London-area resident loses more than $2M in romance scam: OPP

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A London-area resident lost more than $2 million over four years in a romance scam, Elgin OPP said.

A resident of Malahide Township, a rural municipality southeast of London, contacted police on May 7 and said they met an individual on an online dating platform in April 2020, police said Tuesday.

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After an online relationship was established, the individual requested financial assistance to pay outstanding taxes required to obtain an out-of-country family inheritance, police said.

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“The (complainant) initially transferred money to the scammer by using prepaid gift cards and later, used a series of wire transfers over the period of four years totalling more than $2 million,” police said.

The individuals never met in person during the relationship.

“Education and vigilance are our strongest tools in fraud prevention. It’s the only way to stop fraud before it happens,” OPP Const. Brett Phair said.

OPP also offered suggestions on how to protect yourself:

• Do not give out your personal information (name, address, date of birth, social insurance number, banking credentials)
• Do not accept friend requests from strangers
• Do not invest your money in platforms provided by people you do not know
• Be careful who you share images with. Suspects will often use explicit pictures to extort victims into sending more money
• Protect your online accounts
• Never send money to someone you have not met
• Do not respond to text messages from phone numbers you do not recognize

To report fraud, contact  the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS). 

The investigation is ongoing.

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