A Canadian man found himself in the right place at the right time after he managed to intercept a Bitcoin scam targeting seniors.
In a series of tweets, Ottawa resident Tom St. Denis describes how he came across an elderly woman who was about to send $4,000 in Bitcoin to a scammer.
On his way out the door, St. Denis overheard the woman talking on the phone while at the Bitcoin ATM.
So I go to the Indian supermarket in Kanata, Ottawa to buy naan …. and ended up intercepting a money mule before she sent $4000 in bitcoin to a scammer… a thread@CBCNews @CTVNews @globalnews
ā Tom St Denis š¦ (@TomStDenis2) March 8, 2024
He said his initial reaction was “none of my business” and got in his car. But after 30 seconds, he recalled thinking, “I would hate myself if I didn’t at least ask…”
When he returned, he found other shoppers trying to talk to the woman, but “she was kinda ignoring them.”
“I have a loud projective voice, so I insisted on talking with her, saying she’s likely being scammed,” he said.
The woman then told the person on the phone what was happening, “They say I’m being scammed.”
4/ On the phone she says “They say I’m being scammed” … “it’s not a scam he said” she replies to us. “I’ll bet.” I got her to hang up and tried to figure out what was going on.
ā Tom St Denis š¦ (@TomStDenis2) March 8, 2024
When she hung up, she explained to St. Denis that it was an “investment” and was helping a fraud case by transferring the money. She would then get to keep the remaining amount as a reward.
7/ So I proceeded to explain to her that they stole money from others but can’t get it out of the country without raising flags so they get mules to do it for them.
ā Tom St Denis š¦ (@TomStDenis2) March 8, 2024
Elena Berd/Shutterstock
The woman explained that she received a call from Scotiabank telling her about an alleged fraudulent activity in her bank account and that they needed to install screen/key grab software so that they could investigate.
“In reality, they stole her bank credentials,” stated St. Denis. The callers then deposited $1,200 in her bank account and used $1,000 to buy gift cards ā she was told she could keep the remaining $200.
On the day that St. Denis intercepted the transaction, she was sent $4,300 and was told she could keep $300.
13/ At the bank I helped explain the situation. I tried a few times to explain to her her computer was compromised and caller ID can be faked. We (the @scotiabank branch manager and I) asked if she had family that was tech savvy
ā Tom St Denis š¦ (@TomStDenis2) March 8, 2024
The woman then had to reinstall her Windows and was instructed not to log into anything
because they “likely can still see keystrokes.” She also took her computer to Geek Squad to have them remove the spyware.
In an update, St. Denis revealed that the situation was worse than he had thought: the money the scammers were asking her to send was actually her own money, a cash advance on her credit cards. In all, the woman lost $1,000 in gift cards but managed to reclaim the $4,300 on her credit card.
Unfortunately, the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, currently has no access to her bank accounts or even her pension. Any bank transactions will have to be done in person.
He said he was glad to help because “$4,300 is even a lot of money for me to lose, let alone a pensioner.”
St. Denis’ advice to others: “If you see something, it takes 30 seconds.”
Daily Hive has reached out to St. Denis for a comment.
If you suspect you’ve been a victim of fraud, a scam, or cybercrime, contact your local police as soon as possible. Check here to learn how you can protect yourself.
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