Scammers using bitcoin machines to evade police, Courts & Crime News & Top Stories

Scammers are turning to bitcoin machines to cheat their victims and avoid detection by the police, as cryptocurrency such as bitcoin is untraceable.

In November, police officers from Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) prevented at least two people from buying bitcoins under the instructions of scammers in separate cases.

In the first case, a man was in the midst of buying bitcoins at a machine in Hong Lim Complex when police officers approached him.

The man, who wanted to be known only as Mr J, said a woman contacted him on an online dating platform last September. The pair began chatting via text messaging, phone calls and video calls.

“After about two weeks of talking, we became friends, and she started to ask me for money to help with an issue she had,” said Mr J, who agreed to be interviewed on Monday to warn others. He declined to reveal his age or occupation.

“But each time, she would ask for more and more money,” he added, noting that the woman asked him…