(NORFOLK COUNTY, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk County Detachment want to remind all Norfolk County residents that if they receive a call indicating that you have won a large amount of currency from an International Lottery, please hang up the phone. This is a SCAM.
Between Tuesday, August 12, 2014 and Monday, August 25, 2014, an elderly resident of Norfolk County received several calls from an unknown male indicating that the home owner had won 1.5 million dollars. The caller then informed the home owner to contact the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in order to verify the prize amount. A number was provided by the caller at which time the prize was verified by the resident.
The unknown caller then requested that funds be sent through a money transfer service to a Manila Philippines address in order to cover taxes for the lottery winnings. The funds were subsequently forwarded through the use of various money transfer services located in Norfolk County.
Approximately $58,000 dollars was forwarded to this unknown male, and police are urging all residents to be aware of unsolicited calls representing legitimate companies.
The OPP is warning all Norfolk County residents that if anyone should receive a call from an unknown person indicating that you have won any type of lottery, please hang up the phone, this is a scam.
Don’t become a statistic. Fraud is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that will only stop when the scammers stop getting money, banking information or personal information. The best thing to do is to simply hang up the phone.
If any groups or businesses in Norfolk County would like to have a presentation completed regarding Scams and Frauds / Identity Theft prevention, please contact Provincial Constable Ed Sanchuk at the Norfolk County Detachment at 519-426-3434.
For more information on fraud, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.