St. Thomas, Ont., senior duped out of $27,000 through ransomware scam: police

Police in St. Thomas, Ont., are investigating after they say an 83-year-old man was scammed out of $27,000.

So far, investigators say it appears that the man’s computer was “infected with ransomware after he either opened a bad attachment or clicked a bad link” in an email.

“The fraudsters used the malware to freeze the victim’s computer and then pose as his anti-virus provider looking to offer him a refund,” police said in a release.

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“The man provided his banking info and was then taken in further by the scheme.”

Police say those responsible for the scam then claimed to have made a mistake and refunded “an exorbitant amount of money” to the victim and told him he needed to return that money immediately in the form of cash by withdrawing three separate amounts of money and couriering it to an address in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The man did as instructed but then discovered the “refund” was gone after he had sent the cash.

Police have not said whether or not the man has been able to retrieve any of his money. The investigation is ongoing.