BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A victim from Bloomfield Township was the target of hackers who stole six figures worth of Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
Police say the victim came forward May 9 and lost $204,000 worth of Bitcoin cryptocurrency. They say his Coinbase account was hacked through a cellphone SIM card swap.
Nowadays, cellphones are everywhere. But if you store a list of passwords on your device, police say you could be at risk of being targeted by hackers.
“People got to be a little bit more protective of their things, especially in the world today,” Randy Neveu, a cryptocurrency investor, said.
On the streets of Bloomfield Township, people who use the popular avenue for investing say they’re aware of the dangers and are actively taking steps to avoid them.
“Password protection. I also use the facial recognition that’s on (Apple) products,” Neveu said.
The crime has police issuing an urgent warning to look out and not be an easy target for criminals.
“The evidence that will come forward in this case is digital evidence,” Bloomfield Township police officer Nick Soley said.
Soley says the specific theft known as a SIM card swap happened after an impostor tricked a cellphone retailer into believing he was a victim and was issued a phone. Then, that impostor downloaded passwords saved on the phone.
Soley warns to keep password lists off your phone and use face ID or fingerprint scan as an alternative through official apps.
“One of the things we’re really honing in right now is to not store those passwords on your phone no matter how secure you think they are,” he said.
So far, it’s unknown how the thief managed to obtain enough of the victim’s personal information to convince a retailer to issue a new phone to them then gain access to Coinbase information.
Police say the case could involve out-of-state or out-of-country accomplices.
“It’s not like a crime scene where you can go out and start sweeping for fingerprints. It takes time and we have to get cooperation through search warrants,” Neveu said.
Police are also investigating another similar theft of more than a million dollars last July. If you have any information, call the Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248-433-7755.
