Grenville County saw a ‘friends email’ scam pop up this week. However, luckily, no money was lost after the resident knew to report it instead. This is how the scam works: you receive an email claiming it is an “urgent request from a friend”. The misleading thing is that you receive this email from the REAL email address of a REAL friend of yours.
This time, the scammer asked the recipient of the e-mail to pick up some Amazon cards and then send a picture of the scratched off bar code on the back of the card. Even the email headers look correct. A clue to look for is the poorly written English used in the e-mail. The request of iTunes cards or similar tender should also be a red flag.
At this point, it is safe to assume the email account has been hacked and passwords should then be updated. To prevent this from re-occurring, you are urged to change your password regularly.
You can file a complaint through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or online at www.tipsubmit.com.
If you are a victim of a fraud or scam, or unsure if it is a scam, contact your local police.