The Russell County Detachment of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning local residents of a phone scam that has recently surfaced in the area.
The scammer tells the intended victim that they have to withdraw a large amount of money from their account and deposit it into a Bitcoin account. It was indicated that the money was to help support crime prevention programs. One person lost several thousand dollars.
Using call-spoofing technology, the scammer programs the call display to show a local or even familiar phone number. In some cases the call display indicated it was from the Russell County OPP. The police will not ask for banking information over the phone and do not solicit donations for any crime prevention programs.
If you get a call asking for banking or personal information, or demanding you send cash or gift cards to someone, hang up. Directly contact the agency the person claims to be from to determine if it is legitimate. Do not call phone numbers or click any links sent to you in suspicious or unsolicited emails.
If a scam artist contacts you, or if you have been defrauded, contact your local police service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website at www.antifraudcentre.ca
