Woman loses $5,100 in gift cards to scammer
Chatham-Kent police are issuing a reminder to be wary of anyone who asks for gift cards as payment.
Police said that's after a local woman reported she had been defrauded of $5,100 worth of gift cards by a man who called her several times over the weekend, claiming to be an employee at her bank.
Officers said the man told the woman there were some suspicious transactions on her account and advised her that he needed remote access to her computer in order to help her with that.
Investigators said the woman complied with the man's request and later bought $5,100 worth of gift cards and provided the information from them to the man.
The woman eventually caught on that she was being scammed, so she called police.
Officers said scammers often ask for things like gift cards and Bitcoin or cryptocurrency as payment, so they are reminding members of the public to be on the lookout for that.
For more information about scams and frauds, you can go to https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.
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Police looking for stolen dirt bike
Chatham-Kent police are appealing to the public for tips after someone stole a blue and white Suzuki DRS dirt bike from an apartment building on Victoria Avenue in Ridgetown.
Police said it was taken sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
The bike was last seen with Ontario license plate 8P1T1 and you can find a picture of it below.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Lisa Rodger at lisaro@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 mailbox #87264.
Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and may be eligible for a cash reward.
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Two people charged in ATV theft
A 31-year-old Walpole Island man and a 26-year-old Wallaceburg woman have been arrested in connection with an ATV theft in Wallaceburg over the weekend.
Chatham-Kent police said the vehicle was taken from a garage on Hiram Street sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
Officers said they found a man and a woman with it at a residence on Dufferin Avenue at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday and arrested them both.
The man who was arrested allegedly gave police a false name at first, but when officers were able to determine his identity, they learned that he was also wanted on an outstanding warrant.
Both of the accused were charged with possession of stolen property and they were both later released from custody with future court dates.
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Break-in suspect flees on bicycle
A 35-year-old man is facing charges after police responded to an alarm at a business on Richmond Street in Chatham.
Officers said that was at around 6 p.m. Sunday, adding that they saw a man fleeing the scene on a bicycle with two bags.
Police were able to catch up with the suspect a short distance away and learned that he was wanted by another police service.
When police searched the man, they also allegedly found some electronics that had been stolen from the business in his possession along with a screwdriver, some black gloves, and a flashlight.
The man was charged with break and enter, possession of stolen property, and failing to comply with his release conditions by possessing break-in tools.
He was taken into custody pending a bail hearing.
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Police arrest man accused of spilling trash
A 23-year-old man is facing charges after he made a mess at the Car and Dog Wash on Grand Avenue in Chatham.
Police said sometime last week, someone rummaged through the garbage cans at the business and left all of the trash on the ground before leaving the property.
Officers were able to identify a suspect after reviewing some surveillance footage and arrested him early Monday morning.
The accused was charged with mischief and later released pending a future court date.
