South Bruce OPP say a Huron-Kinloss resident has been scammed out of $6,500 in a romance scam.
Police say they were called just after 11 Friday morning (Oct 23) with a fraud report
OPP say romance scams typically start online through email or a social media platform. Police say the casual conversation quickly becomes deeply affectionate in an effort to get your money.
They say in this case, the scam attempt was successful as $6,500 was sent.
OPP say tech-savvy scammers use technology to create very convincing schemes to trick you into sending them money. A media release from OPP says, “They will commonly use the name of a real company in order to gain your trust so that you will send money or personal information to them. They will also toy with your emotions by posting cute pet pictures or pretending to have a romantic interest in you in order to take your money.”
Police say your best defence against fraud is to always verify a contact you didn’t ask for or initiate.
They note, fraud is a multi-million dollar enterprise that will only end when they stop making money.
Anyone interested in more information on fraud can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1 888 495 8501 or check online at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.