Puslinch, Ont. resident bilked out of over $300K by online scammer

A resident of Puslinch, Ont., is out $300,000 after becoming the victim of an online scam, according to provincial police in Wellington County.

OPP say they were contacted by the victim on Sunday about the scam, which had been ongoing since October 2022.

In a release, police say that the grifter, whom the victim had met online, claimed to need money for different reasons. The victim would then pass along money through a bitcoin machine.

Police say that the victim also invested money into the scammer’s business, which they were told would double their investment.

The victim caught onto the scam when they were unable to withdraw any money from the investment and then called the police in.

Last year, Ontario residents lost more than $100 million through investment-related frauds and another $20 million to romance schemes, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

They say that only five to 10 per cent of all romance fraud is ever reported.

The OPP is warning residents to never send money or personal information to anyone they have not met in person.

They are also advising people to call police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as there are resources that can help.