the OPP
Rainy River District Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are advising the public to be aware of “Secret Shopper” scam.
Victims of this scam within the Rainy River District have received an envelope in the mail from the Mississauga, Ont. area, with directions on how to become an employed secret shopper in order to receive fast cash.
The victims reply to the notice with interest in the employment opportunity and then receive cheques in the mail and are given directions to deposit the cheques and withdraw the full amount.
Once the full amount is withdrawn, the victim is directed to send a moneygram in order to transfer the full amount less $450 to keep for themselves as “training pay.” These moneygram transactions have been directed to New Jersey.
Unfortunately, the bank transactions results in a fraudulent deposit and the bank account holder is subsequently held responsible for the amount overdrawn. Some of the banking transactions have exceeded $4,000.
The public is advised to not wire unknown persons, business or locations any amount of money.
Also, if one is unsure, consult with a banking institution or a trusted resource first before entering into such a transaction.
For more information or current trends involving scams, please refer to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca
