Peterborough OPP has received a report of fraud from a resident in the Municipality of Trent Lakes. An individual reported that they fell victim to fraud on January 30. The victim said they were contacted by someone claiming to be from their cell phone provider, who informed them that their account had been hacked. The caller mentioned that an email with a security code would be sent. The victim got the email, which seemed legitimate but, feeling suspicious about the call, hung up and called back using the number provided. They ended up speaking with the same person again. The victim gave them the code and soon after, both their phone and email were hacked and disabled. When the victim returned home, they found out that their bank account had been accessed and around $55,000 was transferred out. The victim quickly contacted their bank, which managed to reverse roughly $36,000 of the funds and is actively working to recover the rest. Police advise that if you receive a similar call, don’t trust the information given by the caller. Hang up and reach out to your service provider or bank using a number you know is valid-not one provided by the caller over the phone or in an email. Be cautious if you get an email from what looks like your bank or service provider asking for personal information or security codes. These are typical scam tactics so remain alert for calls like this. Never share any banking details or personal info based on such calls. Scammers depend on your trust to obtain what they need to exploit you. OPP encourages residents to stay alert and report any suspicious fraud offers or contractor activities. If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or reach out to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. For further information on how to spot scams and protect yourself, visit www. ontario. ca/page/identify-scam-or-fraud.
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