Niagara Police warn of WhatsApp scams offering big returns on investment and jobs
Published April 5, 2023 at 10:25 am
Niagara Police want residents to remember the old credo: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
At the moment, they’re warning of two scams being sent through the WhatsApp social media application, offering huge returns on investment opportunities and jobs.
Police say a suspect will contact a potential victim using “WhatsApp” and ask them to join a group called “Global E-Commerce” under the ruse of investing in a high interest savings account.
“The interest account is promised to significant return on their invested money. Victims are then directed to the following website domain: https://www.main.oba.global.com.”
The job scam is even more deceiving. People are offered a “fraudulent employment opportunity” and once the victim responds, they are told they got the job. At that point, they’re given a trivial job task and once completed, the suspect e-transfers cash to the victim, making the job look legitimate.
“At this point, the suspect tells the victim the ’employer’ requires an administration fee and solicits a larger sum of money from the victim than was previous paid for the nominal task,” the police warn.
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“In the cases of the Interest Rate and the Employment Scam, the suspects break off communications with the victims after obtaining money. The suspects in both scam types are asking that victims e-transfer money.”
The police are warning the public “to be cautious and wary of any transaction that asks for money up front.”
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.
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