By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

scam alert

Bitcoin scam dings Red Deer resident

Oct 26, 2019 | 2:46 PM

RCMP are investigating a case of fraud in which a Red Deer resident was scammed Friday morning into paying a large amount of money in Bitcoin.

They want citizens to understand that no reputable agency or business will demand a payment in Bitcoin.

According to police, an unknown suspect contacted a Red Deer citizen and claimed they were with RCMP. The suspect was able to convince the victim that the call was from RCMP in Spruce Grove and was legitimate.

The caller allegedly threatened the victim with arrest over a social insurance fraud, and then directed the victim to withdraw a large sum of money in order to safeguard money in the victim’s account. The suspect provided a code and directed the victim to a Bitcoin machine to deposit the money.

The RCMP are reminding residents that scams like the one described are prevalent and sophisticated. Citizens can protect themselves by remembering:

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· The RCMP will never demand money over the telephone

· The RCMP will never direct anyone to make a Bitcoin payment

· The RCMP will not threaten arrest over a SIN fraud

· The RCMP will not request personal information like banking information or social insurance numbers over the telephone

· If you have any doubt about the legitimacy of a call – find the number for the agency calling you through a trusted source, and call that department back yourself.

The best protection from scammers is to learn how to resist being pushed into a decision regardless of how persuasive or aggressive the scammer may be. Learn how to recognize and protect yourself and your family members from fraud, at Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre www.antifraudcentre.ca