Brant County OPP issue scam warning after 5 separate incidents in the past week

Ontario Provincial Police in Brant County are sounding the alarm over fraudulent phone and computer scams in the area as residents report five separate incidents in the past week.

The scams were conducted either over the phone or online and targeted the victim’s money or personal information.

In one instance, a victim was led to falsely invest money in a fake online cryptocurrency application.

Over the course of one month, they lost approximately $100,000 before they realized it was a scam.

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Police recommend the following tips to avoid falling victim to scams:

• Don’t give out your personal information (name, address, DOB, SIN, banking credentials).
• Never permit a stranger to have remote access to your devices.
• Don’t accept online friend requests from people you do not know.
• Don’t invest your money in platforms provided by people you don’t know.
• If any agency requests payment by cryptocurrency or gift cards, it is a scam.
• Protect your online accounts.
• Avoid sending money to a person you haven’t met.
• Don’t respond to text messages from phone numbers you do not recognize.

Brant County OPP say they continue to run information sessions on fraud and encourage members of the community to attend.

To learn more about fraud and cybercrime prevention and how to protect yourself, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit ww.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.