CALEDONIA — Haldimand OPP received a call for service on April 30, 2022, at 9 a.m. from a resident of Caledonia who had been scammed by a person claiming to be a representative from their bank.
According to the victims, they accessed their computer and were prompted by a security alert advising that they were victims of identity fraud and that their bank accounts were compromised.
Soon after, they received a phone call from a number that identified the caller as their financial institution.
A male party claimed to be from the Fraud Department and advised the victims to transfer almost $17,000 into a secure account and “not to tell their bank of the transaction.” This type of instruction should raise a red flag. The “secure” bank account given by the fraudster indicated it was from Hong Kong.
The funds were transferred and are still outstanding. The financial institution has taken carriage of the investigation.
The OPP is reminding the public to be vigilant and stay educated to protect themselves from being a victim of a fraud or scam.
Be aware of the warning signs, never give out any personal information to someone you don’t know, and always verify all contact information and not just call a number or email that some unknown person provides you with. The name on the caller display may be fraudulent. Give yourself some time to complete your own search before giving out any personal information.
