A Howick Township resident lost $70,000 in an online scam.
Huron County OPP were contacted on October 6, where the victim reported losing the sum in an internet investment scam between July and October of this year.
The victim said they were called by a man who said he was a lawyer in England and his law firm was organizing a class action lawsuit for money lost in a 2009 investment scam.
The Howick resident sent $250 for a retainer fee and granted remote access to his computer. The suspect then had the victim invest money through bank transfers that was then converted into cryptocurrency accounts.
The caller promised a return of $100,000.
Police are reminding the public not to share personal information, don't invest money into platforms provided by strangers, protect your online accounts, don't answer texts from phone numbers you don't know, and never send money to someone you haven't met.
In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported a total of $530 million in victim losses. It's estimated only 5 to 10 per cent of scams were reported to the Anti-Fraud Centre or police.
