Police warn of tech support scam

NEWS RELEASE
NOVA SCOTIA RCMP
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Halifax District RCMP warn of recent scam involving tech support from a well-known company.

Last week, a man received a call from someone saying they were from a well-known company. The man hung up but the caller called again asking him not to hang up.  The caller said that he was calling from this company and the tech support he had paid for was no longer being offered as they were shutting down the department. 

The man had made a purchase from this company back in March and believed it to be a legitimate call. After an online application for a refund, the caller transferred the man to another caller to complete the refund. They asked for remote access to his computer and to his bank account before depositing $2000 in error instead of the $300 refund. 

The caller then directed the man to withdraw the extra $1700 and directed the man to a specific location to deposit the money in a bitcoin machine. After the deposit, the caller told the man that the transaction did go through and asked him to go to a grocery store to purchase gift cards. 

A family member intercepted and told the man this was a scam. The man called the company who explained that in March when he did a google search and clicked on the company link and it brought him to a fake web site and he paid the $300 to fraudsters then, they then waited 9 months and called him back and were able to get another $1700 from him.

Police are reminding the public to protect themselves against frauds in the following ways:

• Do not send money, gift cards, Bitcoin or anything else of value to someone you've never met in-person.
• If you have a feeling that something is not right, it is best to trust your gut and stop communicating with that person.
• Scammers can be very persistent and convincing. Being defrauded is never the victim's fault. If you have been defrauded, you are not alone. Please report it to your local police.

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