Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

BERWICK – An update shared by the Township of North Stormont on behalf of the Ontario Provincial Police is warning Eastern Ontario residents of sophisticated fraud trends targeting individuals and businesses.

“Since January 2026, East Region detachments have received over $10.3 million in reported losses associated to 699 incidents. The vast majority of our victims are over the age of 66,” said Sergeant Erin Cranton, OPP, “Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may impersonate banks, government agencies, businesses, or even family members. Never provide personal or financial information based solely on a phone call, text message, or email. If something doesn’t feel right, verify the request through a trusted source before taking action.”

Launched in 2025, the OPP’s Integrated Fraud Awareness and Response (IFAR) pilot program assists with fraud investigations and shares resources to protect potential victims. Two fraud schemes that occur frequently right now are cell phone service provider fraud and online classified fraud.

Cell phone service provider fraud

Several weeks ago, I was running a bath for my toddler when the phone rang. The person on the other line said that they were from my cell phone company, and that to thank me for my loyalty they wanted to offer me a discount on my plan. I thought, hm, that’s too good to be true, declined, and hung up.

Unfortunately, in our economy a lot of people might jump at the opportunity to save a little money each month. When it comes to cell phone service provider fraud, criminals will offer you discounts, upgraded plans, or new devices to get you interested. Scam callers may try to create a sense of urgency by pushing ‘limited time offers’ and ask you to log into your cell phone account to provide information like a security code, multi-factor identification pin, driver’s license information, or Social Insurance Number.

In some cases, the fraudster may encourage you to upgrade your phone or tablet online. When the device arrives, the caller may instruct their victim to send it to an address that does not match the cell phone provider. The victim ends up on the hook for the new phone and any other charges incurred during the process.

Online classified fraud

When selling large items like farming equipment, vehicles, or recreational equipment, there are some red flags to watch out for.

Online classified fraud is a scheme that gets people to sell a high price tag item without a confirmed upfront payment. The buyer won’t want to meet in person or claims they are out of town. They ask to pay by less common methods like cheque, money order, or bank draft, and have someone else come to pick up the item. By the time you realize the payment is bad, your item is long gone and so is the ‘buyer’.

If you suspect fraud, report it to your local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). CAFC can be reached via their online reporting system (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca) or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.