Police are warning the public to be vigilant following a recent fake charge scam that cost a Perth East resident.
The Perth County OPP were contacted by a resident reporting they had been a victim of a fraudulent computer scam on Monday, September 12 just before 9 in the morning. The investigation revealed that the victim had some pop up windows on their computer on Saturday, September 10, stating their computer was infected and to contact the number provided to have the issue rectified. The victim granted the suspect remote access to their computer where the victim’s personal information was compromised. The victim also provided a credit card number and was billed $940.
Police are asking the public to never grant access to your computer, or give out personal, banking or credit card information to anyone unless you are sure of whom you are dealing with. Reputable agencies, including the police and RCMP, will not ask for this information unless you have initiated the call.
Tips to protect yourself:
-Never download anti-virus software from a pop-up or link sent to you through email.
-Update your anti-virus software often and scan your computer for viruses regularly.
-Don’t click on links or attachments in e-mails sent to you by someone you don’t know.
-Turn on your browser’s pop-up blocking feature.
-Never clock on a pop up that claims your computer has a virus.
For more information on the various scams happening in our communities, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.
