Purported California boyfriend bilks Leeds woman out of $60,000, police say

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/purported-california-boyfriend-bilks-leeds-woman-out-of-60000-police-say

Published on: April 18, 2018 | Last Updated: April 18, 2018 5:21 PM EDT

The online lover told an Elizabethtown-Kitley woman he’d met on an online dating site that he just needed to clear up some tax trouble before he could move from California to be with her.

Two transactions and nearly $60,000 later, the victim has been left with a “broken heart and bank account,” as OPP in Leeds County hunt a con artist who could be across the street or across the globe.

The force warned that the criminals behind “romance scams” hunt dating websites and social media or even use email blasts to find victims who can lose tens of thousands before the relationship abruptly ends, usually without a single in-person meeting. Seniors are among the most vulnerable.

Leeds OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre offered these tips: 

• First, ask yourself: “Would someone I have never met, really declare their love for me after only a few letters or emails?” If the answer is no, report it to police.
• Don’t give out any personal information in an email or when chatting online. Check the person’s name, the company name, and the addresses used.
• Never send money, or give personal credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. A request to send money to a foreign country or to someone you have never met should be a red flag.
• Check website addresses carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with addresses that are very similar to legitimate dating websites.

Anyone who suspects that they or someone they know has been a victim of a romance scam can contact their local police service and also file a complaint through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre.ca.

Beware of a scam targeting international students, using Ottawa Police phone number

https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/index.aspx?newsId=2e1b8db8-d6cc-47bb-88f2-1e62302135dd

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 5, 2018           11:25am 

(Ottawa) — The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit is warning the public of the resurgence of a previously reported scam.  

Victims, who are mostly international students, have received calls from persons pretending to be investigators from the Government of Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department. 

The fraudster typically tells the victim that they have committed a crime in their home country (usually money laundering) and that they will be deported unless they pay money to a lawyer.  The victim is then instructed to purchase pre-paid gift cards in order to pay the lawyer.  

To further complicate matters, the calls appear to be from telephone numbers that belong to Ottawa Police Service i.e. 613-236-1222. 

Citizens, especially students, are reminded that should they receive unsolicited calls from a person requesting money or personal information; they advise the person on the line that they will call them back. They should then verify the correct number for whatever agency is supposedly calling and then call them back, as applicable.

It should be further noted that the actual Ottawa Police phone number (613-236-1222) will not show up on your call display when you are receiving a legitimate call from the Ottawa Police. 

It is believed that these calls are originating from outside of Canada. 

Anyone who has lost money as a result of this scam is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service to make a report at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300. You can also make a report online at ottawapolice.ca.