A Chatsworth senior was a victim of a pop-up scam.
Grey County Ontario Provincial Police remind residents that fraudsters prey on society's most vulnerable people - seniors.
On January 12, 2018, a Township of Chatsworth senior was defrauded of $1,900.00 after she provided her debit card number to an online pop-up site.
The victim was surfing the internet when a pop-up for a Personal Computer (PC) help post appeared. She opened the link and was eventually prompted to provide her debit card number which she did. $1,900 was taken from her account before it was frozen.
We all need to do what we can to ensure the public recognizes and reports all types of fraud to prevent further harm and victimization.
Fraud-related crimes take a destructive toll on victims while amassing millions of dollars to further criminal enterprises. Sadly, 95 per cent of fraud victims never report the crime to police. Regardless of age, gender and location, everyone can take basic steps to better protect themselves from becoming victims of fraud. Some basic tips include never giving out personal or financial information at the door, over the phone, by e-mail or through social media, or on to unsecured retail or dating websites.
If you or someone you know suspect they've been a victim of fraud, contact your local police service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre through a new, easy to use Fraud Reporting System (FRS). To report fraud or any crime anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (1-800-222-TIPS) or online at https://www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm
For more fraud facts and figures and a downloadable booklet (PDF), visit The Competition Bureau of Canada website at http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04201.html
source: media release, Grey County OPP
