The Thunder Bay Police Service is issuing a public warning about a possible scam currently targeting local residents.
Recently police were made aware of a case where a local woman was defrauded of about $50,000. An investigation revealed the 83-year-old Thunder Bay woman was contacted by phone by a person claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House Canada.
The woman was told she had won a large cash prize along with other valuable merchandise. The fraudster then told the victim that she would have to send money to cover the taxes of the prize winnings.
Fraudsters will often try to trap their victims through promises of prizes and valuable rewards. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
These kinds of scam often target the elderly or the more vulnerable populations. Please speak with your elderly friends and family members who may be more at-risk of being victimized by this scam.
For more information about ongoing frauds and scams and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.