Guelph police say a senior is out $12,000 after talking with a stranger online.
On Monday, the victim in her 70s reported a fraud to investigators after having billing issues with a television streaming service.
Initially, she called the provider to dispute the issue before being given another phone number, which police said eventually put her in touch with someone whom she believed was a representative of the company.
She granted the man access to her computer after she was allegedly told she’d be reimbursed $120.
After she went back on her computer, police said the senior noticed an additional $12,000 was put into her bank account.
To correct the error, the man said he needed $12,000 transferred to him after claiming to have put the decimal in the wrong place.
She then transferred the funds over two days to an address in Barrie.
Investigators said the victim later discovered the money in her chequing account was actually transferred from her own savings account.
Residents are being advised to be careful with who they speak to, whether it’s online or over the phone.