OPP warning of new phone scam in Petawawa

The Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning residents of a new phone spoofing scam that has been circulating in the Petawawa area.

The OPP said in a media release that a Petawawa resident received a call from what they though was from their bank’s financial fraud department.

This scam is classified as a Bank Investigator fraud, where the fraudsters claim to be from your financial institution, law enforcement or an online merchant. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has reported over $5.9 million in losses so far in 2023.

Fraudsters will claim that there have been suspicious charges on an individual’s credit card. They say the charge is either from an online purchase, in-store transaction or an overseas transfer and need credit card information to cancel the transaction.

Many reports indicate that scammers will gain access to the victims’ computer to continue the “investigation”. Victims are then shown a fraudulent transaction on their online banking account.

The scammers state they want the victims’ help in an ongoing “investigation” against the criminals who stole their money. The alleged bank investigator and/or law enforcement official indicate they will send victims a deposit of funds for the victims to send overseas as part of the “investigation”. It is not until the transfers are completed that the victims realize funds were never deposited into their account.

Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. If not a victim, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre anyways.