An incident in which a Perth East Township business was defrauded of US$150,000 has police advising the public to be vigilant.
On September 21, Perth County OPP responded to fraud incident at a business located on Line 34 in the Township of Perth East. During the investigation, it was determined that a local business was working with a vender located in Burlington, Ontario to purchase a machine. The buyer sent a wire transfer to the vender via the email they were using to communicate. Allegedly the vender’s email was hacked, and the suspect was communicating on that email to the victim. The vender never received the money transfer, police say.
The investigation is ongoing.
With that in mind, police advise the public to be aware of the warning signs, and to never give out any personal information to someone you don’t know. Always verify all contact information and don’t just call a number or email and address that some unknown person provides you with. The name on the caller display may be fraudulent. Give yourself some time to complete your own research. If someone calls you and identifies themselves as a bank representative, hang up and call your local branch to verify the call is legitimate.
To learn about ways to protect yourself from scams and frauds, the OPP encourages community members to stay educated on fraud prevention.
If you are the recipient of a fraudulent call, text or email, or if you’ve been a victim of a fraud, you are encouraged to report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-800-495-8501 or visit https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
SEPTEMBER 19
6:23 AM | A 19-year-old New Hamburg man was charged with failing to remain at the scene of a collision after Perth County OPP responded to a report of a single vehicle collision on Road 110 in the Township of Perth East. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the driver swerved to avoid hitting an animal, lost control and rolled the vehicle. The driver left the scene. Officers later located the driver at their residence. The accused was issued a provincial offence notice for the offence.
SEPTEMBER 20
8:30 AM | Emergency services responded to a two-vehicle collision on Ament Line near Hawkesville Road in Wellesley Township. Through investigation, Waterloo Regional Police determined that a Hyundai was travelling Ament Line when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a commercial vehicle. The driver of the Hyundai, a 36-year-old North Perth woman, was charged with ‘careless driving.”Anyone that may have witnessed this collision, or anyone with dash-cam footage, is encouraged to contact police at 519-570-9777.
SEPTEMBER 21
6:54 AM | Police received a report of a theft from an unlocked motor vehicle in the area of King Street North and Northside Drive in St. Jacobs. Sometime during the overnight hours, an unknown suspect entered the vehicle and stole property. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
SEPTEMBER 22
7:33 PM | Emergency services responded to a report of a fire at Bristow Park in Elmira. An unknown suspect lit a fire using pieces of a picnic table they had disassembled. The Woolwich Fire Department extinguished the fire, which resulted in a blackened area on the concrete it was lit on. Anyone with information about this incident or with video footage, is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.
8:04 PM | Police responded to a report of a single-vehicle collision on Katherine Street North in Woolwich Township. A vehicle was traveling south on Katherine Street when a deer exited a field into the path of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, a 22-year-old from Hamilton, did not sustain any physical injuries. Officers were unable to locate the animal.
SEPTEMBER 24
1:20 PM | Waterloo Regional Police are conducting a suspicious death investigation after an 88-year-old woman was located deceased in Wilmot Township. Emergency services responded to a residence on Sandhills Road in Baden for a medical call. Upon arrival, they found the woman deceased. The victim was later identified as Viola Erb, one of the co-founders of Erb Transport Ltd. Waterloo Regional Police, in partnership with the Office of the Chief Coroner, are investigating and have deemed the death to be suspicious. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777, ext. 8191 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
SEPTEMBER 25
7:00 AM | Perth County OPP investigated a break and enter at a Road 108, Perth East address. Sometime between 7 p.m. on Sept. 24 and the time of the report, unknown person(s) attended the address and gained entry to a shop on the property. Once inside, unknown(s) removed a catalytic converter from a vehicle. Police are continuing to investigate and ask the public to report suspicious activity immediately, and remember to lock doors to vehicles, houses, garages, and sheds. Do not leave keys with vehicles, including ATVs. Consider installing security features, such as increased lighting, cameras, or alarms. Anyone with information regarding these incidents should immediately contact Perth County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.hpcrimestoppers.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
