(NORFOLK COUNTY, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk County Detachment want to remind all Norfolk County residents that if they receive a call or receive any information through the mail indicating that you have won a large amount of currency, please do not respond. This is a SCAM.
On Thursday, July 10, 2014 at approximately 3:00 p.m., police responded to an address after receiving a call from a resident after they responded to a letter that was received in the mail in the month of May 2014. The information contained literature indicating that the home owner had won $8.5 million dollars and a luxury vehicle.
The residents contacted the phone number that was provided at which time they were then asked to send a large sum of Canadian currency through the use of a money transfer service in order to cover taxes and lawyers’ fees.
Through the course of two months the residents corresponded with the unknown suspects and approximately $5000 dollars was forwarded. Police are urging all residents to be aware of calls or literature that arrives at your residence indicating that you have won a large sum of money.
The OPP is warning all Norfolk County residents that if anyone should receive a call from an unknown individual indicating that you have won an International 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.