THUNDER BAY – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding and urging residents not to disclose any personal and or financial information to anyone you don’t know or trust, over the phone, via the internet, in the mail, or in person.
This reminder comes after two seniors in Grey County were scammed out of thousands of dollars in a credit card scam.
On September 14, 2017, a Georgian Bluffs resident received a phone call from an unknown individual advising her that her credit card had been compromised by a VISA employee. She was asked to assist in an internal investigation by sending money gram transfers. During the course of a week, the victim had sent over $8,000 in money grams and $13,000 worth of iTunes gift cards to India.
Another resident in the Municipality of Meaford fell victim to the same scam, sending nearly $5,000 in money grams and gift card transfers overseas.
OPP tell people, “Protect yourself by recognizing a scam. Do not take immediate action. Regardless of who the caller claims to represent, never divulge personal information over the phone.”
Some of the ways that these criminals cheat their victims have been around for a long time. Protecting yourself means taking care NOT to simply do what the caller or email person is telling you. If it involved your bank, remember you can call your financial institution yourself and find out what is happening, chances are in many cases the truth will be that you could be the target of a fraud.
For more information and tips on how to prevent fraud, visit the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre website at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
FRAUD…Recognize it…Report it…Stop it.
