Crypto Scams Target Colorado Residents – $4M Stolen by Fraudsters
- The FBI has released a report which reveals that many Colorado residents have been duped by crypto scams.
- Victims of these schemes lost millions of dollars to fraudsters who posed as investment managers and directed them to phony websites.
- This type of scam is similar to the romance scams which have been running for the past several years.
Colorado Residents Targeted By Crypto Criminals
A new report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows that Colorado residents have become major targets for crypto criminals. The document says that millions of dollars have been stolen from crypto traders and everyday people in the Centennial State. Many of the scams involve stable assets such as Tether and USD Coin (USDC). According to the FBI, victims are approached on social media platforms, dating apps, or discussion forums with an allegedly profitable cryptocurrency investment opportunity. Once money is transferred, however, the fraudster disappears with it.
Examples Of Crypto Scams In Colorado
The FBI provided five examples where Colorado residents were targeted in these types of schemes. A 52-year-old man in Aurora lost over $600K; a 61-year-old woman in Denver had her funds amounting to $1.3 million taken; a 62-year-old man in Evergreen was scammed out of $350K; and a couple in their late 40s living in Parker were swindled out of $1.2 million. In all cases, they were contacted by someone posing as an investment manager who told them about supposedly lucrative opportunities and directed them to fraudulent websites under their control.
Investment Advice And Offers From Strangers Should Not Be Trusted
The FBI has warned against taking any sort of advice or offers from strangers involving investments into cryptocurrencies or other assets. They said: “If you send them crypto, or money of any kind, it’ll be gone, and you typically won’t get it back.“ This statement applies not only to people living in Colorado but across all states given that similar types of scams have been seen elsewhere before now too.
Similarity To Romance Scams
The tactics used by crypto criminals are quite similar to those employed by romance scammers over the past few years – they pose as potential dates or persons looking for love but instead try to swindle unsuspecting investors out of their money using fake online sites that appear legitimate at first glance but are actually under their control.