OPP warning of crypto scams in the Eastern Ontario area

Police say scammers often use fear, urgency, and secrecy to pressure victims into sending money through cryptocurrency ATMs.

Cryptocurrency-related fraud is continuing to impact individuals and communities across eastern Ontario, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.

Police say scammers often use fear, urgency, and secrecy to pressure victims into sending money through cryptocurrency ATMs. These transactions are fast, difficult to reverse, and can be routed anywhere in the world.

There are now more than 300 crypto ATMs across eastern Ontario, including about 40 within OPP-policed areas, making it easier for fraudsters to direct victims to nearby machines.

The OPP reports a wide range of scams, including investment fraud, fake job offers, romance scams, extortion, recovery scams, impersonation of bank investigators, and fake service or tech support schemes.

As part of Fraud Prevention Month in March, OPP community engagement officers and auxiliary members are working with local businesses that host crypto ATMs to share prevention messaging and educational materials.

Police remind residents to watch for red flags such as urgent demands, threats, instructions to deposit cash into crypto ATMs, and being told to keep the situation secret.