Winner of Canadian Lottery Jackpot Says Impostors Using His Name to Steal Bitcoins

The winner of the Canadian lottery, Scott Gurney, has confirmed that scammers impersonating him on Facebook have conned unsuspecting victims of their bitcoins. To counter the scammers, Gurney said he has stopped accepting or sending friend requests on the social networking platform.

‘Too Good to Be True’

The Canadian Lotto Max jackpot winner, Scott Gurney, has said individuals using his name have been asking social media users to donate bitcoins are likely scammers, a report has said. Gurney, who won $55 million, confirmed that one individual told him they lost $300 worth of bitcoins to a con artist who impersonated the lottery winner.

To lure victims, the con artists reportedly use fake Facebook accounts wherein Gurney is shown holding the lottery cheque. According to a report in the Times Colonist, one person lost bitcoin worth $450 after contacting one of the fake accounts. However, in his message to persons responding to the scammers’ promises, Gurney said they should be wary of offers that are too good to be true. He added:

I’m sorry that people have maybe been down on their luck and are looking for those avenues, but I don’t know many people who just hand out cash easily.

The report also revealed that some of the fake Facebook accounts had gone as far as to discredit other accounts. However, to counter the tactics of scammers, Gurney, a financial adviser, said he is going to stop accepting or sending friend requests on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which handed out the $55 million check to Gurney, has issued a statement warning punters to be wary of solicited messages that ask them to divulge private information.

“Anyone who gets any type of unsolicited message should be cautious and not reveal any personal information or make any monetary payment,” the Canadian Crown Corporation warned.

The lottery company also urged recipients to report such unsolicited messages to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara is a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist, author and writer. He has written extensively about the economic troubles of some African countries as well as how digital currencies can provide Africans with an escape route.