Scam alerts: Police warn of a springtime surfeit of swindlers

In one day, the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police warned of three recent flimflams.

Published Mar 15, 2024 • Last updated 38 minutes ago • 3 minute read

Lanark OPP released these security camera image of two woman they believe were involved in a Feb. 20 theft on McNeely Street in Carleton Place. The one female’s face is obscured because police believe she is a minor, but they hope her clothing can help identify her. Photo by Postmedia

The old coin under your car trick, demands for payment in bitcoin, a plea to help the RCMP … it seems swindlers are popping up like springtime crocuses.

When it comes to scammers, knowledge is power. In one day, the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police warned of three recent flimflams.

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“Ma’am! You’ve dropped some change!”

This “distraction theft” cost a woman in Carleton Place her purse, according to the Lanark OPP.

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Police say the woman was in the parking lot of a grocery story on Feb. 20 when she was approached by two women who said one of them had dropped money that had rolled under the victim’s car. When the victim bent down to search, a male accomplice of the women opened the passenger-side door and swiped the woman’s purse.

A bystander saw what happened, but by that time the trio of thieves had jumped into a grey SUV, possibly a Honda CRV, and driven away north on McNeely Avenue. Security video showed the three thieves had been travelling together before the theft.

Police say the woman who created the distraction appeared to be in her 40s and had shoulder-length dark hair. The man is described only as being in his 40s. An image of the two women was released by police, although they blurred the second female’s face because they suspect she is a minor.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Lanark OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If you want to remain anonymous, call Lanark County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. You can also leave anonymous tips online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

The Cyber Crime scam

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A woman in Hawkesbury received a pop-up message on her computer warning that her computer had been infected by a virus and urging her to call Apple for tech support. When she did, the scammer, posing a tech-support worker, instructed her to download software that allowed him to remotely access her computer.

He then told her that her computer had been linked to a child pornography and money-laundering ring and transferred the call to a fake RCMP cyber-crime investigator. Her suspicions aroused, the woman began asking pointed questions and realized she was being grifted.

She reported the incident to the OPP, who gave her advice on how to secure her financial accounts “and mitigate any financial losses,” the OPP said in a release.

Fake service calls like this one accounted for $22 million in losses in Canada in 2023, police said. Their advice is to be suspicious of any unsolicited phone calls or pop ads about computer security or viruses. Don’t call a company number without double-checking that the number is legitimate, and never allow a stranger to access your computer remotely. If you do have a computer problem, take it to a reputable repair company, and never provide financial or personal information over the phone unless you’re the one who initiated the call.

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For more information or if you feel you’ve been victimized, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS), even if a financial loss did not occur.

“Pay me quickly — and pay me in crypto!”

Ottawa police say a number of area businesses and hotels have been targeted by a new scam. It works likes this: The scammer, usually a man, calls the business claiming to be the manager and tells the employee that there is an urgent bill that must be paid. He tells the employee to scoop money from the cash register or the office and to deposit it in a crypto currency ATM or with Western Union.

Often, the scammer knows employee names or details about the business and its policies.

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

That scam is basically the same way the City of Ottawa was bilked out of $128,000 in 2018. A Florida man who spoofed the email of a senior city executive was able to convince the city treasurer to transfer money to a fictitious U.S. firm. In 2022, the man was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison. In court records he was described as a “money mule” for an organized crime ring based in China.

If you have been a victim of fraud, police say, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or report online to Ottawa police.

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