NORTH BAY -- North Bay police are warning the public of a new scam after a senior lost thousands of dollars to someone impersonating a police officer.
Police say the victim answered a call from someone claiming to be an officer in the city. The victim was told a family member had been in a car accident and needed help.
The victim was then told to send money by FedEx to an address in Quebec, North Bay police said.
No official dollar figure has been released on how much money the fraudsters obtained, but police confirm it was thousands.
“We’re aware that other calls have come in,” said Const. John Schultz. "We are working with the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre trying to shut these people down and to stop the victimization."
Police remind people to take a few minutes after they’ve received a call they think might be a scam and to notify someone.
"When you get a call -- no matter what age bracket you are -- take five minutes, think about what this person is asking, does this make sense?" Schultz said.
If you realize it's likely a scam, he encourages people to spread the word.
"Because it’s through the spread of education, that’s proactive when we can stop a fraudster before fraud occurs."
