News release from South Simcoe Police
The South Simcoe Police Service is warning the public about a new scam involving a fraudulent GIC offer.
On Thursday, November 17, 2022, an 84-year-old Innisfil man contacted police to report a scam after discovering he had transferred a significant sum of money to a fake Manulife Financial account. The victim said he was contacted via e-mail in October about a GIC offer from someone posing as a "Senior Accounts Advisor" from "Manulife Financial." Over the course of several weeks, the victim received brochures and a GIC application. He sent the requested identification with the application, opened an account and transferred the cash. Yesterday, a relative contacted Manulife directly via telephone and confirmed the account and the victim's information are not linked in any way to the company.
Manulife Financial posted a warning on its website dated November 8, 2022 urging people to be on the lookout for fraudulent documents. The company states:
"A fraudulent product offer referencing Manulife and Manulife Bank is currently in circulation. It promotes inaccurate GIC rates and portrays false information.
Please do not share any personal information, and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and local police authorities if you’ve been offered this product.
No employee or authorized agent of Manulife or Manulife Bank, or any related entity is in any way associated with these materials or actions. We are actively monitoring and investigating this situation and taking steps to protect our clients and community."
The South Simcoe Police Service is advising residents to always check email addresses to ensure they are legitimate. Do some research. Directly contact the person or business with a number you obtain to verify the source is valid. Also never give out information if you did not initiate the contact. Remember, if an offer seems to good to be true, it's probably a scam. Always report fraud to police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.
Please discuss fraud prevention with your loved ones. No one is immune from fraud.
