Police are warning people about scammers who are targeting users of cryptocurrency wallets and accounts, by impersonating police officers and cryptocurrency company representatives.<\/p>\n
Over the past few weeks, victims have reported scams which have resulted in millions of dollars in losses.<\/p>\n
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Detective Inspector Stuart Mills said in a statement that the scammers were posing as police detectives, often claiming that the victim\u2019s details, information, or identity documents had been found on a person who had been arrested.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fake detective directs their questions towards establishing if and how the victim holds cryptocurrency, before arranging for a fake representative from the cryptocurrency company to contact the victim.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fake representative then convinces the victim to hand over their passwords or seed phrases, often through a fake webpage resembling a legitimate cryptocurrency application.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police are urging people to protect their cryptocurrency information, and not to give it out to anyone they aren\u2019t familiar with, Mills said in the statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis type of scam is on the rise, and we want the community to be alert.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are instances where legitimate police officers will contact you as part of their duties, but New Zealand Police will never ask you sensitive financial details,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Remember:<\/p>\n
– Police will never make unsolicited requests for details about your crypto wallets, bank cards, PIN, seed phrases, or passwords on a phone call.<\/p>\n
– Trust your instincts \u2013 if something doesn\u2019t feel right, or is too good to be true, it probably isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
– If you are contacted by someone conducting a \u2018Police investigation\u2019 into cryptocurrency, check in with a trusted friend or relative.<\/p>\n
– Be aware scammers can \u2018spoof\u2019 legitimate police phone numbers and email addresses, so this is not a reliable way to check who\u2019s contacting you.<\/p>\n
– If you are still uncertain or confused, ask for the officer\u2019s details, hang up, contact 105 and request that officer call you back.<\/p>\n
– Never give out your seed phrase.<\/p>\n
– If you believe you are the victim of a scam or feel this situation may be familiar, please report the matter to police.<\/p>\n
Here is some advice from Own Your Online, National Cyber Security Centre:<\/p>\n
– Do not follow instructions to share your details online, especially your seed phrase.<\/p>\n
– Be wary of calls from unknown numbers. Look out for the following:<\/p>\n
– An unexpected call from an organisation;<\/p>\n
– A sense of urgency to act now;<\/p>\n
– A request to download software, transfer money, or provide access to devices or accounts.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a victim of a scam or fraud-related incident, report this to police through 105, either online or over the phone.<\/p>\n
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