Resident defrauded of $30,000 in Facebook scam

Police are warning citizens “don’t become a statistic” after a resident was defrauded of $30,000 through a scam on Facebook.

The Ontario Provincial Police in Norfolk County say a resident had responded to a request on Facebook earlier this month that indicated the victim had won a large amount of money.

The con artist then asked the victim to send a money transfer to cover taxes and lawyers’ fees. Over the course of April, the victim sent roughly $30,000 after being told more money was need to release the winnings.

Police are urging residents to be aware of this social media scam and how far criminals will go in order to gain your trust. “If anyone receives a call or any information through social media websites indicating that you have won a large amount of currency, please do not respond. This is a SCAM,” said Cst. Ed Sanchuk in a news release.

“Fraud is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that will only stop when the scammers stop getting money, banking information or personal information. The best thing to do is to simply hang up the phone.”