[ad_1]
item
BERKLEY, Michigan – Financial fraud is nothing new, but it’s now starting to incorporate both phone scams and cryptocurrency theft.
The town of Berkley, in Oakland County, said it has received several reports of people posing as members of the Public Safety Department and asking people to send payments through Bitcoin – a popular digital currency.
In two cases, the thieves seized $ 5,000 and $ 10,000 of stolen money.
Public Security Department warns that when crooks pose as city employees, they notify potential victims of pending warrants, tax offenses, money laundering and other false accusations they face .
In instances where the city is aware, the crooks have identified themselves over the phone as federal employees or Berkley’s public safety officers. They also have the option of making their incoming caller ID appear to be from the department.
From there, they tell victims to stay on the phone, go to their bank, withdraw all their money, and then transfer it using a Bitcoin ATM in the area.
From there, the unsuspecting victims then insert the money into the ATM and “their funds are sent to random people all over the world,” according to a statement.
“The follow-up is very difficult and usually ends out of the country.”
As a reminder, Berkley Public Safety will never call to ask people to provide money through a Bitcoin ATM. If someone has a warrant or a pending case, contact the local department or court.
“This whole operation is a scam and is taking place all over the Metro Detroit area.”
[ad_2]
picture credit