NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
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Barrie Police are cautioning people of a fraud scam that a few citizens of Barrie have fallen victim to over the past week.
The scam involves a Kijiji ad selling a Chevrolet pickup truck where the owner chats back and forth with the buyer for a short time in regards to the vehicle.
Before seeing the vehicle, a $1,000 payment is requested to hold the vehicle. A fraudulent address is provided for the buyer to go see the vehicle however when the buyer shows up, the owner of the home has no knowledge of any vehicle being sold.
Barrie Police want to remind you to be cautious when requested to send money ahead of time to hold or use as a deposit on any item for sale on such sites as Kijiji, letgo or Facebook Marketplace.
Anyone who believes they have found a fraudulent ad or seller should contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 as well as report the information to the corresponding website for prompt investigation and removal.
If you have fallen victim to a scam and have a suffered a financial loss, please contact the Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025 to report the incident.
For more information on how to protect yourself from computer scams or other financial frauds, check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre resources HERE and take a look at The Little Black Book of Scams.
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