Nanaimo police issue warning after three people fall victim to computer scams

Nanaimo RCMP is urging residents to be extra cautious online after three people were scammed via their computers this month.

A man in his thirties is out $5,000 after he was targeted with a Bitcoin scam through the WhatsApp social media site, police said Friday.

The man was contacted by someone he thought was an old friend alerting him to an investment opportunity.

He was told he had to pay a nearly $5,000 service fee to invest. He provided his banking information and was told he would be paying an exchange rate.

The financial transaction was carried out via the digital currency Bitcoin.

The man became worried after sending off his money, but because financial transactions using Bitcoin are untraceable, he was not able to recoup his losses, RCMP said.

Meanwhile, a woman in her seventies was conned into handing over credit card information and driver’s licence details after a notice appeared on her laptop warning that her computer’s IP…