March is Fraud Prevention Month, and the OPP is trying to make the public aware of the people who are trying to steal from them.
This year police are targeting three different scams, the emergency or Canada Revenue Agency scam, the romance scam, and the computer services scam.
OPP Detective Ted Schendera says these scams tend to play to the victim’s emotional or trusting nature, often targeting the elderly.
In the emergency scam, fraudsters may call a grandparent and pretend to be in financial trouble and request money to be released on bail or catch a flight home.
Schendera says the Canada Revenue Agency scam is one that appears regularly during tax time. A scammer will call and claim to be from the C.R.A., and demand payment to stop the threat of financial turmoil.
Sherdura explains that the romance scam happens when someone gets into an online relationship. The scammer will try and make the victim fall in love with them, then request money be sent, hoping the smitten victim’s feelings give in to the request.
Finally, the computer scam can take place when a person poses as a support technician. They will then go into the parts of your computer where personal data and information is stored, steal it, and replace it with their own.
Schendura says is if you feel your self becoming a victim, end the interaction immediately; hang up the phone, shut down the computer, or close the door.
The Brockville Police is also warning residents about a reported door to door furnace inspection scam currently happening in the area. Residents of Prescott should know that no salesperson should be coming to their door, as the town has made door to door sales illegal.
