Perth County residents defrauded of $47,000

A man holds a cellphone in this undated stock image. (Porapak Apichodilok/Pexels.com)

Two people in Perth County have lost thousands of dollars in two separate scams.

The first incident began earlier this month when a resident from Township of Perth East said they received a phone call from a person claiming to be their grandson.

The caller said they had been in a collision and needed money.

The victim sent approximately $7,000 to Quebec.

Meanwhile, a second incident dates back to December 2023. The victim in that case said they met a person on a social media website who was pretending to be a celebrity. Over the course of the relationship, the victim sent multiple Apple Gift Cards worth approximately $40,000.

Perth County OPP are warning all residents to be cautious when receiving unexpected and unsolicited messages including email, texts and phone calls.

The police will be holding an information session about frauds and scams at Parkview Gardens at 565 Elziabeth Street East in Listowel on Wednesday, September 25 at 2 p.m.