x
Breaking News
More () »

Over $3M recovered in Bitcoin scam: Westport police

Police said the victim was convinced to invest in a cryptocurrency exchange when the money was transferred to wallets they didn't own.
Credit: fox17 - stock.adobe.com
golden bitcoin, conceptual image for crypto currency

WESTPORT, Conn. — Over $3 million has returned to a Westport resident after an elaborate Bitcoin scam, police said.

The investigation began in May after the victim reported the scam. According to officials, the victim reportedly fell for the scam in January as they were convinced to move the money from a retirement account into a Kraken cryptocurrency account. Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange. 

The victim said that over $3 million worth of Bitcoin was withdrawn and transferred to cryptocurrency wallets that the victim did not control between January and March. 

Westport detectives worked with the Connecticut State Police Organized Crime Task Force and were able to track the transactions and freeze all accounts that were associated with the scam. 

Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters: Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines

Officials said that the accounts led to people living in Pakistan. 

Investigators said that arrests were unlikely in this case, but Westport detectives were able to recover the $3.2 million that the victim had lost. 

Westport officials remind residents to be cautious as scams are ever-changing to infiltrate communities.

Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com. 

Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com 

HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS 

Download the FOX61 News APP 

iTunes: Click here to download 

Google Play: Click here to download 

Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61. 

Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download. 

FOLLOW US ON XFACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM 

Before You Leave, Check This Out