Another Victim Hands Over Banking Info To Stranger, Then Gets Defrauded #CrimeDoesPay

(CENTRE WELLINGTON, ON) – A local resident is out $5,000 following a phone call with their “bank”.

On September 17, 2025, at approximately 9:45 a.m., the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report from a member of the public that was defrauded through a phone call.

The victim received a phone call from an unknown person, claiming to be an employee of their banking company, suggesting there had been suspicious activity on their account. Trusting the person, the victim provided their banking details. The following day, $5,000 was withdrawn from their account.

The Wellington County OPP encourages the public to stay alert and educated to reduce the risk of being a victim of fraud. If you receive an unsolicited phone call or message, asking for personal information (name, birthday, address, phone number, bank information, SIN number) or payment via gift cards for a product, do not provide the information and hang-up the phone and block the phone number.

Warning signs to look out for when receiving unsolicited messages include: Emails, text-messages or phone calls sent at odd times of the night, creating a false sense of urgency, spelling errors, lack of punctuation or capitals in sentences, automated messages, random links or attachments, and generic business or company names.

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