Police are urging the public to be aware of prize scams.
Southern Georgian Bay OPP has responded to a number of reports of prize-type scams in which people were notified they had won, but they were told they must provide money or gift cards up front to collect the prize, which never existed.
Police have provided the following tips:
- If you win, it’s free. You are not required to pay up-front fees to collect winnings.
- The only way to participate in any foreign lottery is to go to the country of origin and purchase a ticket in person. A ticket cannot be purchased on your behalf.
- Beware of counterfeit cheques claiming to be part of your winnings.
- Never give out personal information over the phone, no matter who the caller claims to represent.
People can report fraud and learn about various types of fraud at antifraudcentre.ca.
