Bitcoin blackmail scam hits Tri-Cities; job frauds and double dip deception on rise

Police are trying to figure out how victims are being targeted after receiving 18 reports of blackmail scams in the span of one week.

The scam begins with an email in which a fraudster claims to have “compromising pictures, videos and personal information of the victim,” according to a release from the Coquitlam RCMP.

To keep that compromising material from being sent to friends and family, the victim is instructed to send money to a Bitcoin wallet.

The scam also involves sending the victim a photograph of their house. That photo is intended to serve as proof that the scammer has the personal information in question.

“This scam can appear convincing as the perpetrators have contacted the victim’s directly and provided open-source personal information to further perpetuate the scam,” stated Coquitlam RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Alexa Hodgins in the release.

“It’s unknown how the victims are being targeting or identified,” Hodgins wrote in an email to the Dispatch.

None of the 18 potential victims have paid the perpetrators, Hodgins stated.

Double-dip scam

Amid the spate of blackmail attempts, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recently reported an increase in “recovery scams.”

Recovery scams generally involve scammers circling back on people they’ve previously defrauded and offering to return the money they lost.

The fraudsters generally tell the victims they represent an official agency such as the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada while explaining there is a fee for their service. They also sometimes ask for remote access to their computer or device.

“In the end, no funds are returned and more funds are potentially stolen,” according to a release from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

If you are unsure you’re dealing with a legitimate investment advisor, you can research advisors through the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.

Job frauds

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre also noted a rise in crypto job frauds earlier this year.

Job frauds tend to involve scammers using the name of real Canadian companies while offering freelance gigs such as boosting products online.

As part of the job, the victims are told they need to install software to create an account with the company. In some cases, the target even receives a small payment.

The “employee” is then told they can earn higher commissions and promotion – but first they’ll need to pay a fee to get access to that work. Funds are put into crypto accounts where the victim can see the money but can’t withdraw it.

Other job scams involve hiring the victim as a client manager responsible for handling payments to the company. The scammers instruct the “financial agent” to put the money into their bank account and then convert it to Bitcoin and send it to another company representative.

“The money received is either from compromised accounts or other fraud victims. The scam has made you a money mule,” stated a release from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The recent spate of blackmail scams is a reminder to be careful about the risks of sharing information online and clicking on links or files from people you don’t know, according to Coquitlam RCMP.

If you are the victim of a scam, police recommend stopping communication and reporting the issue to police. Do not delete any of the accounts used to communicate with the scammer, as it could serve as evidence.