Perth East resident loses more than $39K in fraud incident

A person is seen typing on a computer in this undated file photo.

OPP are investigating after a resident of Perth East lost more than $39,000 after they gave a fraudster posing as a member of the Geek Squad access to their computer.

According to a press release from Perth County OPP, on Tuesday afternoon police entered into a fraud investigation after an individual had reported being a victim of fraud between Oct. 31 and Nov. 8.

Police say the suspect posed as an employee of the Geek Squad, and the victim agreed to give the suspect access to her computer for a week.

Over the course of the week, the suspect allegedly manipulated the victim’s bank accounts, and was defrauded of more than $39,000.

“Fraud is a multi-billion dollar per year business and modern, tech savvy, fraudsters will do their best to create confusion and chaos during interactions, leading victims to react impulsively and hand over their money,” the release says.

With this in mind, police recommend that people verify any unsolicited request before responding with personal information. If feeling pressured, police recommend hanging up the phone or deleting the sender’s profile.

OPP remind residents to contact police at 1-888-310-1122 if they believe they have been the victim of fraud.

The investigation continues.