RCMP Detachment Issues Warning Against ‘Hitman’ Scam

The scammers then offer to cancel the supposed contract in exchange for a “large sum of money,” often demanded in cryptocurrency, according to a warning from the B.C. RCMP.

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper of the Prince George detachment reported that at least one local resident has been targeted by this scam.

“That’s how we became aware of it,” Cooper said. “We want people to be informed so they’re not frightened and don’t give in to the demands for money.”

Authorities noted that scammers contact victims via email or text, including personal details to make their claims seem legitimate.

Prince George RCMP stated that the fake assassins sometimes claim to have been “studying the victim for some time.”

Cooper mentioned that the Prince George resident who reported the scam recognized it as fake but was still alarmed by the personal details included in the messages.

Officers determined those details were available on the victim’s “own social media,” Cooper added.

“We often don’t realize how much we share on social media and how it can be used against us,” she said.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, perpetrators of “hitman” scams sometimes claim to have links to terrorist organizations to further intimidate victims.

The RCMP has an online reporting tool that victims can use to report fraud incidents and other crimes. (LINK)