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OPP Warn Public About Two Common Phone Scams

Sunday, 10 July 2016 08:27

OPP are still receiving reports of the emergency/grandparent phone scam and the Microsoft phone scam.

The OPP are once again reminding the public about two phone scams that are still generating money.

One is called the emergency or grandparent scam. How it works is you will get a call from someone pretending to be a close relative, usually a grandson or daughter. They will tell you they have been arrested, or been in a bad collision and need money wired to them right away to pay for medical bills or bail. Police are reminding seniors to be wary of these calls and ask lots of questions that only your loved ones would know. In 2014 alone 737 people in Canada fell victim to this scam and lost a combined $2.4 million.

Another popular scam still generating money is called the Microsoft scam. How it works is someone will call you pretending to work for Microsoft and they will tell you that you have a computer virus. They will try to sell you a package over the phone and ask for remote access to your computer. Once they get access to your computer they can now access your personal information.

Keep yourself safe by watching out for these common warning signs:

Urgency - The scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim to not verify the story.

Fear - The scammer plays on the victim’s emotions by generating a sense of fear.

Request for Money Transfer - Money is usually requested to be sent by a money transfer company such as Money Gram, Western Union or even through your own financial institution.  

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