A Haliburton resident has lost $8,000 in an online scam.
Haliburton Highlands OPP has issued a warning after a person was victimized via telephone and computer.
A caller posing as an employee from the CIBC Bank Fraud section convinced the resident their bank accounts and been compromised and that officials needed their help to catch the culprits.
The victim was then manipulated into providing remote access to their bank account at which point the scammers convinced them that the bank had deposited funds into their account to attempt to catch the non-existent crooks.
The fraudsters then directed the victim to withdraw that amount of money that had supposedly been deposited and use it to buy Google Play Cards.
After warning the victim to not disclose the action to anyone or risk undermining the fake investigation, the scammers made away with the money through the purchase of the cards.
Police want to remind people to be extremely cautious with the information they give out. They also say that anyone calling from a bank will not ask for private banking details as they would already possess that information.
Never provide remote access to your computer.
Police say there are numerous scams being perpetrated online every day, often targeting our most vulnerable populations.
For further information on past and current scams, you can visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud website at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm or contact them by phone: Toll Free 1-888-495-8501