Brant OPP warn residents to ‘stay scam smart’ after two recent incidents

The Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating after they say one resident lost $100,000 and another lost $250,000 from scams over the holidays.

OPP said the scammers are ‘tech-savvy.’

“[They] use technology to create very convincing schemes to trick you into sending them money. They will commonly use the name of a real company to gain your trust so that you will send money or personal information to them,” said police in a news release.

OPP offered tips on how to protect yourself:

• If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
• Remember that you can't win a contest that you didn't enter in the first place.
• If you have a concern about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for service. Do not provide remote access to a "tech" that calls you out of the blue.
• Gift cards are a red flag. If someone contacts you and directs you to buy gift cards, you need to hang up the phone.
• Your best defence is to verify any unsolicited contact. Unsolicited means that you didn't ask for it.

Police are reminding the public that fraud is a multi-million-dollar enterprise that will only end when they can 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.

The Brant County OPP is requesting anyone with information to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure web-tip at www.cstip.ca, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2000.