South Bruce OPP say over $10,000 was lost this past week to cons and scams.
Police say cons and scams are attempted on a daily basis through online platforms, as well as by over the phone, letter mail and fax.
OPP say a Kincardine resident lost $8,500 in gift cards to a Microsoft scam, a Brockton resident lost $1,300 in gift cards to a mystery shopper scam, and an Arran-Elderslie resident lost $500 in gift cards to a cash prize scam.
Police are advising residents to be careful with anyone asking you to buy gift cards. The method is a common tactic and once a victim shares the scratched number on the back of a gift card with the scammer, their money is gone.
Con artists who are tech savvy are able to use technology to create very convincing schemes to trick victims into sending money. Police say they commonly use the name of a real company to gain the victim’s trust to trick them into sending money or personal information.
South Bruce OPP are offering tips to better protect yourself against con artists.
They say if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is, also you cannot win a contest you didn’t enter in the first place. Police also say if there are concerns around your computer, you should take it to a reputable shop for service and to not allow remote access when requested out of the blue. Additionally, police say gift cards are red flags, if someone contacts you to buy gift cards, you need to hang up.
Police say the best defense in a scam situation, is to verify any unsolicited contact.
More information on fraud can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website here, or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
Anyone with information regarding suspected scams are advised to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.