FROM POLICE. SEVERAL LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS SAY THAT BITCOIN SCAMS ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY MORE POPULAR WITH SCAMMERS ASKING YOU TO PUT YOUR MONEY INTO BITCOIN ATMS LIKE THIS. IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT USUALLY IS. IT’S BECOMING MORE COMMON EACH AND EVERY DAY. SCAMMERS USING PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU TO GET TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN BITCOIN. THE MONEY IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET BACK. IF WE CAN EVEN RECOVER ANY OF IT. TYPES OF BITCOIN SCAMS CAN VARY, LIKE A ROMANCE SCHEME IN GREENSBURG. HOWEVER, THEY WERE OUT OF COUNTRY AND THEY FELL FOR IT AND THEY SENT THEM A TOTAL OF ABOUT $70,000 WORTH OF CRYPTOCURRENCY, MOST OF IT BEING BITCOIN AND SOME ETHEREUM OR A BITCOIN ATM SCAM IN NORTH HUNTINGTON WORTH $50,000. WE’RE ABLE TO FREEZE THE ACCOUNT, GET SEVERAL DIFFERENT SEARCH WARRANTS TO PROVE HOW THE MONEY WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT BITCOIN ADDRESSES AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY DO A SEIZURE WARRANT TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND GET ABOUT 41,000 OF THE 50 BACK. MOST OF THE TIME, ONCE THE MONEY IS GONE, IT’S GONE. UNLESS YOU ACT QUICKLY, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS BITE THE BULLET, GET TO YOUR LOCAL JURISDICTION POLICE DEPARTMENT AND START THE PROCESS. IF YOU WANT ANY CHANCE OF RECOVERING MONEY, OFFICERS SAY THE SCAMMERS ARE MOSTLY TARGETING THE ELDERLY, BUT ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM. SOME TIPS TO STAY SAFE. NO BANK OR COMPANY WILL ASK YOU TO WITHDRAW CASH, THEN TRANSFER IT TO BITCOIN TO SEND TO AN UNKNOWN CRYPTO ACCOUNT. IF YOU’RE NOT SURE A CALL IS LEGITIMATE, HANG UP AND CALL DIRECTLY THE BUSINESS OR PERSON THEY’RE PRETENDING TO BE AND COME UP WITH A KEY PHRASE IN YOUR FAMILY. SO IF SOMETHING SOUNDS FISHY, YOU CAN ASK THE CALLER THAT PHRASE. BUT IF THEY CAN’T REPEAT THAT OR GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION, HANG UP AND CALL THAT PERSON. AND IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU, GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR MONEY INTO THE BITCOIN ATM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE CHECKING THE WARNING SIGNS THAT ARE EVEN POSTED ON TH
Bitcoin scams becoming more popular, police say
Two Westmoreland County police departments say they are seeing an increase in bitcoin scams
Several local police departments said they are seeing an increase in bitcoin scams. It is becoming more common each and every day. Scammers are using people, just like you, to get tens of thousands of dollars in bitcoin.Officers with Greensburg and North Huntingdon police explain there are many different types of bitcoin scams. This could include tech support, bank impersonation, and investment scams. Most recently, Greensburg police Det. Sgt. Justin Scalzo said they saw a romance scheme. “This took months for the scammer to convince the victim that they were in love with them and they wanted to marry them. However, they were out of country and they fell for it and they sent them a total of about $70,000 worth of cryptocurrency, most of it being bitcoin and some Ethereum,” he said. For North Huntingdon police, a person was scammed into putting $50,000 into a bitcoin ATM. Luckily, police were able to retrieve some of the money, which does not always happen, Det. Sgt. Mark Hamilton said. “We were able to freeze the account, get several different search warrants to prove how the money was transferred to the several different bitcoin addresses, and then subsequently do a seizure warrant to another country and get about $41,000 of the $50,000 back,” he said. Most of the time, once the money is gone, it is gone unless you act quickly and contact your local police department. Officers say the scammers are mostly targeting the elderly, but anyone can be a victim. Officers say no bank or company is going to ask you to withdraw cash, transfer it to bitcoin, and then send it to an unknown cryptocurrency address.If a scammer is posing as a bank, utility company, or loved one, and you are not sure if it is legit, hang up the phone and call that person or entity to see what is going on. Police recommend coming up with a key phrase within your family, so if something like this happens you can ask the person that phrase. “If they can’t repeat that or give you that information, hang up and call that person,” Det. Sgt. Hamilton said.
Several local police departments said they are seeing an increase in bitcoin scams.
It is becoming more common each and every day. Scammers are using people, just like you, to get tens of thousands of dollars in bitcoin.
Officers with Greensburg and North Huntingdon police explain there are many different types of bitcoin scams. This could include tech support, bank impersonation, and investment scams. Most recently, Greensburg police Det. Sgt. Justin Scalzo said they saw a romance scheme.
“This took months for the scammer to convince the victim that they were in love with them and they wanted to marry them. However, they were out of country and they fell for it and they sent them a total of about $70,000 worth of cryptocurrency, most of it being bitcoin and some Ethereum,” he said.
For North Huntingdon police, a person was scammed into putting $50,000 into a bitcoin ATM. Luckily, police were able to retrieve some of the money, which does not always happen, Det. Sgt. Mark Hamilton said.
“We were able to freeze the account, get several different search warrants to prove how the money was transferred to the several different bitcoin addresses, and then subsequently do a seizure warrant to another country and get about $41,000 of the $50,000 back,” he said.
Most of the time, once the money is gone, it is gone unless you act quickly and contact your local police department.
Officers say the scammers are mostly targeting the elderly, but anyone can be a victim.
Officers say no bank or company is going to ask you to withdraw cash, transfer it to bitcoin, and then send it to an unknown cryptocurrency address.
If a scammer is posing as a bank, utility company, or loved one, and you are not sure if it is legit, hang up the phone and call that person or entity to see what is going on.
Police recommend coming up with a key phrase within your family, so if something like this happens you can ask the person that phrase.
“If they can’t repeat that or give you that information, hang up and call that person,” Det. Sgt. Hamilton said.
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