(DUFFERIN COUNTY, ON) – On October 29, 2013 Dufferin OPP received a report of a fraud which was perpetrated over the internet and via telephone.
The male suspect posed as a contractor from the United States of America. He claimed to be a contractor working in Nigeria that had fallen victim to some government imprisonment that kept the contractor isolated in a portion of a motel under house arrest.
He and son could only be released when he came up with a certain amount of money to secure their release.
Periodically different individuals were introduced into the fraud to support the story line. This cast of characters included a church deacon and a Nigerian diplomat and a British police constable that contacted the fraud victim in regards to the detainment.
The contractor’s son that was supposedly on route from Nigeria to Canada to stay with victim. A local person that worked in the Orangeville area was supposed to assist in transferring some of suspects funds back to fraud victim. The repayment of several thousand dollars to the victim was deposited by Orangeville contact and week later was found to be fraudulent and was removed by victim’s bank account.
This fraud spanned an almost 2 year period and victim was bilked out of tens of thousands of dollars.
The OPP strongly warn against long distance relationships that evolve from the internet. Giving specific details about yourself is not only dangerous, it equips an unknown person, who often misrepresents himself or herself in such a way that they are able to pull heartstrings in order to get to your purse strings. Once money is transferred or sent it is gone and cannot be replaced. These fraudsters are very good at what they do and are very convincing. The OPP suggests that you need to ask yourself, “is this too good to be true?†because in most cases, it is.
Persons who find themselves in this unfortunate and precarious position often have little recourse and not only is there money lost, but attempts to locate the fraudster who is responsible becomes very difficult. Real names are seldom used, accurate details about the person are seldom used and internet addresses can be easily shut down once the fraud has taken place.
The OPP acknowledges that the internet is a great resource and those who use it don’t’ always do so in a respectful and responsible manner. It has been used by opportunistic individuals in the past and this will continue in the future.
Please remember, information is power and with this information, you have the power to simply say “no†and keep what you have worked a lifetime for. Please protect yourself and if in doubt about anything that may be internet based, please contact your local OPP Detachment, Police Service or internet provider for assistance.