Thursday morning, a Bancroft area resident reported that they had received a telephone call from an unknown person advising them that they had won millions of dollars.
The caller told them they could collect the money if they purchased gift cards and provided security numbers on the back of the gift cards.
The resident complied and was then asked to send funds in the form of a certified cheque.
The funds were forwarded to the caller but the resident became suspicious and contacted the OPP.
Provincial Police remind people to be wary of any phone call, text or email from someone claiming you have won money telling you to send gift cards or money to collect the prize.
OPP say some tips to protect yourself are:
Never provide personal information such as name, date of birth or address by phone, text or email unless you initiated it.
Never provide financial information or social insurance number by phone, text or email unless you initiated it.
Never purchase and send gift card information to anyone claiming that you must do this to collect a prize.
Never send money in any form to anyone claiming you have won a prize and need to send money to receive that prize.
Immediately contact your financial institution if you have provided any of your financial information.
For additional information the public can contact:
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or www.antifraudcentre.ca
The Competition Bureau of Canada at 1-800-348-5358 or www.competitionbureau.gc.ca
