(CENTRAL HURON, ON) - The Huron Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a recent report of fraud in Central Huron. Total loss from the fraud is reported to be $130,000 in Canadian funds.
On August 30th, 2025, Huron OPP was contacted by a 55-year-old Central Huron resident who reported losing $130,000 in an internet investment scam between June 2025 and August 2025. The victim explained to police that they responded to an online investment ad that they viewed on a popular communications application (app). The victim believed that their money was being invested in the stock market and in cryptocurrency.
The victim was promised a high return on their investments and became suspicious when the online suspect demanded more money from the victim.
In late August 2025, the victim realized they had been scammed and called the police.
In 2024, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), fraud reports totaled a staggering $647 million in Canadian victim losses. It is estimated that only 5-10% of victims report scams and frauds to the CAFC or law enforcement.
How to protect yourself?
- Don’t give out your personal information (name, address, DOB, SIN, banking credentials)
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you do not know
- Don’t invest your money in platforms provided by people you don’t know
- Be careful who you share images with. Suspects will often use explicit pictures to extort victims into sending more money
- Protect your online accounts
- Get more than one quote for home repair work and never feel pressured
- Never send money to someone you haven’t met
- Don’t respond to text messages from phone numbers you do not recognize
- Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself