Troy, Michigan (WXYZ) – The Troy police service sensitizes cryptocurrency scams that cost local residents thousands of dollars.
The agents now display warning panels in cryptocurrency kiosks throughout the city to prevent more people from these increasingly common diets.
“Our goal is to stop that anyone who is the victim of these scams,” said Lieutenant Ben Hancock of the Troy police department.
Tuesday, Hancock and the detective Carlo Pizzorni visited companies around Troy to place warning leaflets near cryptocurrency machines where the victims were deceived to deposit large sums of money.
The scams follow a coherent scheme, according to the police. The victims receive unlined communications, saying that they owe money to the government or have to pay a fine.
“People are contacted in different ways, whether it is an SMS or an email or a telephone call, and then they are told that they owe money to cause themselves or duty of money to the government for a fine, then they are invited to present themselves to one of the cryptocurrency machines,” said Hancock.
These incidents frequently occur in Troy – approximately two to three cases per week – the victims often losing significant sums.
“So everything they worked hard throughout their lives. These are their investment funds, their life savings, everything has gone,” said Pizzorni.
The victims are responsible for withdrawing money from their bank accounts and depositing them in cryptocurrency machines to buy bitcoin or other digital currencies. While the victims think that they pay a fine or an invoice from the government, they actually send money directly to the crooks.
Video: Watch our previous report when Waterford police installed large panels near automatic cryptocurrency counters after an increase in scams
The police warn against the increase in Atm scams in cryptocurrency in Waterford, install large panels
“Once they deposited the money, in a few seconds, he went to an exchange, and he bounces so much that we can no longer trace it,” said Pizzorni.
According to police, a recent victim was informed that she owed $ 12,500 and never recovered the funds after making the payment.
Local companies with cryptocurrency kiosks were also witness to the first-hand problem.
Ghazwan Abdal, owner of Troy Original Buscemi’s, said that he had seen seven or eight customers be victims of these scams in his store.
Abdal welcomes the new warning panels of the police service, which are read:
“Do you stop. Do someone pressure you to make this deposit immediately? Are you on the phone with someone at the moment who tells you what to do? You said to lie to anyone about sending money. If so, you are scammed.”
“You know, I feel better and more comfortable because it will help people not get ripped off on this kind of thing,” said Abdal.
Troy police encourage residents to contact them immediately if they suspect that they are targeted by a scam.
“We will send you an officer to make sure that what you do is legitimate or that we can help you by phone if that’s what you prefer,” said Hancock.
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