WAVERLY, Neb. (KOLN) – A 67-year-old Lancaster County man lost $156,000 from his 401(k) after falling victim to a Bitcoin investment scam.
Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies began their fraud investigation on Jan. 15.
The man, a Waverly-area resident, reportedly became interested in Bitcoin and spent months researching investment companies online. He eventually contacted a company called Berge Blockchain Technology through WhatsApp and invested $156,000.
Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said the man believed his investment quickly grew to $28 million, but when he attempted to withdraw funds, the company refused and demanded 30% of his supposed earnings. At that point, the man realized the investment may be a scam.
“In my experience this (communicating through WhatsApp) isn’t a common way for a company to communicate with their customers,” Houchin said.
Houchin added that because the man initiated the transfers himself, there is no recourse with the bank to recover the lost funds.
The sheriff’s office has been dealing with a growing number of Bitcoin-related scams and frauds, prompting several investigators to undergo specialized training on cryptocurrency crimes, Houchin said.
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