March is Fraud prevention month and the OPP is investigating an online scam in which one of the fraudsters claims to be a fraud investigator from the RCMP.
Police say an area resident recently received a pop-up message that there was a virus on her computer and to contact “Apple” at a number provided.
They say the victim called the number and was directed to download a popular remote entry software, allowing the fraudster, posing as a tech support employee, to gain control of the victim’s computer.
According to officials, the fraudster told the victim her address was associated to an international child pornography and money laundering investigation and “transferred” the victim to a fake RCMP Cyber Crimes Investigator.
They say the victim questioned the fraudster, determined it was a fraud, and contacted the OPP, which helped her flag her bank accounts and “mitigate any financial losses.”
Officials add to be suspicious of any unsolicited calls or pop-ups, and to look up a company’s legitimate phone number rather than use the one provided by a potential fraudster.
**Written by Rick Lowes and Martin Halek