Lambton OPP are looking for a woman in her 40s after a Petrolia resident fell victim to an emergency scam.

Sunday, police heard from a Petrolia resident who had been lost $6,000 to scammers. The victim said around 1:30 pm Friday, they had a phone call from someone who they thought was their son. The person needed bail money after a car accident, the caller said. The victim then talked to a ‘lawyer’ who was supposed to be handling the son’s case.

The victim was told to provide the cash to a ‘court employee’ who came to her home to collect the cash that afternoon. The woman in her 40s, with a heavy build and brown hair, was in on the scam.

Police are continuing to investigate but are also asking people to watch for these signs of a scam:

• Urgency – The scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim to not verify the story.
• Fear – The scammer plays on the victim’s emotions by generating a sense of fear. For example, they may say, “I am scared and need help from you.”
• Secrecy – The scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation.

Police say you should first check with another family member or trusted friend to verify the information BEFORE sending money or providing credit card information by phone or e-mail.

And the OPP says it is vitally important that the incident be reported every time it occurs, to allow police to investigate and prevent others of becoming victims.