Grey Bruce OPP is providing tips against scams after someone in Southgate lost nearly $10,000.
Police say a con artist made $9,450 on Jan. 15 after a resident heard from a scammer posing as a child, claiming they had been involved in a collision and were under arrest.
Two more attempts using the same scam were made that day in Southgate and Dundalk, but were unsuccessful.
Police say this type of scam is known as the grandparent or emergency scam, which has been around for a long time.
Tech-savvy scammers are able to use technology to create very convincing schemes to trick you into sending money. Police say these con artists will commonly use the name of a real company to gain your trust to convince you to send them money or personal information.
OPP say in the cases of grandparent or emergency scams, the con artist will likely have information about your grandchildren from an online search. Police advise not to interact with them and hang up, contact your family and verify their emergency.
Police also say these tips can help protect you from scammers:
-If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
-Remember that you can’t win a contest that you didn’t enter in the first place.
-If you have a concern about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for service. Do not provide remote access to a tech that calls you out of the blue.
-Gift cards are a red flag. If someone contacts you or directs you to buy gift cards, you need to hang up the phone.
-Your best defence is to verify any unsolicited contact.
Police say fraud is a multi-million-dollar enterprise and will only end when it stops making money.
Anyone interested in more information on fraud can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit its website here.