(WELLINGTON COUNTY, ON) Recently the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of fraud involving a male claiming to be the victim’s nephew who was in trouble and needed money immediately. The victim sent approximately $3000 and later discovered that it wasn’t his nephew that called and that he had been scammed.
This is a variation of an EMERGENCY SCAM. In most cases a grandparent receives a phone call from a scammer claiming to be one of the grandchildren. Callers state that they are in some kind of trouble and need money immediately. They claim to have been in an accident, or are having difficulty returning from a foreign country or need bail money.
Sometimes two people will call, one claiming to be the grandchild and the other claiming to be the lawyer or police officer. The grandchild will ask you questions, getting you to volunteer personal information. They will say they don’t want other family to know what has happened. You will be asked to wire money through a money transfer company. Often, victims don’t verify the story until the money has been sent.
In some cases, scammers pretend to be your old neighbour, friend of the family but generally it is directed at grandparents.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Scammers are counting on you acting quickly
Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify who you are speaking with
Do not give personal information to the caller
Ask questions to verify callers identity
If you suspect you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, contact the O.P.P. at 1-888-310-1122, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 and report the crime.
