GUELPH – A Guelph man is out roughly $20,000 after falling for a lottery scam involving a supposed $850,000 win.
Guelph Police say the man recently contacted them after receiving a phone call telling him he had won the second prize in Lotto 6/49.
“The caller told the man he had to pay taxes, insurance and a “police escort fee” for delivery of the winning cheque,” police said in a news release.
“He was instructed to load money onto prepaid credit cards and provide the card numbers. He lost approximately $20,000 before realizing it was a scam.”
Police are reminding residents to be cautious of unexpected calls, emails, or texts that pressure them into taking immediate action.
Officials also encourage people to independently contact the organization or person claiming to reach out, rather than relying on the contact information provided in the message.
Anyone who believes they’ve been a victim of fraud is encouraged to contact their local police and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. That can be done online or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
