Man to be charged with allegedly cheating $186k out of friend who told him he was a crypto scam victim

There's a saying that trust shouldn't be taken for granted, and that has rung true for a cryptocurrency scam victim.

Police said in a news release on Thursday (Oct 22) night that the 69-year-old male victim had confided in his friend, a 43-year-old man, about losses he had suffered in a cryptocurrency scam.

But instead of assisting his friend through difficult times, the younger man purportedly went on to cheat at least $186,000 out of the victim over a 15-month period.

The man is believed to have requested payments from the victim, claiming that these are legal, witness protection and other administrative fees.

He was also believed to have sought further payments on the pretext that the matter could be heard in overseas courts.

After the victim lodged a a police report on Sept 27, officers from Clementi Police Division identified the younger man's identity and arrested him on Wednesday.

He will be charged in court on Friday with the offence of cheating, an offence which carries a penalty of 10 years' jail and a fine.

The police reminded members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with persons who claim to be able to recover monies lost to scams or other fraudulent schemes in exchange for fees or payments.

"Members of the public should be wary of and verify requests for upfront payments, especially when these are purportedly required for legal, administrative or processing purposes."

Those who suspect that they have fallen victim to a scam should immediately contact their bank to report, block any fraudulent transactions, and lodge a police report.

俗话说，信任不可视为理所当然，这句话对加密货币诈骗的受害者来说尤其适用。

警方在周四（10 月 22 日）晚间发布的新闻稿中表示，这名 69 岁的男性受害者曾向他 43 岁的朋友倾诉自己在加密货币诈骗中遭受的损失。

但这位年轻人非但没有帮助朋友度过难关，反而据称在 15 个月的时间里从受害者那里骗取了至少 186,000 美元。

据信，该男子向受害者索要款项，声称这些是法律费用、证人保护费和其他行政费用。

据信他还以案件可能在海外法院审理为由，索要更多款项。

9月27日，受害者向警方报案后，金文泰警署的警员确认了这名年轻男子的身份，并于周三将其逮捕。

他将于周五在法庭上被控犯有欺诈罪，该罪最高可判处 10 年监禁和罚款。

警方提醒公众，在与声称能够追回因诈骗或其他欺诈计划而损失的钱财，并要求支付费用或款项的人打交道时，务必保持警惕。

“公众应警惕并核实预先付款的要求，尤其是当这些付款据称是出于法律、行政或处理目的时。”

怀疑自己成为诈骗受害者的人应立即联系银行进行举报，阻止任何欺诈交易，并向警方报案。