Police are warning the public after two seniors from Uxbridge were defrauded of their life savings.
An elderly couple were lead to believe they won millions in a United States lottery have lost $1.2 million. After losing their life savings they turned to a family friend requesting a loan of $130,000. It was that friend that contacted police.
Residents are reminded to consider the following when you are contacted as a lottery winner:
Ask yourself, “When did I buy a ticket or when did I enter the lottery?”
Most lotteries require you to be a resident of the province, state and/ or country to collect the winnings i.e. generally speaking a resident of Ontario cannot collect on a lottery based in the United States, the United Kingdom, etc.
In Canada, it is illegal to charge a fee, tax, etc. associated to the winning i.e. if you win $1,000.00 you have won $1,000.00, no service fee, no insurance fee, no clearance fee, etc.
If you are uncertain about the validity of a lottery you can contact the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and/ or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to confirm
And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probable is.
For more information on current frauds, see https://www.drps.ca/community-safety-and-support/crime-prevention/fraud-and-financial-crimes/
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
