The Grenville County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are reminding the public that scammers are active in our area. Believe it or not, there is no typical fraud victim, they come from all backgrounds and are often educated and informed. Your risk of becoming a fraud victim is the same as everyone, but your best defence is to” stop ” before you provide personal information or financial payments to anyone.
Often, the fraudster will know how to make the victim experience a feeling of panic. For example, a Merrickville resident received a call from a person identifying themselves as an employee of the Canadian Boarder Serves Agency (CBSA). This fraudster told the victim that their SIN card was used in a fraudulent transaction and it was linked to cocaine drug trafficking. The fraudster requested the last 3 numbers of the victims SIN number, as verification. The victim provided this information, but became suspicious after their banking information was requested. The victim hung up and contacted police.
The CBSA will never request personal information over the phone. If you are unsure about a call, stop, hang-up and contact the agency directly. Additionally, you can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or call your local police department.
