‘I was heartbroken’: Two Canadians lose $2.3 million to crypto scams
W5 | Canadians are being aggressively targeted by scammers using AI-generated videos and images to convince them to invest in cryptocurrency scams.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians have reported theft of $1.2 billion through investment scams over the past three years. But that’s only what’s been reported. The actual amount is believed to be much higher.
Denise, a 51-year-old woman from Ontario, had $1.7 million stolen in a cryptocurrency scam after viewing an AI-generated video online. The clip was created by criminals to appear as though Elon Musk was inviting people to invest in his platform. She thought her investments had grown to more than $3 million, but when she tried to withdraw the money, she was told she needed to pay taxes and fees.
Donald, of Prince Edward Island, saw an online story about investing in cryptocurrencies that appeared to be promoted by the popular TV show Dragon’s Den. He believed the AI-generated video was genuine and started investing small amounts into the cryptocurrency platform, but eventually put in everything he had. It eventually totaled $600,000.
When she pleaded with the scammer that she was going to lose her home, he told her, “Well, I guess you’ll have to sell it,” and hung up.
Full article: ‘I was heartbroken’: Two Canadians lose $2.3 million to crypto scams
