More scam artists are trying to bilk local residents out of their hard-earned cash.
According to Chatham-Kent Police, a complainant received a call from someone claiming to be an employee of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, saying their name had been associated with fraudulent transactions. In order to have their name cleared, they would have to purchase $3500 in gift cards, which would be returned, but if the instructions were not followed, a warrant would be issued for the victim’s arrest.
Police say there is very little chance of identifying the parties involved in such scams because of anonymizing tools and phone number spoofing technology.
Authorities are reminding residents that personal or financial information should never be given over the phone, especially if you didn’t initiate the call. If you receive a suspicious email, do not click any links and delete the email immediately.
For more information on how to recognize and protect yourself from a scam, please see https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/protect-yourself-against-fraud.html
