NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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CENTRE WELLINGTON - Phishing phone call scams posing as online computer technicians are targeting citizens within the county via landline phones, stating that their computers are hacked and require to be repaired, and the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wants the public to be aware.
On Sept. 24, 2024, a resident of Centre Wellington was contacted via an unsolicited unknown phone call to their landline phone, posing as an 'online technician', describing a false sense of urgency that their computer was hacked and would require assistance in restoring their computer. The victim was instructed to purchase $1,000 worth of gift cards to allow the repair to happen. Once the gift cards were purchased, they were instructed to read out the numbers to the scammer over the phone.
Shortly thereafter, and in the same day, the scammer called back and requested the victim to attend their bank and withdraw an additional $14,890. Once at the bank, the victim suspected they were being subject to fraudulent activity and reported the incident to police.
The Wellington County OPP encourages the public to stay alert and educated to reduce the risk of being a victim of fraud. If you receive an unsolicited phone call or message, asking for personal information (name, birthday, address, phone number, bank information, SIN number) or payment via gift cards for a product, do not provide the information and hang-up the phone and block the phone number.
Warning signs to look out for when receiving unsolicited messages include: Emails, text-messages or phone calls sent at odd times of the night, creating a false sense of urgency, spelling errors, lack of punctuation or capitals in sentences, automated messages, random links or attachments, and generic business or company names.
For more information on scams and frauds, the public is encouraged to read The Little Black Book of Scams, which can be found online.
If you are the recipient of a fraudulent call, text, or email, or if you have been a victim of a fraud, you are encouraged to report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or visit the website.
FRAUD - RECOGNIZE IT…REPORT IT…STOP IT…
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