Common Scams

Technology has made it easier for scammers to conduct their fraudulent activities. Fraud has evolved rapidly in recent years, from malware and Trojans, check counterfeit, debit and credit card cloning, wire transfers, ATM, internet banking and mobile fraud to more sophisticated types of fraud like phishing, ransomware, identity theft, and numerous social media and online scams. Unfortunately, scammers are abusing the utility of Bitcoin technologies in order to facilitate common scams that would normally require a direct payment to a service provider, a bank wire transfer or using a money transfer service (i.e. Western Union, Zoom, Money Gram, etc.). Do not use Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency to purchase items online or send money to people claiming to be eBay, Craigslist, immigration or IRS officials that are requesting Bitcoin payment for an online purchase (i.e. car, property rental, or investment). Avoid sending Bitcoin to any other person offering a fictitious job that requires you to send cryptocurrencies (i.e. secret or mystery shopper), claiming there is an emergency and you need to send funds to a friend or loved one (i.e. grandson in prison, accident, medical emergency), or claiming you won the lottery and taxes need to be paid upfront.* A new scam making the rounds this year is Utility scams. Scammers threaten to shut down your residential services (i.e. electric or heating service), hoping to get a payment out of you right away via Bitcoin and through Bitcoin ATMs. Be aware that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are irreversible once sent, so you need to take your time to ensure the destination is legitimate and reputable before sending any payment. Do not send any funds to people you do not know. If it is your first time using Bitcoin or if you have any questions, please contact us before initiating any transactions. Our contact information is located on the back of this brochure.