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Romance scheme involving crypto making rounds in Winnipeg

A file image of the Winnipeg Police Service taken on Dec. 24, 2019. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg) A file image of the Winnipeg Police Service taken on Dec. 24, 2019. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)
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Winnipeg police are warning people about a romance scheme that involves cryptocurrency.

Police said there have been reports of "criminal actors" developing relationships with people and then teaching them about cryptocurrency investing and trading.

Investigators said it starts by being contacted on social media sites and dating apps and then the scammer says they became wealthy through crypto, and is going to show the other person how to do it.

Police said victims are told to create an account with a legitimate cryptocurrency site and then create an account on an illegitimate site that looks real but is not connected to any real investment company.

Victims are then told to transfer funds from their legitimate account to a wallet address with the other site and are encouraged to send more as they can see earnings climb quickly.

However, despite seeing the money on the illegitimate site, they can't withdraw it.

"Scammers have used sophisticated terms and emotional manipulation to build victims' trust," police said in a release.

A tool to report these incidents can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's website.

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