Airdrie residents have recently fallen victim to a Bitcoin email scam, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The scam involves individuals receiving emails claiming to have compromising information about them and demanding payment in Bitcoin to prevent the release of this information.
The RCMP has reported that several residents in Airdrie have received these emails, which threaten to release personal information, such as browsing history and webcam footage, if the recipient does not pay a sum of money in Bitcoin. The scammers also claim to have access to the recipient’s contacts and threaten to send the compromising information to them as well.
Sergeant Ryan Singleton of the Airdrie RCMP has warned residents to be cautious and not to respond to these emails or pay any money. He also advises individuals to change their passwords and enable two-factor authentication on their accounts as a precaution.
The RCMP has also stated that these types of scams are not new and have been targeting individuals across Canada and the United States. They urge anyone who receives these emails to report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
In addition, the RCMP has provided tips to help individuals protect themselves from falling victim to these scams. These include being cautious of unsolicited emails, not clicking on links or attachments from unknown senders, and not providing personal information or payment to unknown sources.
The RCMP is currently investigating these incidents and is working to identify the individuals responsible for these scams. They remind the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Residents of Airdrie are advised to stay informed and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from falling victim to these types of scams. The RCMP encourages anyone who has received these emails to come forward and report them to the authorities. Let us all work together to prevent these scams from targeting our community.
