Sarnia Police continually take reports about ongoing scams, even though they attempt to educate the public about them, directing attention to various links to other websites. Below are some examples of recent investigations.
In mid May, police spoke to an 86 year old man who indicated he had received a phone call from a male who stated he was a lawyer from London and representing the 86 year old man’s grandson. The caller advised the man’s grandson was involved in a collision and needed money for damages. The money was to be sent to Montreal. When the man went to a local outlet to send a money order, the employees told the man it appeared to be a scam and they would not complete the transaction for him. He was not convinced.
The man received a second phone call from the “lawyer”. He was instructed to go to a different outlet and not to give the employees many details. The “lawyer” now lowered the dollar amount. The transaction was complete and $1,000 was sent to an address in Montreal. The 86 year old finally called family member and learned his grandson was in Sarnia and had never left.
At the end of May, the Criminal Investigations Branch became involved in a fraud that saw a 54 year old Sarnia woman duped out of over $250,000 by two men she met on an internet dating website. The relationships commenced about 18 months ago when she began communicating with the first man who claimed to be in the United States military. The second man claimed to be a resident of Spain and owned properties in England.
Earlier this week, a Sarnia Police detective spent a lengthy time on the telephone with a 63 year old woman who indicted she met a man on another popular social media web site. The woman believed the man was working on humanitarian business and after several online conversations the man wanted the woman to send him $5,000 for legal problems. When the woman went to her bank to withdraw the money, staff warned her about the potential scam. She withdrew $2,000. Went she attempted to wire the money at a local outlet, the staff at that located warned her as well and actually refused to participate.
The woman returned home and contacted the man via the internet. He instructed her in a different way to send the money. The money was sent to an address in Scotland. The Sarnia Police detective met with the woman who provided copies and receipts of the transactions. Again, the detective explained how these types of operations work and the likelihood that further contact may be forthcoming with a request for more funds.
Sarnia Police would also like to advise the community on some fraud prevention tips for the upcoming summer season. Protect your cards, cash and identification. Let your bank know you are travelling and where you will be and when you will be home. Do not advertise your vacation plan on social media. Keep in touch with loved ones and friends while you are away. When you return, check your credit card and bank statements to make sure that all charges and transactions were made by you. For more information, you can check you http://www.cba.ca/en.