A 28-year-old from Perth County was victim to a fraud after pumping gas in Exeter in February.
Huron OPP say that the individual received a call on their phone shortly after using their credit card at a gas pump, indicating that their information had been compromised – the caller, allegedly hoping to assist the victim asked for their credit card number and verification code.
The victim was then instructed to e-transfer $7,500 to their own email address to guard those funds – but later discovered that the transfer had left their account.
The victim contacted OPP as well as their bank, investigations into the scheme continue.
Coinciding with Fraud Prevention Month, recent figures highlight the persistent threat of fraud across Canada. In 2022, reports to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) recorded victim losses amounting to $530 million—a nearly 40% surge from the previous year’s $380 million. In 2023, reported losses further escalated to $554 million.
To safeguard against such scams, individuals are urged to:
- Refrain from disclosing personal information, including banking credentials.
- Exercise caution on social media, avoiding interactions with unknown entities.
- Exercise vigilance when investing money, particularly with unfamiliar platforms.
- Be cautious about sharing sensitive images, as they can be used for extortion.
- Strengthen online account security measures.
- Seek multiple quotes for home repairs and avoid undue pressure to commit.
- Exercise caution when transferring money to unfamiliar recipients.
- Exercise caution with unrecognized text messages and phone calls.
Victims or individuals with information regarding fraudulent activities are encouraged to report incidents to local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501 or via the Fraud Reporting System (FRS) online, even in cases where no financial loss has occurred.
Written by: B. Shakyaver
