A Chatham woman lost $14,000 in a scam and is warning others to be careful.
The victim did not want to be named but told Blackburn News that she was called recently by a man identifying himself as an employee from a well-known bank branch in Chatham.
She said he called around 8 a.m. one day and sounded very professional. He told her that there was a fraudulent charge on her credit card related to gift cards and the charge could have come from a former bank employee. The woman said she became suspicious when the man used a western sounding name but had a thick Middle Eastern accent. She said the RCMP is investigating after she reported the scam to Chatham-Kent police.
The unidentified woman also said she is too embarrassed to make her name public.
Police urge people to contact local police if they get a phone call trying to scam them out of money. Hang up on the scammer and notify your financial institution that your account may be affected.
People can also visit the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services website, or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly Phone Busters) toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.
You can also go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website for information on the latest scams.
The Ontario Provincial Police are also warning that scammers are programming call displays to say "Ontario Provincial Police" as a fraud tactic.
"If you receive a call like this, hang up. Never provide personal information including ID numbers, passwords or financial info," the OPP tweeted on Friday afternoon.
