Peterborough Police Warn Public of Surfacing Scam With Fraudulent Government Officials or Law Enforcement Officers
/The Peterborough Police Service is warning residents after learning of a scam in which people pretend to be government officials or law enforcement officers demanding money.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Earlier this week, officers with the Fraud Unit learned of a scam in which a Peterborough resident lost over $43,000.
It started off with a phone call from someone claiming to be a government official with the High Commission of India in Canada and that the victim was a suspect in a money laundering investigation in India. The victim was told not to tell anyone, or they would be charged. As the scam continued, the victim was asked to answer a phone call every day at 8:00 a.m. for a month and engaged in several other communications in which the person on the other end of the phone appeared to be wearing a police uniform. The victim was eventually persuaded to send money in cryptocurrency to clear their name.
Earlier this year, another resident was scammed out of over $15,000 after being contacted similarly and being told they were a suspect in a money laundering investigation. In this case the victim was asked to purchase gift cards.
Officers with the Fraud Unit remind residents that fraud and scams are constant and often encourage secrecy, pressure to act and requests for money to avoid charges or jail time.
Government and law enforcement agencies do not accept cryptocurrencies and do not request payment.
The Peterborough Police have released these tips to stay scam safe:
Talk to trusted individuals about what is going on
Do your own research
Don’t give in to urgency
Don’t give any money
Be extra cautious
Think it might be a scam? Report it to your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
