‘Hitman’ scam making the rounds in Prince George
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PRINCE GEORGE — Prince George RCMP are warning residents to be wary of the latest scam to make the rounds in Prince George – the “hitman” scam.
Police say the “hitman scam” is a type of fraud where victims are contacted via email or text and are given threatening messages that the sender has been sent to kill them, either because they were sent by someone who has betrayed the victim, or because they have allegedly been studying the victim for some time. The sender then offers to cancel the contract for a large sum of money and requests the funds in cryptocurrency or Bitcoin.
“While these messages can be alarming, it’s important to remember that this is a type of fraud or scam designed to create a sense of urgency and alarm. It is important to remember that these messages are a type of extortion and to never send any money, as there is no guarantee that sending money once will stop the messages and demands,” says Cpl. Jennifer Cooper.
She says frequently the personal information is learned by the sender based on information they have found doing online searches about you, so checking to see what information you have publicly available and changing your online privacy settings can help prevent these types of messages from being received.
