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Lanark County OPP is warning residents to be on the lookout for a scam involving emails that appear to come from police officers.
Police say they received a report today from a resident who was contacted by someone impersonating an OPP officer. The email included the officer’s name along with a photo of a police badge and warrant card, and asked the recipient to confirm personal information.
The resident recognized the email as fraudulent after noticing it came from a Gmail account rather than an official police email address.
OPP say scam emails often contain spelling mistakes, unusual wording or other signs that they are not legitimate. They remind the public never to provide personal information in response to unexpected emails claiming to be from law enforcement.
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the OPP or another police service, officers recommend contacting that agency directly using its publicly listed phone number rather than any contact information included in the email.
Anyone looking to learn more about common scams and how to protect themselves can visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
