Scammers in Australia impersonate police to steal cryptocurrency

A new type of fraud has been reported in Australia, in which criminals posing as police officers trick citizens into transferring cryptocurrency to them. The scammers use fake IDs and official-looking documents to convince victims to transfer funds for alleged "verification" or "protection" against criminal activity. According to the Tasmanian police, 15 of the most active crypto-machine users fell victim to such schemes, losing a total of 2.5 million Australian dollars, of which 592 thousand dollars were deposited through crypto-machines. ([block-chain24.com](https://www.block-chain24.com/news/kriptovalyuty-i-kriminal/policiya-tasmanii-vyyavila-chto-15-samyh-aktivnyh-polzovateley?utm_source=openai)) Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chin noted that Australians have lost $122 million dollars to cryptocurrency scams in the past 12 months. ([coindesk.com](https://www.coindesk.com/ru/policy/2024/08/28/australians-lost-122m-worth-of-crypto-to-scams-in-the-last-12-months-police?utm_source=openai)) Police are urging citizens to be vigilant and remember that genuine law enforcement officers will never request a transfer of funds or confidential information over the phone or email. In case of receiving suspicious requests, it is recommended to immediately contact the local police department to confirm the information. To protect against such scams, experts advise: - Never give personal data or financial information to strangers. - Verify the authenticity of requests by contacting official agencies directly. - Use two-factor authentication to protect online accounts. - Be cautious of unexpected calls or messages, especially if they are related to financial matters.Growing chi