Email scams are nothing new, but a Waterford resident was recently on the receiving end of one that concerned him enough to call police.
According to Norfolk County OPP, the resident received an email last week stating that a close friend or family member had hired the hit man to assassinate them.
“Obviously the resident was quite upset, in shock and disbelief,” says Const. Ed Sanchuk.
In addition, the email claimed that the assassination would only be cancelled if $7,000 was paid through a money transfer process – and it had to be done quietly.
“The person that sent the email was stating not to tell anybody about it, not to call the police – because they were being watched,” says Sanchuk.
Police continue to investigate the case.
It’s not a new scam – Sanchuk says he’s heard about it happening as far back as 2008 – but neither are other email scams which continue to find their way into Norfolk County inboxes.
Two of the most common include the ‘scareware scam’, in which a program locks a user out of their computer after clicking on a link, and the ‘Microsoft scam’, in which a user takes remote access of a computer by calling via telephone and pretending to be a tech support worker.
“It’s important for people to not provide any type of information, personal or financial, that may lead to identity theft issues down the road,” says Sanchuk.
“Technology has advanced, and it’s great technology – but sometimes technology can be used against us.”
OPP recommend that anyone coming into contact with these or other online scams report them to their local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
