Even ultra-modern digital assets are attracting a very 'old school' criminal tactic
Police are warning investors in high-value holdings of cryptocurrencies to be on their guard against home invasions.
If you were considering crimes relating to digital assets, you would naturally think about hacking, phishing, data breaches, and so on, but criminals in two Canadian towns have been targeting people in their homes to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts.
Police in Richmond and Delta, both south of Vancouver, say that this could be a possible emerging trend having responded to several robberies with similar modus operandi in the past year.
Criminals use decidedly ‘old school’ methods to gain access to the homes of people who have large holdings of cryptocurrencies – such as posing as delivery drivers or people in authority – and then steal information that allows them to access their cryptocurrency accounts.
While the RCMP are not certain at this stage that the cases are all linked, it would seem unlikely that these could be random attacks due to the specific focus on high-value crypto investors.
“The suspects appear to know the victims are heavily invested in cryptocurrency, know where they live, and are robbing them in their own homes,” says Staff Sergeant Jill Long of Delta Police Investigative Services.
Help catch the thieves
Police are appealing to investors who may be victims but have been reluctant to contact Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212 or Delta Police at 604-946-4411, or report anonymously via Crime Stoppers at solvecrime.ca
“If you or someone you know has been victimized by one of these robberies, please call police,” added Staff Sgt. Long. “You may have important information that can help our investigators.”
Police have reiterated ways to protect against these and other in-home robberies:
- If a delivery person, or a person claiming to be of authority, attends your home unexpectedly, do not let them inside. Ask them to leave the package outside or make a call to their company or agency to confirm their identity. If the person refuses to leave when asked to do so, call 9-1-1.
- Keep your valuables and financial information in a safe location, like a safety deposit box at a financial institution.
- Only discuss financial matters with those you trust, and never discuss them in public places where you can be over-heard or post them on social media.
- Be cautious and do your homework when you invest. Only deal with reputable brokers.
