Fake police officer in bank card scam asked resident for $10K in cash: Haldimand OPP

Haldimand County OPP say they are investigating a fraud case in which a caller reportedly impersonated a police officer asking for cash.

According to OPP, a man claiming to be a peace officer reached out by phone and convinced an elderly female resident in Hagersville on Friday to use a large brand-name courier company to send $10,000 to an unknown address.

The sender, who reportedly says the caller told her a bank card had been compromised, reached out to OPP after becoming suspicious of the intended recipient of the money, police say.

Investigators say they were able to recover the woman’s cash after reaching out to the courier and stopping the delivery.

OPP Const. Rod LeClair says an investigation into the incident is ongoing and urges residents to never give out personal information or money to someone they don’t know.

“Police agencies would never ask residents for currency to investigate incidents,” said LeClair. “Never give personal information or currency to anyone you do not know, and keeping yourself educated on various frauds and scams will significantly reduce the risk of you becoming a victim.”

OPP are encouraging recipients of suspected fraudulent calls, texts or emails to reach out to police, whether they become victims or not. He suggests calling the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visiting its website.