Kamloops woman taken for $26,500 in ‘Publisher’s Clearing House’ scam

A Kamloops woman has lost $26,500 to scam artists.

RCMP said today the woman recently received a phone call telling her that she had won a quarter of a million dollars from Publisher’s Clearing House. The person making the phone call said he could help her save money on the taxes from her winning and asked for her bank account information.

“The fraudster said he would deposit money into her account and then she should send this money to a person in the Philippines via Money Mart and Canada Post. Sums of money were deposited and the victim followed the instructions, sending the money to a fictitious person.”

Cpl. Jodie Shelkie said the victim discovered she was being scammed when she found that the scammers had accessed her savings account and the money they had allegedly been depositing into her chequing account was actually her own money from her savings account. The total amount sent by the victim was $26,500.

“Thinking you have won a large amount of money is very exciting,” said Shelkie in a press release. “Always remember though, if the person asks you to send money to them to claim the prize or avoid taxes, it’s a scam. If you are asked to provide your credit card number or provide your financial institution information, it’s a scam. If you are asked to pre-pay taxes or any kind of fee, it’s a scam.”

For more information on avoiding scams, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online.