(CHATSWORTH, ON) – Grey County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding residents to be aware of two types of scams known as the “prize pitch” and “over-payment” scams after two members of the public reported that they had been contacted by individuals attempting to scam them.
PRIZE PITCH – On Thursday, July 23rd, a resident received a phone call from an unknown person, with a Jamaican accent, stating that they were calling on behalf of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and that they had won a prize through “Mega Millions”. The resident was given a phone number to call to receive a prize claim number. Once they had a claim number, they were contacted by another person who stated he was Donald Trump’s manager and that they had won $350,000.00 which could be claimed for a fee of $983. When the resident told the scammer that they didn’t have that kind of money, they were asked as to how much they could send. The resident recognized this to be a scam and called police.
Remember, you have to enter a contest in order to win and, should you be a winner in a legitimate contest, you won’t be asked to forward money or buy goods to claim your prize.
OVER-PAYMENT – On Wednesday, July 22nd, a resident received an email from a [email protected] stating that her secretary inadvertently sent the resident a cheque in the amount of $4,555 instead of $600 for a wedding photo shoot in Toronto. The resident was instructed to deposit the cheque, take the $600 plus another $50.00 for the inconvenience, and return the remaining amount to the sender. The resident recognized this to be a scam and notified police.
There are many different types of scams. Don’t be scammed out of your hard-earned money.
FRAUD…..recognize it! Report it! Stop it!
Learn more …… contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at www.antifraudcentre.ca or contact them toll free at 1-888-495-8501.