autoevolution 15 May 2021, 5:32 UTC ·
by 1 photo
The idea of sending your own money over and get double in return is irresistible to many. After all, who wouldn’t want “free” money? And why not take it if someone as rich and seemingly generous as Tesla CEO Elon Musk is offering it?
One teacher from Brighton, England, ditched common sense and fell for one of these scams, and lost the money she’d saved for a house deposit in the process. Now, Julie Bushnell is speaking out in a bid to prevent other from falling for the scam.
Elon Musk has been targeted by crypto scammers before, including on his own Twitter. This time, while the scam used him as the lure, a fake BBC News page was used. Bushnell tells The Argus that she saw the “news” announcing the Bitcoin giveaway, shortly after Tesla bought $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, and proceeded to list her interest in it.
Bitcoin is a virtual currency
It’s traded between people without the help of a bank
Every transaction is recorded in a public ledger, or “blockchain”
Bitcoin is created by mining
Mining involves solving difficult maths problems using computer processors
Bitcoin can be traded anonymously, which can make it a popular way of funding illegal activities
The value of Bitcoin fluctuates wildly
Bitcoin is one of many different cryptocurrencies but by far the most popular
WATCH: MOMENT CYBER COPS SWOOP ON CRIME BOSS AND HACKER GRANT WEST SEIZING
HALF A MILLION POUNDS WORTH OF BITCOIN
Moment cyber cops swooped on organised crime boss and hacker Grant West seizing half a million pounds worth of Bitcoin
Mulher perde R$ 66 mil após cair em golpe de bitcoin citando Elon Musk dm.com.br - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dm.com.br Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Woman falls for Bitcoin scam that claimed to double her money, loses her savings
Bitcoin has become a thing ever since Tesla Chief Elon Musk has extended its support to cryptocurrency
Ankita Chakravarti | May 14, 2021 | Updated 10:37 IST
Highlights
The scammers had used the branding of BBC News which fooled the woman.
In the hope to double her money, Bushnell, who works as a teacher in Brighton, paid £9,000 to the online scammers
Bitcoin has become a thing ever since Elon Musk has extended its support to cryptocurrency. The value of digital currencies like Dogecoin and Bitcoin go up and down based on Musk s tweets. But some online scammers are misusing the popularity of Musk and using his name to con people. A British woman, who is also an investor in cryptocurrency, lost her savings worth £9 000 (Rs 9,00,000 approximately).
Highlights
Now she has lost all her savings to a Bitcoin scam.
She fell for a scam in which scammers were using a fake BBC website
There’s no doubt that Elon Musk has a great influence over cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin. Previously, his electric car company Tesla had announced that it’ll be accepting payments in Bitcoin, fuelling the rally of the coin.
While Tesla has now refused to accept Bitcoin as a payment mode, Musk is still having a great influence over the crypto market. Cashing in on Musk’s popularity, online scammers are misusing his name to dupe investors, especially those who are new to the cryptocurrency market.