The Independent

Lambton OPP are once again warning people to be wary of people asking for money over the phone after a St. Clair Township resident lost $13,000 in a scammer claiming she’d won a lottery.

March 17, shortly after 10 am, the OPP received a call from a person who had been contacted by someone claiming to represent a lottery commission. They were told they’d won a vehicle and to claim the prize, they were asked to make a payment using Apple gift cards.

The person agreed and bought the cards, but the prize was never received and the “lottery commission” stopped talking with them.

The OPP says fraudsters often request personal information such as your name, date of birth, address, banking information, or Social Insurance Number or demand payment through unconventional methods such as gift cards.

If you receive such a request:

•  Do not provide any personal or financial information
•  Do not send money or gift cards
•   Hang up or ignore the message
•   Block the Phone number or sender.

Warning sings of fraud may include:

• Messages or calls received at unusual hours
• Requests that create a sense of urgency
• Spelling or grammatical errors
• Generic greetings or suspicious links and attachments

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud officials say you should contact your local police service and repot the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca