Many people have fallen on hard times, and scammers are out to take advantage of the desperate times. For example, in one week in Arizona, many people have reported Bitcoin email scams from people trying to sell fake government assistance.
As the price of Bitcoin has increased over recent years and it has become more of a household name, more and more people are falling prey to malicious Bitcoin scammers. One of their favorite ways to trap unassuming folks? Email.
Here, we’re sharing the biggest email Bitcoin scams you should look out for and how you can report these scammers and stop them for good.
Where Can I Report Email Bitcoin Scams?
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a Bitcoin scam or has recognized a Bitcoin scam in your email inbox, the very best thing you can do is report it to the proper authority.
Social Security Scams
These types of scams, where someone asks for your social security number, should be reported to the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General.
Tax Fraud
Anytime you think someone may be guilty of attempted tax fraud, report directly to the IRS or your state’s department of revenue.
Third-Party Scams
If you’ve given money to someone with your credit or debit card, you need to report the transaction and freeze your credit or place a fraud alert on your credit report.
Bitcoin Scams
All Bitcoin email scams should be reported promptly to your local and federal government. For hotlines to call and email addresses that you can reach out to report these findings, visit the federal government’s Report Scams and Fraud page to learn more.
Look Out for These Email Bitcoin Scams
While there are countless ways to scam, and scammers will continue to find new strategies to catch people off guard, these are four primary scams that you should keep an eye out for:
The Old-School Scam
The oldest trick in the book is simply an email that looks like it came from your bank, the IRS, or some other major financial institution. The Bitcoin twist on this is that the scammers will ask for payment via Bitcoin, which no legitimate authority would ever request.
Email Malware
Another common email scam is malware, which is a way for hackers to get the login credentials they need to access important financial information. If you have a Bitcoin wallet connected to the internet, a scammer could easily send you an email with a malware link. From there, if you fill in the information you’re prompted to provide, they’ll get access to your Bitcoin funds.
Phishing
Phishing is the widely used term to describe an email that links to a fraudulent website specifically created to get important financial details from someone. In bitcoin, phishing scams target those with online wallets. The victim may not find anything odd about it prompting for private wallet key information.
Blackmail Emails
In blackmail emails, the scammer claims to have sensitive information on the victim and threatens to release it unless they share private keys to access their Bitcoin accounts.
Bitcoin Scams – A Serious Threat
Bitcoin is worth more than ever, and scammers know it. The threat of Bitcoin scams is very real and should not be taken lightly. If you notice suspicious activity, always report it to your government and don’t click any links or open any emails you don’t recognize
