The South Simcoe Police Service is warning the public about a new scam involving a fraudulent GIC offer after an elderly Innisfil, Ont., man fell victim.
On Thursday, police say they were contacted by an 84-year-old Innisfil man who had transferred a significant sum of money to a fake Manulife Financial account.
The victim told police he was contacted via email in October about a GIC offer from someone pretending to be a senior accounts advisor from Manulife Financial.
Police say the victim received brochures and a GIC application over several weeks before he sent the requested identification with the application, opened an account and transferred the cash.
On Thursday, the victim told police he contacted Manulife directly via the phone, which confirmed it did not have any information on the account or the victim on file.
Manulife Financial posted a warning on its website dated Nov. 8 urging people to be on the lookout for fraudulent documents.
“A fraudulent product offer referencing Manulife and Manulife Bank is currently in circulation. It promotes inaccurate GIC rates and portrays false information. Please do not share any personal information, and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and local police authorities if you’ve been offered this product.
“No employee or authorized agent of Manulife or Manulife Bank, or any related entity is in any way associated with these materials or actions. We are actively monitoring and investigating this situation and taking steps to protect our clients and community.”
In light of the incident, police advise residents to always check email addresses to ensure they are legitimate, research and directly contact the person or business with a number they obtain to verify the source is valid.
Police also remind people never to disclose information if they did not initiate the contact.
Anyone who is a victim of fraud is encouraged to report it to the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Comments