Fake ‘Prime Aurora’ article circulates with images of Gov’t minister & BBC reporter
Image of a hoax article that tries to get Bermudians to sign up to a crypto trading platform. Scroll down for more images.
A fraudulent article is circulating which attempts to get people to sign up to a crypto trading platform.
The scam uses photos and a fake transcript of an interview between Government Minister Jason Hayward (misspelled ‘Heyward’) and Bermuda Broadcasting reporter Gary Foster Skelton.
In the fake interview, Mr Hayward and Mr Foster Skelton are discussing the Prime Aurora crypto platform, and how much money they have supposedly made.
The hoax is designed to look like a Royal Gazette web article, although all the links lead to a sign-up page for the crypto platform.
The sign-up page also features fake testimonials from Bermudian public figures such as Terry Lister, Daren Herbert, and Bermuda Broadcasting’s Jasmine Patterson.
The page also has a ‘spots remaining’ ticker which slowly counts down, urging site visitors to sign-up quickly. However, the countdown resets if the page is refreshed.
Our reporter Gary Foster Skelton has been contacted several times by members of the public trying to find out if the scheme is valid.
“This is a scam”, he said. “No such interview ever took place between Minister Jason Hayward and myself. The photos used are from a discussion we had last year concerning local employment.”
“This is a disgusting attempt to use images of public figures to exploit the trust of Bermudians and residents.”
“If you receive or have received this link, do not sign up, and make sure all your friends are aware that the article is fake.”
“The benefit of being in Bermuda is that it is relatively easy to check the validity of anything that claims to have the backing of a local person. In my case, you can contact the Bermuda Broadcasting newsroom on 295-2828 ext.238, or email news@bbc.bm.”
More images from the scam below:
