On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the Lebanon Police Department Cyber Crimes Unit conducted a fraud presentation at a senior living facility in Lebanon. After the presentation, a resident of the facility reported that she had been a victim of fraud involving cryptocurrency. Upon receiving this report, the Cyber Crimes Unit began an investigation.
During this investigation, which spanned 10 months, Officers of the Cyber Crimes Unit utilized software specifically designed to trace cryptocurrency transactions. Using this software, they were able to trace the victim’s transactions to a cryptocurrency exchange and eventually the suspect’s cryptocurrency wallet. The Cyber Crimes Unit then executed a legal process to freeze the suspect’s wallet and forfeit the illegally obtained currency. The value of the forfeited currency in USD was $5,726.00. This currency was recently returned to the victim.
The Lebanon Police Department reminds everyone to be wary of interacting with people who request payment in cryptocurrency and to report any attempt at fraud to their local Police Department.
Authorized by: Chief Phillip J. Roberts Date: 4/10/23