be cautious online.
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