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Middlesex OPP warn residents to be on alert over ‘hitman’ scam emails

Middlesex OPP warn residents to be on alert over ‘hitman’ scam emails - image
File / Global News

Residents are urged to be wary of suspicious emails after Middlesex OPP received a report of what is commonly known as the “hitman” scam. 

READ MORE: OPP warn of Facebook scam after Norfolk County resident loses $100K

Last Thursday, someone from Middlesex Centre contacted police saying they had received multiple emails from someone claiming they had been hired to harm them. The scammer requested $10,000 as payment to “stop the operation.”

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“Can you imagine the fear and anxiety someone feels when receiving this kind of information? That is what the fraudsters prey on,” Const. Max Gomez told 980 CFPL.

“It’s a scam. Report it, recognize it, and delete it.”

In most instances of the scam, the email claims “you have been betrayed by someone,” who hired the author of the email to kill you but that if you pay them — usually double what they claim to initially have been paid — then they will cancel the contract and tell you who hired them.

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READ MORE: A warning to Calgary hockey groups after nearly $100K stolen in email scam

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre suggests the public ignore such emails. The centre also warns people that in addition to trying to scam you out of money, the fraudsters also often aim to get personal information so they can steal your identity.

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