THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Service has issued a warning about a licence plate rebate scam targeting local email addresses and phone numbers.
In a case reported recently, the victim was contacted by a scammer using email.
The message stated that the victim was still owed a rebate for a vehicle licence plate renewal that could be deposited directly to their bank account.
Because the email appeared to be from Service Ontario, the individual fell for the scam and provided banking details for the promised rebate.
As a result, the fraudster was able to withdraw funds from the account.
Police advise that rather than clicking links in emails or texts, it's best to find contact information for the purported source independently, and reach out to confirm the legitimacy of the message.
More guidance about how to reduce the risk of falling for a scam is available online from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
