The world of fraud targeting seniors took a new turn this week in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region when a 70 year old woman was forced to buy iTunes cards to pay for a non-existent debt.
The Hinchinbrooke resident answered a telephone call from an alleged agent of the Department of Revenue who claimed that she owed the government $2500. The scammer demanded that the seventy year old pay the bill by purchasing « iTunes » cards. The suspect intended to pick up the cards at her home later and then sell them on the black market.
Not realizing that this was a fraud scheme, the women first went to a Huntingdon business where she purchased $2300 worth of iTunes cards. She continued shopping in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield at the Métro Plus store on chemin Larocque with the intention of purchasing more iTunes cards.
A vigilant cashier was suspicious of the woman’s request and thwarted the scammer’s plan by calling the police who informed the victim that it was a case of fraud.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, this kind of threat directed at seniors has increased in recent months. The scammers have found a way of usurping the telephone number at the police station – in this case 450 829-2887 for the Haut-Saint-Laurent MRC SQ – so that it appears on the call display of the person receiving their call.
Caution is recommended for anyone encountering this kind of thief.
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
