Stormont Dundas Press Releases

(South Stormont) – On July 7, 2015 at approximately 9:54am, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to a traffic complaint on Long Sault Drive, South Stormont Township. The vehicle was intercepted and the driver was found to be in contravention of conditions (Driving while Disqualified ) imposed from a previous incident.

Richard COUSINEAU (61) of South Stormont Township was arrested and is charged with;

– Fail to Comply with Conditions of an Recognizance ( 3 counts)

– Driving While Disqualified – court order

– Driving while Under Suspension (2 counts ) Highway Traffic Act

He was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall on August 25, 2015.

BREAK-IN

(South Stormont) – On July 7, 2015 at approximately 3:19pm, SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a break-in at a residence on Bethune Avenue, South Stormont Township.

Investigation indicated that sometime between 11:15am- 3:00pm on July 7, 2015 culprit(s) forcibly entered the home and removed 2 laptop computers.

An investigation continues.

LOTTERY AND PRIZE SCAMS CLAIM VICTIMS AND THEIR MONEY

(North Dundas) – On July 7, 2015 SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a Fraud on Main Street, North Dundas Township. The investigation indicated that an elderly male was sent a Bank Draft from Blue Cross with instructions to cash the cheque and return a fee to the requesting agency. The transaction was not completed and Police were notified.

The SD&G OPP are advising the Public to be aware of such attempts to gain funds from our citizens.

— Lottery scams and other prize fraud schemes now rank second highest in terms of the number of mass marketing fraud complaints, and fourth in terms of dollar losses reported by victims, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Many Canadians find themselves becoming scam victims, thanks to the excitement of a surprise win or to claim prizes from fake lotteries, sweepstakes or contests. In 2014, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received 4,400 Canadian complaints of prize or lottery fraud. Of those, 652 people were victimized to the tune of more than $4.3-million. Police believe 95 per cent of victims never report the crime.

Phone calls, an e-mail, text messages and pop-up messages on your computer or laptop may make claims that the offer is legal and that there are relatively minor costs to claim the ‘big’ prize. By responding, you may lose everything you send to a scammer and – if you have provided other personal details – your identity information could be stolen to support other crimes.

If you have been approached to pay a fee to claim a lottery or other type of prize, contact your local police service or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at https://www.tipsubmit.com/ .

FRAUD…Recognize it…Report it…Stop it.

Tips to help you recognize a lottery or prize scam.

• Never send money to anybody you don’t know and trust.

• Don’t provide personal banking details to anyone that you do not know and trust.

• Examine all of the terms and conditions of any offer very carefully. Claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs. Calls to premium rate phone numbers or premium text messages can be very expensive.

• Ask yourself, “Did I willingly enter this contest?”

QUOTES

“Legitimate lotteries do not require you to pay a fee or tax to collect winnings. You cannot win money or a prize in a lottery unless you have entered it yourself, or someone else has entered it on your behalf.”

– Detective Inspector Mike BICKERTON, OPP Anti-Rackets Branch.

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