Four fraud cases involving cryptocurrency have been reported since Feb. 29, according to the Naperville Police Department, which issued a scam alert this week.
None of the cases are believed to be related, a news release said. The number is high given that typically there are only two or three cryptocurrency fraud cases a month, officials said.
The most recent victims, two men and two women, ranged in age from 45 to 83 and were defrauded using different tactics, which police cited as “romance, hacking, arrest and sextortion.” None of the victims met the offender in person and in each case, cryptocurrency was used to make the payment, the release said.
“It’s unnerving to think about how convincing these scammers can be. They really play on people’s emotions, whether that’s love or fear or something else,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a statement.
“I hate to suggest that people not trust others, but that’s exactly what you should do when someone you’ve never met in person wants you to send them money. No matter how convincing they are or how well you think you know them, if you haven’t met them in person, that should be a red flag.”
The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips to avoid being victimized:
- Do not give personal or financial information in response to a request that was not expected. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to request personal information, like your Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers. Double-check with the company if you receive an email or text message. Do not to click on any links or call numbers they provide.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is likely a scammer.
- Never pay someone who insists that you can only do so using cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card. Also, never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
- Talk to someone you trust before taking a requested action. Reviewing it with a friend, family member or neighbor can help identify a scam.
“Unfortunately, when money is converted to cryptocurrency and transferred to a scammer, it’s very difficult to track that money and the odds of getting it back are very small,” Arres said.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam or are unsure if someone is trying to scam you, call the Naperville Police Department at 630-420-6665.
