Northumberland OPP are warning residents to stay alert after several reports of fraud and attempted fraud across the county this month involving impersonation scams, financial fraud, and remote access to personal devices.
Police say fraudsters often use fear, urgency, and trust to pressure people into sending money or sharing sensitive information.
One report involved a bank impersonation scam, where a victim received a phone call from someone pretending to represent a major Canadian bank. The caller claimed suspicious charges had been made on the person’s credit card and requested information to fix the issue. Police say the call was fraudulent and the victim lost money.
In another case, someone posing as a police officer claimed a resident’s son had been arrested after being found driving a vehicle containing drugs. The caller demanded $5,000 in cash to prevent jail time, claimed there was a “gag order,” and refused to provide a badge number.
Police stress officers will never demand cash to resolve criminal matters.
OPP also report a re-victimization scam, where fraudsters contacted someone who had already lost money in a previous fraud, claiming they could recover those funds through a European bank if the victim first paid additional “taxes.”
Another resident was targeted in a fake government agency scam involving lost wages. The victim was instructed to download a remote-access app, allowing the suspect to change banking information, withdraw money, and delete personal information from the phone.
Police remind residents never to share banking details, passwords, or one-time security codes and never download software at the request of unsolicited callers.
Fraud can be reported to local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
