NEWS RELEASE WELLINGTON COUNTY OPP
(WELLINGTON NORTH TOWNSHIP, ON) – A local resident is out nearly $2,000 after attempting to make an online purchase.
On April 6, 2026, at approximately 3:00 p.m., a member of the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of a fraud, where a Mount Forest resident fell victim to an online sales scam.
It is reported that the victim engaged in an online sale through a popular social media platform with unknown suspect(s) posing as dog breeders. The victim agreed to purchase a puppy and provided a large sum of money via e-transfer. The suspect(s) subsequently advised that additional funds were required to transport the puppy from a location in Northern Ontario. The victim eventually became skeptical of the situation and contacted police. Overall, the victim lost over $1,900.
What are online shopping Scams?
Online shopping scams involve fraudulent schemes where scammers impersonate legitimate sellers to exploit consumers for financial gain or data theft. Fraudsters often create accounts on legitimate auction and online marketplace websites. They will advertise their products at very low prices, enticing you to buy them. If you do end up receiving the product, it might be of poor quality or a bad imitation of what you expected. In other instances. Fraudsters might lure you into clicking on a harmful link to a seemingly genuine website.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Be wary of websites that contain grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
- Only buy from companies or individuals you know by reputation or from past experience.
- Look for reviews but remember that some can be fake!
- Analyze the seller’s profile: where are they located? How old is their profile? Are they using a stock photo as their profile picture?
- Use a credit card when shopping online – many offer protections and may give you a refund.
- Know the market value of the item you’re buying.
- If a deal sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
- Fraudsters will often create a sense of urgency and try to pressure a buyer into a deal.
For more information on scams and frauds, the public is encouraged to read The Little Black Book of Scams, which can be found online:
https://www.competitionbureau.
If you are the recipient of a fraudulent call, text, or email, or if you have been a victim of a fraud, you are encouraged to report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or visit http://www.
FRAUD: RECOGNIZE IT. REPORT IT. STOP IT.
