NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH POLICE SERVICE
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On March 18, 2020 at noon, an adult female received a phone call from a number identifying as Guelph Police. The male caller identified as a police officer from the Guelph Police Service, advised the female that a bank account existed in her name for $1,000,000 and wanted to know what her wishes were with the money. She let the caller know that she didn’t have an account with $1,000,000. It was explained to her that then must be the victim of identity fraud, and that the money in her actual bank account was in danger.
She was instructed to empty her account and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine inside a store located near the intersection of Gordon Street and Wellington Street East in the City of Guelph. She was told that her money would then be secured and an officer would contact her on March 19 to provide her with a cheque for the money. The victim then travelled around to numerous banks withdrawing money and deposited $19,000 into the Bitcoin machine.
When the victim did not hear from an officer on March 19, she contacted the Guelph Police Service and was notified that the interaction was a scam and fraudulent in nature.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Constable Joshua van Breda at 519-824-1212 ext. 7417, email him at [email protected], leave an anonymous tip at Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.
The Guelph Police Service would like to remind the public to be very cautious whenever you are contacted by a stranger and that a police service will never contact a member of the public to purchase Bitcoin, gift cards or send money in any way in order to assist with an investigation.
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