The OPP are reminding the public to be suspicious of phone calls asking for money after an Athens Township resident was defrauded.
According to the Leeds OPP detachment the resident called the police and told them they had been tricked by someone pretending to be their son. The OPP say the first call was from an individual claiming to be the victim’s child. The second caller claimed to be a lawyer and told the victim their son had been charged with impaired driving and was injured in the crash. The victim eventually gave the fraudster over $5000 in gift cards.
The OPP reminds community members that you should always check the legitimacy of a claim before sending money. They suggest asking questions that would be difficult for impostors to know the answers to, like the name of the person’s for example. You should also contact the person directly so you can ensure the claims are true.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam contact your local police detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or self-report the incident at www.opp.ca/reporting.