- FBI issues warning about ruse being used by scammers.
- Fraudsters pose as crypto exchange employees.
The FBI issued a warning about scammers posing as employees of crypto exchanges to deceive users and steal their crypto.
According to the US federal law enforcement agency, the scam begins when a victim receives an unsolicited phone call or message from someone pretending to work at a crypto exchange.
The fraudster conveys a sense of urgency and often claims there is a problem with the victim’s account or that someone is attempting to compromise it.
The perpetrator urges the victim to safeguard the account by swiftly providing log-in information, clicking on a link, or providing identification information; in this way, access to the victim’s account is obtained and their crypto is subsequently stolen.
The FBI advises that If you receive such a call or message claiming your account has a problem or has been compromised, you should not respond, even if it appears official and you are urged to act quickly.
You should hang up, the agency says. Then call the crypto exchange’s official phone number to verify if there is actually a problem.
Also, don’t dial any phone numbers provided by such a caller, and don’t go to any websites or click on links that the caller may send you.
Navigate to the official crypto exchange website separately, and if anyone asks for your account log-in information at any point, do not provide it.
Victims of such scams should report them to the FBI and provide details.
Additionally, according to the FBI, people should be cautious of services that claim they can recover stolen crypto, as these can also prove problematic.
