The Orillia OPP have been made aware of a fraud which occurred in the City of Orillia.
On April 23, 2020 the Orillia OPP were contacted by the Manning Detachment of the RCMP with reports that a person in Orillia was a victim of a fraud. The suspect lives out of Province.
Orillia OPP learned through the investigation that the suspect had contacted the victim giving a story to gain access to his computer. The victim then gave access to the computer where the suspect deposited money into the account of the victim. The money was way more than the agreed amount and the suspect then asks for the remaining balance to be sent to him. Weeks later it turns out there never was any money and the victim is on the hook for the money.
The Orillia OPP want people to be aware that there are dishonest people out there who want to take your money. Here are some tips to help prevent you from falling victim:
- Do not give credit card or personal information out over the phone, internet or text;
- If someone sends you too much money for an item you have for sale;
- If the person who wants to buy your item lives far away;
- If someone offers you something for free or a really good deal;
- If someone requests gift cards or Crypto Currency (Bitcoins). The government and reputable companies don’t ask for these methods of payment;
- If they ask you to send money Western Union;
- If they contact you through e-mail; and
- Companies such as Apple, Microsoft or other big computer companies won’t contact you to let you know your computer is compromised.
The biggest red flag should be when they ask you for money, credit card information, access to your computer or personal information. If asked for something you wouldn’t give to a stranger on the street hang up the phone and call the number provided to you by a verified source. You can also contact www.antifraudcentre.ca or 1-888-495-8501 for assistance. If you have lost money please contact police at 1-888-310-1122.