by Morinville News Staff
The Alberta RCMP is launching a poster campaign to help prevent fraud, particularly victims making Bitcoin payments to scammers. The warning posters will be placed in rural locations.
Police say scams continue to be prevalent throughout the province. Primary among them are incidents where the scammers represent themselves as government agents requesting payment in Bitcoin.
The RCMP Strategic Communications New Media team created the posters, which include the warning “STOP – DO NOT use this Bitcoin machine if you are not in control of the QR Code you scan”.
“We felt that we needed to take one more step in educating potential victims and stopping them from making that irretrievable payment,” said Staff Sergeant Rob Marsollier of Red Deer RCMP Detachment. “We know that Edmonton Police Service has done similar posters and if it stops even one person from losing their savings, then it’s a success.”
The posters will be put up throughout Alberta soon in cooperation with businesses hosting bitcoin machines. There are currently close to 100 Bitcoin machines in Alberta.
The RCMP poster is below:
I just got a call now. I ask who is this and they hung up on me.