You can bet that Margaret Merry of Iroquois Falls isn’t the only person in the area to get a phone call from a scammer recently.
She didn’t fall for the offer of sending her millions of dollars and a luxury car, if she sent the caller two-thousand dollars.
“Prize scams in general are one of the highest reported scams across the province,” says OPP Const. Adam Gauthier. He notes that the caller says you’ve won, even if you haven’t entered a draw. They ask for an e-transfer, or a prepaid card, but then you don’t receive a prize.
“In Canada, if you do win a lottery, you’re never required to pay any fees or taxes in advance,” Gauthier explains. “So that’s a big one for the prize scams. Legitimate businesses and governments won’t ask for I-Tunes or Google Play cards as payment.”
Scammers can spoof phone numbers, making the number on your call display look like it’s from a legitimate Canadian agency.
If you’re concerned, Gauthier advises you to hang up and call the purported agency.
“If they say they’re Revenue Canada, call them back on the 1-800 number and ask if there’s anything going on with your account or anything like that. And if you think that you or someone has been a victim of fraud, you could contact your local police agency or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.”