North Bay Police are warning residents about a scam that resulted in a local victim losing thousands of dollars.

Police say the victim, who was lured in by a convincing profile and pictures, accepted a friend request on Facebook.

The scam involved a fraudster claiming to be a U-S Military doctor looking to get a parcel out of Iraq in exchange for a large amount of cash.

A variety of emails from alleged courier companies, customs agents and diplomats claimed delays or problems with the deliver and requested funds for certificates, customs, storage fees and other fabricated events.

Police say the victim sent several payments before he discovered that it was a scam.

They’re offering tips on how to avoid falling victim to online scams:
– Be aware that it’s very easy for fraudsters to write a fake profile and copy photographs of others from the Internet to make their profile appear real.
– Be suspicious of people you have never met who try to add you as a Facebook friend. Visit the help page How do I avoid scams on Facebook? to learn more.
– Be suspicious of individuals who you’ve only met through the Internet if they ask for any sort of financial assistance or offer a compensation.
– Never send money, personal information, or credit card or banking information to anyone you have never met for any reason.
– Know that fraudsters will often ask victims to send money using a third-party transfer service because it’s more difficult to reverse or trace these payments and it offers the fraudster more anonymity compared to bank transfers. NEVER use third-party money transfer services to send money to someone you’ve never met in person and do not know and trust.
– Know that there are several scams, including romance scams, that involve fraudsters who claim to be members of the U.S. Military. For more information, visit the U.S. Military’s scam alert page online at: http://www.cid.army.mil/romancescam.html
– Poor English grammar and spelling and unusal sentence structure may be signs of writers who are not who they claim to be.

Are you a victim of online fraud?
If you’re a victim of online fraud who has sent funds, contact your bank immediately and report the incident to the North Bay Police Service at 705-497-5555.

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