Central Elgin resident loses over $150,000 in investment fraud

An OPP cruiser is pictured in this undated photo. (Source: OPP Central Region)

The Elgin County OPP Detachment is investigating a recent report of fraud where a resident lost over $150,000.

Officers were contacted by a resident of Central Elgin on Oct. 5, who reported losing more than $150,000 in an investment fraud over a period of two months, starting in July 2023.

The victim explained to police that they were referred to an investment opportunity by an individual who they had met on a social media platform.

The victim made a series of investments over a period of two months and when attempting to make a withdrawal of funds was only permitted access to a limited dollar amount.

Police say the victim then contacted another agency claiming to be "Legal Services in Canada" to initiate an investigation and was informed that the initial lost could be recovered but a sum of money was required for fees and taxes.

After paying the requested sum, the victim discovered that this too was a fraud, and contacted the police.

The investigation is ongoing.

OPP outline how to protect yourself:

• Do not give out your personal information (name, address, DOB, SIN, banking credentials).
• Do not accept friend requests from people you do not know.
• Do not invest your money in platforms provided by people you do not know.
• Be careful who you share images with. Suspects will often use explicit pictures to extort victims into sending more money.
• Protect your online accounts.
• Get more than one quote for home repair work and never feel pressured.
• Never send money to someone you have not met.
• Do not respond to text messages from phone numbers you do not recognize.

Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself.

If you fall victim to a fraud or know someone who has, contact your local police service to report the crime and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS), even if a monetary loss did not occur.

The Elgin County OPP would also like to remind the public of an upcoming FIGHTFraud information session will take place on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2023, at 7 p.m., at the Vienna Lions Community Centre located at 26 Fulton St, Vienna, ON N0J 1Z0.

Participants interested in attending to learning about fraud prevention should register ahead of the date by emailing the host of the event, Vienna Lions Club, at [e-mail].