Here are some tips to ensure you do not fall victim to a scam or fraud:

• Never make a transaction for someone else. Without knowing who they are, or what it is for, you could be unknowingly aiding criminal activity, and opening up yourself to criminal prosecution. Also consider that, if you do not know this person, and you were promised payment, there's no guarantee you'll get paid. And there's nothing you could possibly do about it if they're anonymous.

• Do not send funds to anyone you haven't met in person. People have reported loved ones and family being impersonated by scammers on the internet. You must be aware of who you are sending to. Catfishing is a growing problem for people using internet dating. There have been many reports of people thinking they are sending funds to their new boyfriend or girlfriend when actually they are sending their money to a scammer. Our machines should only be used to fund your own personal wallet.

• Do not send funds to a broker for investing. If an investment broker is asking you to send them cryptocurrency to help you invest, this is likely an investment scam. Even if a friend recommended this broker, there have been reports of users' friends' accounts being hacked and recommending false investment brokers to others.

• Do not send funds to a shared cryptocurrency wallet. You must be the sole controller of your wallet. If anyone else has access to your wallet, you are at risk of losing your funds. 

Localcoin operates a Bitcoin payment service. Like other network providers, Localcoin is not responsible for your actions on the network. Furthermore, do not send Bitcoin to anyone threatening you for a ransom, or stating that you owe money to the New Zealand government. They are scammers. Hang up, and call the police if anyone like this contacts you.

If you've been the victim of a scam or a fraud, please follow our guide here: I was the Victim of a Scam / Fraud, What Should I do?

See below for tips from local police and the Government of Hong Kong

Report the scam to your local police station. You will need to file a police report, providing details of the incident. We have provided transaction information below to assist you in that process.
Report the incident to the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC), a division of the Hong Kong Police Force. You can contact their 24-hour Anti-Scam Helpline at 18222. For more information, visit the ADCC’s website.

If you have disclosed your personal identification information (such as your HKID number), you should report the theft to the Immigration Department by contacting the Report Centre on 2824 6111. For more information, see their website here - https://www.immd.gov.hk/.

If you sent money via traditional financial channels (such as a bank transfer or remittance service), report the incident to your financial institution (e.g., your bank, Western Union, MoneyGram, etc.) immediately.
If applicable – Notify the platform where the scam occurred. This could be a gaming site, dating site, or job site.