Provincial police are asking everyone to be wary after a senior in Oxford County was robbed of $20,000 through a phone scam.
The Ontario Provincial Police said the local resident was called by a person claiming to be a manager from their bank, who said a teller had stolen money from the victim's account. The caller claimed to need their help to catch the thief and asked to remotely access the victim's computer.
Once access was granted, a large quantity of funds was removed from a line of credit and then transferred to a second account. About $20,000 removed from the account.
"The painful irony of this scam is that it is an honest individual's desire to help catch a criminal that ends up turning that person into a victim. Luckily there are a few simple precautions that individuals can take to ensure they don't fall prey to this type of fraud," said Constable Ed Sanchuk.
Anyone who has received this type of telephone call is asked to report the attempted fraud their your bank and the local police to ensure that other people in the community will be notified and protected. Anyone with further information about this incident is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
