New York crypto scam warning targets Twin Tiers residents. New York State Police said scammers contact residents with investment offers and attempt to collect financial information through deceptive websites.
Investigators said callers build trust before directing victims to websites that appear to be legitimate investment platforms. Once banking details are entered, scammers can access funds and leave victims facing financial losses.
State Police issued the warning this week, saying some victims could lose their entire savings. Troopers advised residents to avoid sharing personal information with unexpected callers promoting cryptocurrency, gold bars, or gold coins.
New York crypto scam targets banking details
New York State Police said residents should not visit websites suggested by unknown callers offering investment opportunities. People who receive such calls are advised to hang up and contact 9-1-1.
The warning is especially direct when callers offer cryptocurrency investments and request financial information. Police said anyone who believes they have been victimized should contact local law enforcement or New York State Police immediately.
Victims should also contact their bank and close affected accounts, according to State Police.
IRS warns crypto holders about fake letters
A separate federal warning was issued days earlier. On July 30, IRS Criminal Investigation said scammers were mailing counterfeit IRS letters to cryptocurrency holders.
The letters tell recipients to register through a “Digital Asset Compliance Portal” by a stated deadline. The IRS said no such portal exists.
Fraudulent letters include QR codes that lead to websites designed to resemble IRS.gov. Those pages request personal information, cryptocurrency wallet details, or exchange login credentials.
“The IRS does not operate a Digital Asset Compliance Portal,” the agency said. “This is a scam.”
IRS-CI Chief Jarod Koopman also urged caution. “Before responding to unexpected requests for personal information, stop, verify the source, and report potential fraud schemes to law enforcement.”
Fake IRS domain traced overseas
The IRS uses QR codes on some legitimate notices, including CP53E letters. An IRS-CI representative advised taxpayers to ignore QR codes printed on unexpected letters and instead visit IRS.gov directly or call using official contact information.
The IRS release did not explain how scammers obtained the names and addresses of cryptocurrency holders. An IRS-CI representative also declined to discuss the scale of the campaign.
Coinbase and cybersecurity firm DarkTower traced the fake IRS operation to a domain registered through a Hong Kong registrar and hosted in Romania.
In May, Cryptopolitan reported a separate scam involving fake “Quantum Resistance Security Update” letters sent to Ledger customers. Those letters contained QR codes leading to websites that stole 24-word recovery phrases.
The FBI said Americans lost about $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes and online scams in 2025, according to earlier reporting by Cryptopolitan.
