The Victoria Police Department's Cyber Crime Unit recovered about $80,000 in cryptocurrency funds that were stolen from an 84-year-old Victoria resident, marking the first time newly enacted digital asset seizure legislation has been used in B.C.
In December 2024, the victim contacted police after discovering unauthorized transfers from his cryptocurrency accounts. Police say he was experiencing technical issues with his cellphone, and used a voice assistant to locate the phone number for Telus tech support and initiated a call.
The individual who answered claimed to be with Telus and gained remote access to the victim’s phone under the guise of providing assistance, however, they did resolve the initial technical issue.
Following the call, the victim discovered $110,000 had been fraudulently transferred from his cryptocurrency accounts, which he accessed through the same phone. VicPD investigators traced the funds through several accounts on a cryptocurrency exchange, identifying a suspect in South Africa.
Leveraging new federal legislation passed last year, police obtained a special warrant to seize digital assets, which allowed officers to freeze the compromised crypto accounts and seize most of the funds, returning them to the victim in May.
The federal legislation, introduced in the House of Commons under Bill C-47, led to the creation of a new section of the Criminal Code that gives police authority to search for and seize digital assets, including virtual currency.
“We are proud to be the first police agency in B.C. to utilize this new legislation, demonstrating our commitment to staying ahead of emerging cybercrime trends and protecting our community,” said Sgt. Simon de Wit, supervisor of the Cyber Crime Unit. “This legislation provides us with a crucial tool to pursue and recover stolen digital assets and aids us in our fight against these increasingly sophisticated scams.”
VicPD wants to remind the public that time is of the essence when dealing with cryptocurrency fraud. Reporting incidents to police immediately increases the likelihood of successfully recovering stolen funds before they are moved beyond reach.
