(BRUCE PENINSULA, ON) – The Bruce Peninsula Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has had three more scams reported to officers, between the dates of October 16, 2015 to 20 October 20, 2015. In one incident, money was transferred over the internet to purchase items in which the items were not received. The second incident the complainant received phone calls from United States area code and phone number. The scammer left a message requesting a phone call back. The one minute phone call back resulted in a fraudulent charge to the victim’s phone bill. The third incident involved a computer repair scam. Once gaining access, the scammer remotely accessed personal banking information, taking a large amount of money. In total, over $1500 was reported lost from fraudulent scams.
The Bruce Peninsula OPP has also received another report of scammer calling around on behalf of the Police Services Board (PSB) looking for donations. PSB does not call the public looking for donations. The OPP is reminding people to verify the legitimacy of any organization that calls to solicit funds from the public.
Police are urging the public to read and follow these safety tips:
Don’t give your personal information over the phone no matter who they claim to be. Call your company directly to ensure the phone call is legitimate.
Destroy personal information by shredding and cutting it up. Don’t just throw it out.
Never send money to someone you don’t know, no matter what the emergency is they claim to be dealing with.
Don’t use your bank account to transfer or wiring money for refunds or overpayments for someone else.
Research the business to ensure they are legitimate before paying for products or services.
Never reply or subscribe to email in which you do not recognize the name or company of the sender. Don’t click on links or pop up ads associated with these emails.
Legitimate companies such as your banking institution will never send you and email to confirm account details or personal information.
Install computer software to protect your computer from viruses, trojans or spyware in order to protect your personal information and programs.
Never enter your personal information or credit card information to any on-line sites that you are not sure is genuine.
Choose passwords that only you will know and change then regularly.
Keep copies of any receipts or services you have paid for.
Do NOT share your passwords or pin numbers with anyone.
For information on how to spot a scam and make sure you do not become a victim, please go to www.opp.ca and click on Fraud Prevention on the Resources page.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Center
www.antifraudcentre.ca
1-888-495-8501
Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus
www.ccbbb.ca
Canada Revenue Agency-Charities Directorate
www.cra-arc.gc.ca
1-800-267-2384
The Bruce Peninsula 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.
