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Community engagement, education helping Strathcona County residents avoid crypto scams: RCMP

Strathcona County RCMP reported a large decrease in the money lost in the community from crypto scams compared to last year. RCMP said this decline is being attributed to its community engagement and education on crypto fraud.

RCMP attribute decline to community engagement on fraud

A close-up of the side of an RCMP vehicle.
RCMP said that the amount people in the county have lost to cryptocurrency scams this year in Strathcona County has decreased more than $150,000 compared to the same period last year. (David Bell/CBC)

Strathcona County RCMP is reporting a large decrease in the money lost in the community from crypto scams compared to the year before. 

RCMP attributed this decline to its community engagement and education on crypto fraud.

In a news release on Tuesday, police said between January and April in 2024, the reported loss to crypto-related scams in the county was almost $400,000. In the same period this year, the loss was around $240,000.

RCMP members have visited local schools, seniors' groups, and community organizations to teach residents to recognize and report scams.

These presentations have focused on identifying common crypto scams, like fake investment opportunities, romance scams, and fraudulent calls from scammers claiming to be law enforcement or government officials.

Police said that legitimate government agencies will never request payment in the form of cryptocurrency.

In the release, RCMP said that if someone has been targeted by a scam, they should report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or local police.

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