New fraud scam targeting local businesses and hotels

 https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/new-fraud-scam-targeting-local-businesses-and-hotels.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 13, 2024    10:50 am

(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service Fraud Unit is warning of a new fraud scheme targeting businesses and hotels in the Ottawa area.

The incidents reported all follow the same pattern: a fraudster, usually male, will call the business claiming to be the owner or manager stating that there is an urgent need to pay a bill related to the business. They then direct the employee to gather funds from the register, safe or office and deposit it into a bitcoin machine or to Western Union.

In some instances the suspect was familiar with employee names and local business policies.

No government agency or legitimate business will ask you to purchase gift cards or bitcoin in order to settle an account. 

If you have been a victim of fraud, please make a report online with the Ottawa Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by phone at 1-888-495-8501 (toll-free).

You can read more about scams and tips to protect yourself. You can also visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for information on popular scams and the Toronto Police Service for tips on how to protect yourself from scams.

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Through the Community Safety Data portal data.ottawapolice.ca, members of the public can view, download, and interact with data released by Ottawa Police Service.

CONTACT:

Media Relations Section

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366

Purchase of pre-paid gift cards scam targeting businesses in Ottawa area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 4, 2018      9:00am

(Ottawa) –The Ottawa Police Organized Fraud Unit is warning the community about a recent fraud that has been reported in the Ottawa area.  Employees at businesses, particularly those who are in administrative positions, have been receiving email messages that appear to come from the CEO of their company.  

The emails are asking the employee to purchase prepaid gift cards and to forward the number on the cards back to the supposed CEO.  The employee later finds out that it was not the CEO who has sent the email and that there is no balance remaining on the card.  

Upon closer examination of the original email, it is found not to have come from the CEOs email but from a very similar address that may only differ by one or two letters or by a slightly different domain name. 

The numbers off of the prepaid cards are then sold on the web and usually spent within minutes in foreign countries. 

Businesses are encouraged to maintain strict protocols for ordering and authorizing financial transactions by email.

The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit is advising the public that are or have been victims of this scam to contact the Ottawa Police and make a report at 613-236-1222 ext. 7300 or online at ottawapolice.ca.

For more information on this and other frauds, please follow @FraudOttawa 

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by downloading the Ottawa Police app. 

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.   

OPP warn of iTunes gift card scam in Grenville County

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/opp-warn-of-itunes-gift-card-scam-in-grenville-county

EVELYN HARFORD, OTTAWA CITIZEN
More from Evelyn Harford, Ottawa Citizen

Published on: June 9, 2016 | Last Updated: June 9, 2016 5:45 PM EDT

Be wary of iTunes scammers, people! 

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OPP are warning the public about an iTunes gift card scam targeting residents in the Grenville County area. Police said the scam has siphoned $85,041 from the public this year alone, and that one person has lost almost $5,000.

The fraudsters commonly impersonate the Canada Revenue Agency and request payment of “back taxes” through iTunes gift cards, police said.

OPP said victims will receive a call or text message claiming they owe “back taxes” as the result of a tax audit. The fraudsters will then request they pay the taxes immediately to avoid a fine. Victims are then instructed to activate an iTunes gift card, and hand over the codes in order to pay the fees requested by the fraudsters.

Many victims are told they will be deported if the “back taxes” are not paid right away and that their “outstanding warrant” could be avoided if they pay the fees quickly.

This year, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 46 complaints about this particular scam.

To protect yourself against this scam, OPP advises that residents don’t pay for any service or product with an iTunes gift card and ask themselves why the CRA would want payment through such a method.

If approached about “back taxes,” police ask the public to call the CRA to confirm any taxes they may owe before providing personal or banking information.

The public is asked to call the Grenville County OPP Communication Centre at 1-888-310-1122, the Kemptville Detachment at 613-258-3441 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online if they have any information.