Police in New Westminster have issued a warning about what they call "remote access" or "tech support" scams, after a member of the public reported that someone else had accessed the cryptocurrency wallet on his phone.
Police say the scams often begin with the victim receiving an unsolicited phone call, or they may click on a pop-up message while browsing the Internet.
They say fraudsters then trick victims into downloading online apps that allow the scammers to control the person's device and steal their personal information.
Police say residents should never provide remote access to anyone who has contacted them unexpectedly, and they're encouraging people to avoid clicking no any urgent-looking pop-up messages online.