(SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY, ON) – The South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is sending another reminder for the residents of Southern Bruce County to watch out for scams after a resident in the Municipality of Kincardine reported losing $832 to the Microsoft scam. The Microsoft scam is a phone call to tell you there is something wrong with your computer that can be fixed remotely – for a fee. If you suspect a problem, take your computer to a reputable repair service – don’t trust the stranger on the phone.
Tech savvy con artists can create very convincing scams with the use of computers and laser printers. Fraudsters will commonly use the name of a legitimate company to gain your trust, such as Microsoft.
Fraud continues to be a multi-billion dollar per year enterprise that will only end when the scammers stop making money. There is no magic to preventing fraud – if it seems too good to be true it likely is. Always take time to verify the legitimacy of an unsolicited claim. Whether received by phone, fax, email or at the front door, unsolicited means that you didn’t ask for it.
Anyone interested in more information on fraud can call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1 888 495 8501 or check online at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.
The South Bruce OPP is requesting anyone with information that can assist police to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or send a web-tip to crimestop-gb.org, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.