A senior in Norfolk County is out hundreds of thousands of dollars after police say she fell victim to a romance scam.
OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk says the senior was led to believe she had a serious connection with a man she met through a dating website.
Police were notified of the scam on Nov. 13. They say several emails were exchanged and that the victim forwarded roughly $300,000 between July and November of this year.
Sanchuk warns that any time someone, especially a stranger, asks about money, it should send up a red flag.
“It’s not always easy to spot scams, and new ones are invented every day,” he said.
“Knowledge is power. If you want to stay on top of scams, inform yourself on how to recognize the various types of scams and protect your personal information by visiting law enforcement organizations.”
Police say single or recently unattached people, often women, are among the growing number of vulnerable people to be victimized by these kinds of scams.
According to police, there are ways to prevent these types of scams, and people need to be mindful of them.
They recommend that people check websites carefully because scammers often set up fake sites with very similar addresses to legitimate dating platforms.
Police also say it’s never a good idea to send money, account details or any personal information to someone you have met online.
For more information on fraud, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.