A Nanaimo resident became the latest victim of a texting scam, losing just over $4,000 last week.
The scam, originating from a phone number traced back to Quebec, targeted the woman who believed she was communicating with her son.
According to reports, on Tuesday, January 23rd, the woman had been exchanging texts with her adult son, who resides in another province.
Unexpectedly, she received a message from an unfamiliar number, claiming to be her son in distress, asking for financial assistance to cover bills.
Without much hesitation, she assumed the message was genuine and engaged with the sender, unaware that she was falling into a trap.
As the conversation progressed, the scammer, posing as her son, cited phone issues and requested funds for a new device.
Providing an email address linked to an individual named Peter Olah and a business called Simple Wealth, the scammer instructed the woman to send two e-transfers totalling approximately $4,000.
The following day, the scammer contacted her again, demanding additional funds, prompting the victim to reach out to her actual son, only to realize she had been duped.
Acting quickly, she approached her chartered bank for assistance and has since been reimbursed for nearly half of her losses.
“This scam could happen to anyone. The best course of action is to always, slow down, give it some thought, use google services to assist if necessary and always verify who you are communicating before making any financial decisions,” said R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
The scammer’s phone number, identified as 1-581-702-0162, serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of such fraudulent activities.
