Middlesex OPP are investigating after an Adelaide-Metcalfe resident lost $35,000 in a computer scam.
Police said the incident began with the victim clicking on a fraudulent pop-up alert, and it ended with the fraudsters demanding approximately $35,000 worth of Bitcoin.
Cst. Jeff Hare said sometime last week, the victim clicked on a fake Microsoft pop-up which indicated an update was ready for their computer. The victim called the number provided and later purchased and installed a fake firewall on their computer.
The following day, another individual posing as a Microsoft representative called to confirm everything was working well at which time access was granted to the victims' computer as well as banking information.
Hare said the fraudsters then advised they had inadvertently transferred funds into the victim's account and demanded the money be paid back in Bitcoin. The victim complied and transferred approximately $35,000 in Bitcoin to the unknown individuals. The victim reported the incident to police on August 7 once they had realized what had happened.
"That's typically what happens," said Hare. "Somebody will become a victim of fraud, not realize it immediately, and then all of a sudden they'll talk to somebody and they'll say 'what a minute, that sounds like a fraud,' and then they will call us."
Hare said a lot of victims won't call police because they're embarrassed. "And they know, or they believe that they're not going to figure out where their money went," he said. "We do have some successful cases where he have got people's money back, so it's always worth a phone call to us so that we can at least open an investigation."
Hare said it is imperative to verify any unsolicited requests before you respond or provide personal information, and that if you feel pressured, hang up the phone or delete the sender's profile.
Hare added that you're not alone if you're a victim of fraud. "There's a lot of resources out there to help you along," he said. "It can be very embarrassing, it can be very upsetting, it can leave you feeling very susceptible, and it's a very difficult time for the victims of fraud."
For more information on fraud, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.
