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East Algoma OPP – Be Wary of Tech Support Scams

The East Algoma Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to remind the public that there are many schemes being used to defraud the public and businesses. If you receive any unsolicited communication by any means asking for money to be given, be cautious and suspicious.

 

A technical support scam, or tech support scam, is a type of fraud in which a scammer claims to offer a legitimate technical support service. Victims contact scammers in a variety of ways, often through fake pop-ups resembling error messages or via fake “help lines” advertised on websites owned by the scammers. Technical support scammers use social engineering and a variety of confidence tricks to persuade their victim of the presence of problems on their computer or mobile device, such as a malware infection, when there are no issues with the victim’s device. The scammer will then persuade the victim to pay to fix the fictitious “problems” that they claim to have found. Payment is made to the scammer through ways which are hard to trace and have fewer consumer protections in place which could allow the victim to claim their money back, usually through gift cards.  Lately, scammers have been contacting prior victims of scams, stating they can help get their money back. This ultimately results in the victim getting scammed again.

 

Remember, any legitimate agency will NEVER request a payment by wire transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards or pre-paid gift cards such as Google Play, iTunes, Vanilla, etc. Scammers will ask to purchase large denomination gift cards as form of payment.

 

“Awareness is key when it comes to recognizing frauds and scams. There are so many types out there but the better educated the public are, the less chance they have to fall victim to these ruthless scammers. Don’t keep it a secret – talk to a friend, family member, neighbour, or police before making any decisions to send money to people you don’t know”, says OPP Community Safety Officer Phil Young.

If you believe that someone is posing as a fraudster on the phone, hang up.  Also, you can report it through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. If you are a victim of a fraud or scam, contact your local police agency.

OPP
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