Another resident loses thousands in Bitcoin scam
For the second time in as many weeks, a Guelph resident has lost thousands of dollars after falling victim to a scam involving Bitcoin.
Saturday afternoon, the Guelph Police Service was contacted by a 68-year-old city resident. He reported he had been contacted by someone claiming to represent the Canada Border Services Agency, who claimed a package with the male’s name on it had been intercepted at the border and contained illegal substances.
The male was instructed to deposit $3,900 into a Bitcoin ATM and did so while keeping the caller on the line. When the caller then demanded the male pull additional funds from a line of credit, the male got suspicious and hung up.
The report comes less than two weeks after a 27-year-old Guelph female lost nearly $8,000 in the same scam.
Payments made via Bitcoin or other crypto currencies are nearly impossible to trace. To avoid falling victim to similar scams:
- Do not provide any information to a caller you don’t know.
- Do not click on links provided or follow directions from a caller you don’t know.
- If the caller claims to be from an agency such as Canadian Border Services or the Canada Revenue Agency, hang up and call the agency back directly before following any instructions. Look up the number yourself rather than using a number provided by the caller.
- The caller will use various means, including threats, to try to force you to act quickly. Don’t fall for it.
- No government agency will demand payment by gift cards or crypto currency. If they ask for this, hang up.
Two impaired driving arrests on weekend
Two motorists were arrested for impaired driving in Guelph over the weekend.
Approximately 2 a.m. Saturday, officers on patrol observed several parties getting into a vehicle outside a licensed establishment on Silvercreek Parkway South. This included three people who entered through the rear hatch and occupy positions without seatbelts.
A traffic stop was conducted and officers detected an odour of alcoholic beverage on the driver’s breath. The driver registered a fail on a roadside screening device and was taken to the police station, where further testing confirmed he had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
A 20-year-old Guelph male is charged with impaired operation. His driver’s licence was immediately suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court December 17, 2021.
Approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday, police were called to a report of a male passed out in a running vehicle on Water Street near McCrae Boulevard. Officers attended and detected an odour of alcohol and marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver registered a fail on a roadside screening device and was taken to the police station, where further testing confirmed he had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
A 44-year-old Fergus male is charged with impaired operation. His driver’s licence was immediately suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court December 21, 2021.
The Guelph Police Service would like to encourage the public to always consume alcohol and cannabis responsibly. Please don’t drive if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, and please ensure that you plan ahead so that you have a safe ride home.
Male fired, charged after internal theft
A Guelph male is unemployed and facing a criminal charge after he was caught stealing from his now-former employer.
On Saturday, the Guelph Police Service received a call from the loss prevention officer of a west-end business, who reported an employee had been let go. During a two-week period in November, the male was caught on camera eating more than $70 worth of product without paying. The total loss is believed to be much higher.
A 21-year-old Guelph male is charged with theft under $5,000. He will appear in a Guelph court January 28, 2021.
Three drivers taken off road during RIDE checks
Three motorists had their driver’s licences suspended for 72 hours during weekend RIDE checks.
Officers stopped 750 vehicles at two locations Saturday night. Almost 50 drivers were asked to provide breath samples into approved screening devices, with three of them taken off the road after registering between 50 and 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams.
As well, one driver was charged under the Cannabis Control Act with having cannabis readily available and another was charged under the Highway Traffic Act with failing to surrender a driver’s licence.
Drivers will notice increased enforcement until early January during the Festive RIDE season. The Guelph Police Service would like to encourage the public to always consume alcohol and cannabis responsibly. Please don’t drive if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, and please ensure that you plan ahead so that you have a safe ride home.
Total calls for service in the last 72 hours – 619
