The OPP says a Central Huron resident fell for a phishing scam at a cost of $2,100.
Police say the victim received a phone call Wednesday from a man claiming he was an RBC fraud investigator working with the RCMP.
He claimed they were investigating someone who compromised the resident's credit card by sending a wire transfer of $1,100 overseas. The scammer then tricked the victim into believing she was viewing a legitimate online banking page with her account details. She was told the investigator deposited the $2,100 in her bank to cover the losses, but she had to send them back the difference. She wired two payments of $980, before reporting the issue to her local bank branch.
The victim then learned she had been scammed by some smooth talking fraudsters who also used a very real spoof online banking website page to convince her.
The goal of criminals using brand spoofing is to lead consumers to believe that a request for information is coming from a legitimate company. In reality, it is a malicious attempt to collect customer information for the purpose of committing fraud.
To protect yourself from being a victim:
Never send money to a stranger using a money transfer service. If you have any suspicions at all to the legitimacy of the call/offer/request take your time before you take any action. Consult with family, friends, banking officials and police prior to providing personal information or sending money.
If you have any questions or concern about this scam or any other types of scams contact your local police agency immediately. You can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
