Waterloo Regional Police are warning residents to be wary of the lottery scam.
The lottery scam involves fraudsters attempting to scam individuals by telling them they have won a lottery or prize. The victim must pay an upfront fee to claim the money and suffers a financial loss. Such communications can occur through email, mail, telephone, social media or website pop-ups, police said in a release.
The fraudsters usually provide a bank account number to transfer funds or request payment through a money service or prepaid gift cards to claim the prize.
One instance involved a Waterloo resident. The victim received a phone call from an individual identifying themselves as an employee of a company called the “Global Group.” The fraudster had advised the victim that they had won the lottery, and they instructed the victim to transfer $3,000 into a specific bank account to collect their winnings. Later, the victim received two additional phone calls requesting that more money be deposited into an account.
To protect yourself and others from this scam, consider the following:
- Don’t get flustered. Take time to think. The scammer will make it sound urgent to pressure you.
- Do not confirm any personal or financial information.
- Verify who is calling (offer to call back using the phone number you have for that person).
- Call someone you trust or police for an opinion about the call.
- Do not send any money.
If you believe you have been a victim of a similar scam, you can file a complaint with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777.
FEBRUARY 10
5:11 PM | Police received a report of a single-vehicle collision in the area of Herrgott Road and Boomer Line in the Township of Wellesley. A vehicle travelling south on Herrgott Road left the roadway and collided with a fence on the east side of the road. Road conditions at the time were icy. There were no injuries reported as a result of this collision and no charges were laid.
FEBRUARY 11
6:11 PM | Police were notified of a break-in to a detached garage in the area of Durant Road and St. Charles Street West east of Bloomingdale. Sometime between February 9 and February 11, an unknown suspect(s) entered the garage and took personal property. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
FEBRUARY 12
8:48 AM | A single-vehicle collision brought police to the area of Hopewell Creek Road and Spitzig Road in Woolwich County. A vehicle heading east left the roadway and struck a metal sign when the driver lost control on the snowy road. No injuries were reported as a result of this collision. A 25-year-old Cambridge man was charged with ‘fail to remain.’
12:48 PM | Waterloo Regional Police received a report of a two-vehicle collision in Woolwich Township. The driver of a Jeep parked on the west shoulder of Arthur Street North made a u-turn to head north and struck a Honda heading north. The Jeep then spun out of control and struck a hydro pole. Paramedics attended the scene to assess non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the Jeep, a 47-year-old from Guelph, was charged with ‘start from stopped position – turn not in safety.’
2:34 PM | An 11-year-old Wellesley Township girl was transported to an out-of-region hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries following a collision on a property north of St. Clements that brought emergency crews to the area of Boomer Line and Herrgott Road. The police investigation determined that a snowmobile was towing a female passenger on an inner tube when inner tube left the pathway and struck a tree. The driver, a 56-year-old Wellesley Township man, reported no physical injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call the Traffic Services Unit at 519-570-9777, ext. 8856 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 with any information.
4:42 PM | Emergency services responded to a single-vehicle collision on Floradale Road at Listowel Road in Woolwich Township. A vehicle was travelling on Floradale Road when the driver lost control and the vehicle slid off the roadway and rolled. The 33-year-old male driver and 30-year-old female passenger, both from Durham Region, were both transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call the Traffic Services Unit at 519-570-9777 ext. 8856 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 with any information.
FEBRUARY 13
7:13 AM | Waterloo Regional Police received a report of a collision at Covered Bridge and Rivers Edge drive in West Montrose. The collision involved a motor vehicle and a horse-drawn buggy. There were no reported physical injuries and no charges laid.
FEBRUARY 14
1:40 PM | Emergency services responded to the area of Brubacher Street and Snyder’s Road East in Baden for a report of a shed fire. The Wilmot Fire Department attended and extinguished the fire. There were no physical injuries reported. The fire is not considered suspicious at this time.
