Police warn Penticton residents of recent fraud schemes

PENTICTON – Penticton RCMP are reminding residents to be wary of fraudsters after an incident in the city last week.

Police spokesperson Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says a woman notified police she had sent $10,000 via email to a man she met online.

The victim sent the money even though she had never met the man in person, he says. She began to think sending the money wasn’t a good idea after the man stopped communications with her.

“Email frauds seem to be rampant right now, telling people they have been security breached and asking for all kinds of personal information,” Wrigglesworth says, noting some of the fraudsters are sophisticated and realistic in their online delivery.

“Some of them look very good and are convincing, but don’t respond to those emails,” he says, advising those who feel their security has been breached to follow up with their financial institution in person.

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