The Weyburn Police Service received a few calls this week regarding a scam circulating in the area. It involved calls made under the alias of a police officer, investigator, or bank employee saying the victims bank account had been compromised. The story is then twisted saying the only way to solve the issue is through sending funds through Bitcoin.
Sergent Shane St. John with the Weyburn Police Service says the police will never call asking for money or personal banking information.
“It's very important to remember if anyone's asking for any kind of money, especially when it's Bitcoin or gift cards, that should be that huge red flag that this is a scam.”
What makes this scam more complex is the use of Bitcoin terminals to transfer money.
“Once you do buy Bitcoin, it's gone, like it's very, very, very difficult to get that back or stopped.”
Sgt. St John stresses the importance of reporting calls of this nature.
“Never be embarrassed, phone us, they're really good, they're very tricky, they seem to always have a really good story, but make sure you let us know and don't give any money out in any way.”
The Weyburn Police Service responded to a total of 84 calls this week. 23 charges were laid with six under the Criminal Code of Canada, 12 under the Traffic Safety Act, and 5 under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.