Ottawa Police urges caution with door-to-door contractors

 https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/ottawa-police-urges-caution-with-door-to-door-contractors.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 29, 2023   2:15 pm         

(Ottawa) — The Ottawa Police Service’s (OPS) Fraud Unit is warning residents to proceed cautiously with any door-to-door contractor sales after receiving an increase in the number of reports from residents.

In the past two weeks, the Fraud Unit has received five reports, with an estimated loss of $250,000 to Ottawa-area residents.

“It’s always the same pitch, they say they’re already in the area working on a neighbour’s home and can offer a great deal,” said Fraud Unit Acting Sergeant Shaun Wahbeh. “Most of the reports we are receiving identify the suspects as white males, typically in pairs, ages 40 to 50, with Irish or Scottish accents.”

The high-pressure sales pitch typically is for very expensive work, including foundation repair, which can cost upwards of $100,000. Money is asked for upfront, and in most cases the work is started but never completed, leaving the homeowner to foot the bill to clean up and complete the job.

“Protect yourself when you meet these folks at the door,” said A/Sgt. Wahbeh. “These individuals tend to rotate from city to city with the same scam and we started to see them return to Ottawa last month.”

When hiring contractors, a reputable business will take time to go through a contract and provide you with a quote for reasonable market rates. You can establish things like a ceiling on contingency costs as well as whether to pay a flat or hourly rate in a written contract. Be smart and look up the business on reputable websites like the Better Business Bureau, make calls to other contractors to ask for quotes to compare, and ask for references you can call. If the price being quoted sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

“The best thing you can do is to take their information and then do your research,” said A/Sgt. Wahbeh. “The more they pressure you to hand over money or act quickly or lose the opportunity, it’s a signal to walk away.”

If you need help determining whether something is a scam or not, you can always contact our partners at Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario by dialling 211.

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Fraudulent transactions increasing on online marketplaces: Taylor Swift tickets

 https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/fraudulent-transactions-increasing-on-online-marketplaces-taylor-swift-tickets.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 1, 2023   1:45 pm    

(Ottawa) —The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is warning the public that there has been a significant increase in the risk of financial loss when conducting purchases through Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. 

In recent weeks, the Fraud Unit has received an increase in reports of fake ticket sales for the sold-out Taylor Swift concerts, with some complainants losing upwards of $2,000. Ottawa residents have lost more than $12,000 to this scam in the last three days alone.  

Use caution if you are making an online purchase with an unknown seller. Fraud Unit Investigators are seeing a recent trend where buyers place large deposits on unseen goods with unknown sellers, only to never receive the product. It’s vital to take the time to meet with the seller, inspect what you are buying, and question anything that seems too good to be true. If you are not sure how to proceed, you can call our partners at Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario by dialling 211 or visiting 211ontario.ca, and they can help walk you through any questions.

New trend: Reverse e-transfer scams

We are also seeing a new trend of reverse e-transfer scams where residents think they receive payment or a deposit for goods. Sellers will often click links without carefully reviewing them, which gives criminals access to their banking information. Criminals are using fake and hacked social media accounts that look legitimate and then redirect the money to fraudulent bank accounts.

According to the RCMP, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that they received fraud and cybercrime reports totalling a staggering $530 million in victim losses. Nearly a 40% increase from the unprecedented $380 million in losses in 2021. They further indicate that, unfortunately, the increase in financial loss isn’t tied to an increase in reporting—the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that only 5 to 10% of people report fraud.

“While police are there to help, and we will investigate and lay charges where warranted, a lot of these incidents rely on the courts to determine the process, including deciding what restitution is appropriate, which can often take years to resolve,” said Fraud Unit Investigator Constable Shaun Wahbeh. “This really is a buyer-beware situation, and residents need to be smart about how they shop online.” 

If you have been defrauded, please file a report online at ottawapolice.ca/report. If you’re not sure, contact 211.

Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which monitors trends that help to inform the public on how to avoid falling victim to new and emerging scams.