Saturday, October 4, 2025
More

    Top 6 This Week

    popular+

    OPP AND CAFC PARTNER TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ROMANCE AND RELATIONSHIP TYPE FRAUDS

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    (MIDLAND,ON)- Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are continuing to raise the awareness for North Simcoe residents of the various scams that they may encounter on the telephone or online.

    Every year around Valentine’s Day, fraudsters are on the look-out for unsuspecting victims who are looking for love and/or companionship.

    Romance variation

    Victims are typically contacted on dating websites or social media, it is common for suspects to use real pictures found on social media of real people (ie. business people, members of the military, family photos), pet photos and hobbies. Fraudsters quickly profess their love to gain their victims’ trust, affection, and money. Once a connection is made victims will be asked to switch to a different method of communication such as WhatsApp, Signal and others. This type of fraud relies heavily on victim emotions and may last for months, years, or until the victim has nothing left to give. The fraudsters will never end up repaying the victim and continue to make empty promises while asking for more money.

    Common reasons fraudsters request money:

    • a personal/family emergency,

    • claims they have no access to their existing funds,

    • unexpected business expenses, legal expenses or professional fees,

    • investing in a new business and they need the victims’ help, and

    • travel fees to return home.

    Some recent variations include the use conversational attacks where fraudsters send random text messages to victims. The messages often read “where are you?”, “where have you been?” or something similar. Once the victim responds, a conversation is started and the fraudster attempts to build a relationship with the victim.

    Relationship investment fraud

    In these cases, fraudsters develop a relationship with the victim and convince them to invest into a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform with the promise of large monetary returns. In fact, fraudsters may even let the victim cash out some of their investment returns only to get them to invest a larger amount. Suspects will “coach” victims on how to invest in their fraudulent crypto currency platforms. Unfortunately, once the victim requests to withdraw their investment, they are unable to do so.

    New variation

    A newer variation being reported is often referred to as “approval phishing”. While “approval phishing” has existed for some time now, more recently this fraud tactic is being adopted by fraudsters engaged in romance and relationship frauds. Suspects develop a relationship with the victims and convince them to invest into crypto, they are then deceived into granting access to their cryptocurrency accounts by those posing as trusted services. After being coached on how to acquire cryptocurrency such as Etherium or Tron, a fake request is sent by fraudsters that appears to come from the crypto service, asking the user to “approve” access to their wallet. By clicking “approve,” the individual unknowingly gives control of their funds to the third party. The fake requests closely mimic legitimate apps and services, making them look authentic to the user. In some cases, victims may receive a transfer request asking them to click on a link to accept and victims may unknowingly be providing the “approval” to access their wallet.

    Warning signs

    Beware of:

    • profiles that seem too perfect

    • someone you haven’t met in person professes their love to you

    • a suspect that tries to move communication to a more private or different method of communication (email, text, social media platform, etc.)

    • any attempts to meet in person get cancelled or there’s always an excuse to not meet-up

    • a person who discourages you from talking about them to friends and family

    • a suspect acting distressed or angry to force you into sending more money

    • poorly written messages or messages addressed to the wrong name

    • an individual who “introduces” you to their family on social media to legitimize the relationship

    • Someone offering to “coach” you on crypto investing

    • Emails appearing to be from your crypto service provider asking you to click on links

    • Get rich quick investment opportunities

    • Be wary of individuals met on dating sites or social media who attempt to educate and convince you to invest into crypto currency

    How to protect yourself

    • Don’t give out your personal information (name, address, DOB, SIN, banking credentials)

    • Don’t accept friend requests from people you do not know

    • Don’t invest your money in platforms provided by people you don’t know

    • Never send money to someone you haven’t met

    • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on your accounts

    • Beware of fraudsters asking you to open and fund new crypto accounts, they will direct you to send it to wallets they control – Don’t!

    • If you have granted a suspect access to your crypto account, follow the OPP’s checklist to revoke the token approval

    • Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself

    Anyone who suspects they have been the target of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the CAFC’s online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.

    CAFC Team

    [email protected]

    Fraud: Recognize. Reject. Report.

    #kNOwFraud

    Follow us on Twitter  (@canantifraud) and Facebook   (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre)

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    Popular Articles

    GEORGIANBAYNEWS.COM

    Popular Articles

    The Singhampton Sculpture Forest brings joy and inspires visitors

    The Singhampton Sculpture A retired artist and a civil engineer find their creative passion... By adopting a forest and inserting some imagination, they have created a...

    VIDEO | Ally Vitally shares “Trump floats the idea of having a Migrant League of Fighters”

    What's Next 'Hunger Games" Once upon a time, in the bustling world of politics and sports, Former President Donald Trump made an unconventional proposition to...

    THE WORLD WON’T BELIEVE CHINA LOOKS LIKE THIS 🇨🇳

    We don't just share the creativity of the top YouTube stars. We also respect people who try #MUCH The next top...

    Public Art Call for Artists – 2025 Opportunities

    Collingwood, ON — The Town of Collingwood is thrilled to announce several exciting public art opportunities for artists in 2025. Artists are invited...

    States of Emergency ended in some municipalities across Simcoe County

    Service impacts and clean up continue during recovery phase Midhurst/April 11, 2025 – As of April 11, 2025, the County of Simcoe and several municipalities across...

    OJHL HALL OF FAME INTRODUCES ITS CLASS OF 2025

    Second group of members to be inducted during May ceremony March 28, 2025, Mississauga, ON – ….  The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Hall of...

    Collingwood Traffic Stop Leads to Multiple Charges and Subsequent Arrest on Warrant

    (COLLINGWOOD, ON) - On April 3, 2025, an officer from the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) conducted a...

    Why So Many People Die Just After Retirement — The Truth No One Talks About Until It’s Too Late

    Until it’s too late, they worked their whole lives for retirement. And then, within a few short years… they were gone. Why does this...

    Pump Track Fundraiser Oct 5th | Old Village (Legion) Park

    The Event is open to bikes, scooters, skateboard and roller blades!2-3pm timed laps around the track see if you can beat your time! 3-4 open...

    Town of Collingwood Announces 2024 Shipyards Amphitheatre Concert Line-Up

    Collingwood, ON – The Town of Collingwood’s Parks, Recreation & Culture Department is excited to announce another jam-packed summer line-up of live music on...

    Doina Oncel | A Mid-Year Budget Reset for Parents & It Starts Monday

    We’re halfway through the year, which makes it the perfect time for a reset. If your family budget has been on autopilot (or off the...

    Collingwood Festival for Canada: A Canada Day Celebration

    June 28 to July 1, 2025 Collingwood, ON - Celebrate Canada's rich culture and heritage with a line-up of events that offer something for everyone,...

    Why DNA Points to a Mind Behind the Universe

    What if the most famous scientific discovery of the last century points not to random chance, but to intelligence? Today, we explore how the...

    Mercedes Chan shares: The Coolest AI Updates of 2025

    Hey there, tech enthusiasts! It’s 2025, and artificial intelligence is moving faster than a viral TikTok dance. From chatbots that sound like your best...

    Anna Leigh Waters vs Ben Johns | LA Mad Drops vs NJ 5s MLP Dallas

    The ultimate battle between two pickleball powerhouses! Watch Anna Leigh Waters and the New Jersey 5s take on Ben Johns and the LA Mad...

    The Famous Hindle’s Hardware Store | Clarksburg, Ontario Dec 2024

    Thanks to Duncan Bristow for this great share! For more of Duncan's great music videos click here. Historic, family run hardware store in the heart...

    PROSPECTS SERIES, GOVERNORS’ SHOWCASE, ALL-STAR GAME ON OJHL CALENDAR

    Stuart Hyman elected chair of Board of Directors during OJHL AGM Saturday June 30, 2025, Mississauga, ON – The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) reflected on...

    4K Travel Video | Unesco World Heritage Sites: Preserving Global Treasures

    UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of significant cultural or natural importance, considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. The United Nations Educational,...

    God Bless Bitcoin: Challenging the Current Monetary System | Full Movie

    God Bless Bitcoin asks the timely question: How do we fix our broken money? Through in-depth conversations with bitcoin and interfaith religious leaders, the...

    Chairs and Vice Chairs representing communities across Simcoe County confirmed

    Midhurst/June 4, 2025 – Leadership of Committees and Boards representing County Council has been officially confirmed including representatives from across Simcoe County. These positions will...

    Side Launch Brewery’s Big 10th Anniversary Bash | Saturday, June 1

    It's our 10th Birthday Party and you're invited! Saturday, June 1st & Sunday, June 2nd. We will be transforming our parking lot into our festival grounds...

    Celeigh Cardinal – Studio 79 | Wednesday April 23rd

    JUNO award winning Celeigh Cardinal is bringing her 5 piece band to our intimate studio space this April! Celeigh’s powerful voice and storytelling have earned...

    Immune-Boosting Foods to Eat During Winter to Help You Stay Healthy

    As winter rolls in, it brings cold weather and a higher risk of colds, flu, and other illnesses. A strong immune system is crucial...

    Is it too late to escape climate catastrophe?

    By David Suzuki I’ve been getting flak — and praise — for comments I made in an iPolitics interview. I mentioned the first international climate conference in...