CoinVoice has learned that as Bitcoin reaches an all-time high, FBI Baltimore agent David Paniwozik has discovered that more and more criminals are trying to profit from cryptocurrency scams. A major issue is that investors are still unfamiliar with this technology, making them more susceptible to scams.
SA Paniwozik warns: 'Whether you want to transfer $1, hundreds of millions, or billions, there is no limit. You can seamlessly transfer it from a wallet controlled in the U.S. to a wallet controlled overseas in just a few seconds. Scammers have set up their own cryptocurrency exchanges, making you believe your investment is growing exponentially, or they say you must pay in cryptocurrency to 'unlock' jobs that offer high returns.'
SA Paniwozik recently noticed a surge in reports of employment scams involving cryptocurrency. Losses reported in Maryland increased from $32,033 in 2023 to $3.8 million from January to October this year. 'Thus, in Maryland alone, the average person has lost about $15,000 to $20,000 due to these scams,' SA Paniwozik added.
According to the FBI's 2023 cryptocurrency fraud report, complaints related to cryptocurrency account for only about 10% of total financial fraud complaints, but the amount stolen accounts for nearly 50% of total losses. [Original link]