A Mapleton resident is out over $100,000 after being the victim of an investment scam.
On July 24th, Wellington County OPP responded to a report of fraud with the victim saying they lost around $109,000 in a scam involving bitcoin.
The victim then paid around $4000 to a company claiming they could recover his lost investment. Investigation determined this was also another scam.
OPP are reminding residents to be aware of recovery pitch scams where fraudsters keep a list of previous victims by phone, mail or social media and use search optimization and claim they can recover funds the victim lost in a previous scam.
Police are offering up tips to avoid being the victim of a scam;
If you’ve been a victim of fraud, fraudsters may target you again with a promise to get your money back.
• Never be afraid to hang up the phone.
• Never allow an unknown person to gain remote access to your computer/device.
• Always have your computer/device serviced by a reputable local business.
• Never pay an advance fee to obtain a refund.
• Remember that search engine optimization refers to the ability to have websites appear in the first results of an online search.
• Don’t assume the top results mean companies are legitimate.
