COMMUNITY NEWS Fraud callers targeting Brant County residents, say OPP

(BRANT, ON) - In the past week, Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) members responded to five reported fraud calls from different residents in the County of Brant

One incident was the "Emergency Scam". An unknown suspect called imitating the victim's adult child They advised they had been in an accident, were charged criminally and needed money immediately to pay for damages Another person claiming to be the child's lawyer then got on the phone and explained how to send the money The victim very wisely asked the lawyer to call back in three minutes then hung up. The victim immediately called their child and was able to confirm no accident had occurred and this was a scam When the person claiming to be a lawyer called back, the victim told them they knew it was a scam. The victim did not lose any money

A second incident occurred when the victim was shopping online for a digital service The victim located a number they believed to be legit and initiated an exchange with the unknown suspect. At one point during the exchange, the victim allowed the suspect remote access to their personal mobile phone The victim later realised this was an error on their part and contacted police. The victim did not lose any money but has had to take preventative measures to protect themselves from identity theft.

The third call was an online purchase scam The victim found an item they wanted to purchase on an online social media application The victim contacted the seller and came to an agreement on the sale of the item. The victim sent a

$100 deposit by electronic transfer and was given a fake address to pick up the item When engaging in online transactions with a person you don't know, consider the location you are going to complete the transaction The Brant County OPP detachment has three Project Safe Trade parking spots to facilitate the safe exchange of money and goods when completing online transactions

In the fourth incident, the victim received calls to their home indicating their bank account had been compromised and requested they provide their credit card information. They were then advised there were several loans and debt in their name which needed to be paid off immediately The victims lost the $6000 they sent to bitcoin wallet addresses before contacting their bank and realising they were being scammed

In the fifth report, the victim was contacted through an online social networking application regarding cryptocurrency investments. The victim was promised significant profits and the ability to withdraw their money at any time. The victim invested a smaller amount of money at first and an online account showed that they were making a large profit. The victim was allowed to withdraw a small portion of the invested money. The victim then repeatedly invested more money over the course of one month which continued to show large profits. The victim then attempted to withdraw all of their money and was requested to pay taxes and fees for the withdrawal. The suspect provided various excuses for the money not being transferred including legal issues, FBI investigations, and technical issues between financial institutions The victim lost a total of approximately $100,000

To avoid falling victim to scams, follow these key tips:

* Don't give out your personal information (name, address, DOB, SIN, banking credentials).

* Never permit a stranger to have remote access to your devices

* Don't accept online friend requests from people you do not know.

* Don't invest your money in platforms provided by people you don't know.

* If any agency requests payment by cryptocurrency or gift cards, it is a scam

* Protect your online accounts

* Avoid sending money to a person you haven't met.

* Don't respond to text messages from phone numbers you do not recognize.

To learn more about fraud and cybercrime prevention and how to safeguard yourself and your loved ones, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit www.antifraudcentrecentreantifraude.ca

Brant County OPP continues to run community information sessions on fraud, and community groups are encouraged to contact their local OPP detachment should they want to arrange a presentation