Local resident caught up in scam involving Facebook account hack
On Dec. 15, Wellington OPP were contacted by a victim of a fraud that had occurred on that date.
The victim advised police the victim’s Facebook account had been hacked. When this happened, the victim searched the internet for a number to contact Facebook to have it unlocked. The victim called the number located and reported the Facebook account being hacked. The victim requested the account be unlocked. The victim was told to pay a sum in iTunes gift cards to have the account unlocked. The victim bought the requested iTunes gift cards and turned over the numbers of the cards to the person on the phone. At this point the person on the phone advised that the victim would be required to pay more in gift cards. The victim refused and hung up realizing that this was a scam.
“Modern, tech-savvy scammers have the ability to create very convincing scams,” police warn. “They won’t hesitate to use the name of a legitimate company in an effort to gain your trust and trick you into paying them. Always be cautious with unsolicited email, phone calls, letters, even visitors at your door. Always be certain who you are dealing with before you ever consider sending money or sharing personal information,” police state.
If you think you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
