Brantford police sound alarm on utility savings scam

The Brantford Police Service is warning residents about a new scam in the area falsely offering savings on utility bills.

Officers say the fraud is presenting victims with up to 50 per cent in savings off of various bills, including hydro, gas and phone bills.

Constable Jeremy Morton of the Brantford Police Service Fraud Unit says that locally, the force is aware of two incidents where residents have been targeted, resulting in a total loss of $8,250.

At this time, police have not determined how many suspects are involved in this scam.

The suspect or suspects have deceived homeowners into sharing personal billing account information, which has then been used to make false bill payments on the victim’s behalf.

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Once trust was established and the victim had received payment confirmation, the scammers transferred a considerable amount of money into their account and immediately requested a large sum to be transferred back through e-transfers.

Investigators say that in all cases, deposits and payments made by the suspect or suspects were deemed to be non-sufficient funds by financial institutions that led to significant financial losses for victims.

Police are reminding Brantford residents that any requests for money by people or companies that are unknown should be treated suspiciously.

Anyone who may believe they have been targeted by a fraud scam and lives in the City of Brantford is asked to contact police at 519-756-7050 and your financial institution immediately.

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