A RETIREE has told how they were ‘crypto scammed’ for $243,000.
The individual was snared after being told they would receive VIP treatment and tax-avoidance help if they invested $150,000 into crypto.
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After sending the money to an external account called Cryptonex.com, the victim says the swindler assured them throughout the process.
“The person ‘helped’ me by adding $40,000 here and $40,000 there to boost my money-making ability. The last time I added another $100,000,” they told MarketWatch.
“It’s a long story but in a nutshell that is the ‘help’ I received.
“I tried to pull money out and the crypto company said the government thinks that I am laundering money.
“They now say I need to pony up $150,000 — 15% of my “profit” — to pay taxes.
“The company said this would be reimbursed so I would not lose any money. “
That was the moment the penny dropped.
They continued: “I stopped right there and contacted the FBI and FTC.
“Now the crypto company is saying if I don’t pay the money soon my account will be frozen!
“I have not written back.”
NOT THE ONLY ONE
The U.S. Sun has covered the uptick in scams affecting innocent residents.
A woman in San Diego received a message about suspicious activity on her account and later spoke with a man who claimed to be from her bank in the hopes of solving the situation.
When she hung up the phone and called her bank, she was informed that a $6,000 loan had been taken out in her name.
Dating app users should also be aware of the latest romance scams which rely on perceived trust and romance to steal users’ money.
Elsewhere, a New York man was forced to cancel his wedding after his parents were scammed out of their $1 million life savings.
The seemingly legitimate high-level cryptocurrency scam was so sophisticated that the FBI turned up at the home of his 78-year-old dad and 73-year-old mom.
Eric Jiang says the “outlook is extremely bleak” for his elderly parents after they were scammed out of over $1 million.
His parents, dad Amos and mom Yan, were hoping to pay for their son’s wedding before losing everything in a crypto investment con.
AVOID BEING SCAMMED
To avoid these types of scams, proceed with caution when an unknown number texts you.
Never send any personal information, and never wire any money to someone you don’t know.
Phone scam statistics
Americans are bombarded with three billion spam phone calls a month. What are the figures regarding the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters
- In 2022, Americans lost some $39.5 billion to phone scams, with 68.4 million US citizens affected, according to TechReport.
- The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a major rise on the 2021 figure of $182 per victim, according to Hiya.
- The majority of scams happen over the phone, with fraudsters twice as likely to call compared to text in 2021, as reports the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- In 2021, the US saw a 56% increase in spam phone calls with 60% of those being robocalls.
- US residents experienced an average of 18 spam phone calls per month, although some experts believe the true figure may be as high as 31 per month.
- Many phone calls from reputable businesses may be marked wrongly as spam, but 38% of companies have no idea whether they’re being marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
- Never hand over any personal or financial information if you suspect a phone call is a scam. For instance, your bank will never ask you for such details in full over the phone.
- To cut down on spam phone calls and scams, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers, by law, will need to check that list before they call you up.
- Downloading third-party apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, or Truecaller can help filter out annoying spam calls.
- Try not to share your phone number unless you have to, especially online or with sketchy sources.
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