A Connecticut State Police task force has succeeded in reclaiming $23,000 from a Milford person who was duped in a crypto-fraud.
The police think the person was tricked into depositing money in various banks and Bitcoin ATMs under false pretenses.
The Connecticut State Police Organized Crime Investigative Task Force managed to trace the funds to cryptocurrency trading platforms in both the United States and the Cayman Islands, enabling them to get the money back. Unfortunately, though, the funds only make up a portion of what was stolen.
The Milford individual was the unfortunate victim of a complex scam, resulting in them losing $41,000.
“They tried to cover it up on the web,” said Patrolman 1st Class Pedro Muniz.
According to the police, such scams are becoming more and more sophisticated and are becoming very common in recent times.
“It is becoming more and more frequent with the rise of cryptocurrencies and it being a new trend,” Muniz noted.
The Attorney General’s Office has warned people to be vigilant when contacted about cryptocurrency. Legitimate cryptocurrency platforms generally do not interact with individuals without any business relationship.
If fraud is suspected, the AG’s Office advises that people contact their financial institution from which they sent the funds immediately.
NBC Connecticut spoke with a victim of a similar, though different, cryptocurrency fraud who wishes to remain anonymous. She said she was targeted after putting out a post on Facebook looking for a part-time job in the real estate sector.
“I thought it sounded very attractive, with the money you can make from Bitcoin mining, so I started putting some money into it,” she said.
The person promised her returns but she never received them. Distraught, she contacted the Securities And Exchange Commission only to find out that the company she interacted with did not even exist.
She has been unable to get her money back, but has some advice for others. “Do as much research as you can, because once I realized I needed to do more research, it was too late,” she concluded.
The state police also encourage people to be wary of potential scams. “We want people to be smart, to be wise, to simply say no and get off the phone,” Muniz said.
If you think you may be a victim, you should call the police right away. You can also email them by clicking here.
