EDMONTON -- A popular treasure hunt in Edmonton has been suspended after the company running it says it found evidence of fraudulent activity.

GoldHunt isn't releasing specific information relating to the treasure hunt suspension, but says there has been a "clear violation of the terms and conditions."

At 6:24 p.m. June 22, GoldHunt announced on social media it was fact-checking a potential treasure finder in Edmonton, later that evening it suspended the treasure hunt "due to evidence of compromised activity."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pirates, we know you want answers and we apologize for the delay. It is with a heavy heart that we must make this announcement. The GoldHunt is currently *suspended due to evidence of compromised activity. Do not worry, your payment information is secure as we use a third party payment processor to collect that data. We apologize to each and every one of you as we understand how jarring this type of information is. Until we and our legal team arrive at a satisfactory resolution, no loot or treasure will be awarded. However, if you have arrived at a treasure-rewarding location in an honest fashion, you will receive your treasure ASAP, rest assured. We promise to offer daily updates at a minimum as to the progress of our investigation. First update will be tomorrow before 4pm MST. Your patience and understanding is needed as we navigate these unprecedented events. A fair and honest hunt is what you were promised and it is what we will deliver. Stay Tuned Pirates! #TheHuntsNotOver *see terms and conditions

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The company says it decided to suspend the hunt during the RCMP investigation to ensure a fair and honest hunt.​

In a press release GoldHunt said during the launch on June 20, it suffered a major DDoS attack that flooded its website with fake traffic to overwhelm its servers.

The team says it hasn't found evidence that connects the DDoS attack with the fraudulent activities, and says the site was running again with additional security measures within 20 minutes of going down.

GoldHunt says there's no evidence of data loss from that attack, and all payment data is secure as it doesn't receive or store that information.

The company says it has been advised not to provide further updates on the suspension at this time due to the ongoing RCMP investigation.

GoldHunt is a real-life treasure hunt, with a treasure of gold and silver pieces valued at $50,000 stashed in locations in both Edmonton and Calgary.