WPS Notice a Rise in Frauds and Scams During Lockdown

Wednesday, 20 January 2021 14:48

Woodstock Police are warning the public about a number of frauds and scams happening locally, including some where residents have lost a significant amount of money.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock Police have noticed a rise in the amount of frauds being reported during lockdown.

Scammers even made the mistake of trying to scam call 9-1-1 this week. A local dispatcher was received a 9-1-1 call stating there are two charges on your credit card. Police are warning the public to hang up if you receive random calls like this and always contact your bank to determine if the calls are legitimate.

Woodstock Police are also warning the public about the following popular scams that are making the rounds locally.

Classified Scams on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace:

This is a common scam that has popped up recently in Woodstock. A local resident was trying to sell an item online when they were asked to ship it to an address in the States. The person received an email indicating that a PayPal payment was pending. They sent the item, however the money had never actually been sent.

Another popular scam online is when purchasing pets through Kijiji. A local resident recently lost some money on a down payment for a dog that didn't exist.

Bitcoin Scam:

WPS have been contacted several times about a Bitcoin scam. At least one resident lost a lot of money to a scammer pretending to represent an investing company. In this case the victim converted large amounts of money into Bitcoin over several months. The scammer then ended communication with the victim, once they accessed the bitcoin.

Online Shopping:

Police are warning everyone to be cautious when online shopping. Make sure you have done your research that you are shopping with a safe and secure web site.

Tips to help determine if the website is safe to purchase from:

- Check for a privacy statement
- Look for an address and phone number
- Try to use trusted retailers – try to buy from retailers you have heard of
- Be suspicious of deals that are “too good to be true”
- Look for a certificate of authentication – legitimate ecommerce websites often have a “trust mark” somewhere on the page that represent accreditations from Internet security bodies.
- Check for an SSL Certificate – look for a padlock icon next to the web address at the top of your browser or be mindful that secure websites begin with https:/ while other websites begin with http:/