KITCHENER -- Guelph police are reminding the public to be wary of calls asking for payments after a woman lost nearly $8,000 in a Bitcoin scam.
The 27-year-old reported to police Monday afternoon that she had received a call earlier in the day from someone claiming to be from the Canadian Border Services Agency.
The caller said they had received a package with the woman's name on it and that it contained materials consistent with trafficking, according to officials.
She was reportedly told that she'd be arrested unless she paid a fine of $8,050 via Bitcoin.
Police say the woman stayed on the line with the caller as she went to a bank with a Bitcoin ATM, deposited $7,750, but did not deposit the rest when she became suspicious of the person on the phone.
The number was determined by officials to be out of service, and because Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are nearly impossible to trace, police say there are no viable leads to investigate.
To avoid similar scams, Guelph police are advising people to:
- Not provide information to someone unknown
- Don't click on links provided by an unknown caller
- Hang up and call government agencies directly if a caller claims to be from one
- Don't fall for unproven threats
- Hang up if someone is demanding money by gift cards or cryptocurrency
