A Hagersville resident is out $150,000 after being defrauded in a realty scam believed to be based in the United States.

An investigation started after a Hagersville resident reported being scammed out of $150,000 over a six-month period. The victim sent money as part of a property transaction to what turned out to be a fake realty company, supposedly located in Chicago.

The victim immediately contacted OPP after realizing it was a fraudulent transaction.

Police began the investigation on Dec. 20.

A Haldimnad OPP media release stated “OPP is reminding the public to be aware of the warning signs,  never give out any personal information to someone you don’t know, and always verify all contact information and not just call a number or email that some unknown person provides you with.”

“The name on the caller display may be fraudulent. Give yourself some time to complete your own search.”

OPP encourages people to remain educated on fraud prevention. A reliable resources is The Little Black Book of Scams, available via the Competition Bureau of Canada’s website at https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03074.html.

Citizens are also encouraged to report any suspected incidents of fraud in which they have been targeted or if they believe they are a victim to a fraud scam.

Recipients or victims of fraud can call 1-888-495-8501 or visithttps://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca./

This article was originally sourced by www.simcoereformer.ca.