ELLIOT LAKE – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to alert the public about a new scam circulating in East Algoma in which the victim receives a letter in the mail from a supposed accountant. The letter indicates that the person receiving the letter is heir to a large inheritance and will receive a large sum of money. The suspect asks that the claimant provide personal information by fax or email to continue the process. Several types of this fraud have been reported to the police already.
Another Fraud in the area being reported to the police is a phone call from someone posing as a family member and advising that they are in jail and need the victim to send them money to get them out.
If you receive one of these calls or receive one of these letters in the mail, do not give out any personal information or access codes. Instead hang up and report it to police.
Other Safety Tip Reminders regarding Fraudulent Telephone Calls:
- Do not give out your credit card number, your passwords or PIN over the phone, even if the caller claims to be from a legitimate company
- Do not give out credit card information by e-mail as it is not a secure method of transmission.
- Only share your personal information with companies you know and trust.
- Report suspicious calls to police. We will respond to these calls. You can also contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501.
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
