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Rhonda – an Australian nurse – lost all her savings after being lured into a fake bitcoin investment. The fraudulent scheme stole hundreds of thousands from the devastated Sydney woman just months before her retirement.
Dreams of Retirement Were Dashed
An Australian nurse revealed in a recent interview for 2GB radio how a cryptocurrency scam swindled out her entire life savings, sounding a note of caution to other investors about the red flags she should have been mindful of.
Rhonda, who worked as a nurse in Sydney for 44 years, was browsing the internet when she saw an advertisement offering bitcoin investment using a fake celebrity endorsement by popular people in Australia.
In the beginning, she ”invested” $350 in the fraud, entering her email address and phone number into a brief online form. Additionally, the scammers set up a new account for her, where she continued to transfer funds.
Rhonda had some positive returns from her investment when she started the investment and enjoyed good communication with the people behind the scam. Interestingly enough, they even advised her to buy a car or something else with some of the returns, which she never did.
The woman was aiming to make more and more money. Unfortunately, when checking her account recently, Rhonda noticed that hundreds of thousands of dollars were missing.
The Australian officials have been trying to find the scammers and help Rhonda restore her money, but the operation has had no success. The nurse said that her plans of retirement are now gone but stayed positive despite the devastating hoax:
”I always think, there’s probably someone worse off than me. I’m healthy, I’ve got a good attitude to keep going. I’m just taking it one week at a time.”
Cryptocurrencies Can Be Dangerous
Following the recent decline in the cryptocurrency market, many of the digital assets are now far away from their highs. Bitcoin lost a major chunk of its dollar value during the past few weeks, which caused a huge panic in the community.
Following the turbulent events, the Australian Minister – Jane Hume –Â advised the public about the risks related to cryptocurrency trading. She stated that the digital assets are not only risky but also unstable:
”They are volatile and high-risk assets and investors must be aware of these risks.”
On the other hand, Hume highlighted their future potential and their significant role in the economy:
”Cryptocurrency is not a fad. It is an asset class that will grow in importance.”
