Provincial Police are warning area residents to be on the lookout for scammers, posing as legitimate service technicians.
Officers with Lambton OPP responded to a report of a fraudulent Bell technician at a Petrolia home earlier this week.
Authorities say the victim got a phone call from someone claiming to work for Bell and telling the homeowner they were eligible to receive a refund. The accused then asked for remote access to the victim’s computer to process payment. Once connected, the suspect got access to the victim’s online banking account and withdrew $10,000.
However, because the homeowner contacted police so quickly, no further withdrawals could be made.
Police are reminding all residents that legitimate companies will never request remote access to your computer to issue a refund, never share your banking information with anyone over the phone or online, and always verify the caller’s identity before handing over any personal information.
