An Orillia woman is issuing a warning to others after her well-meaning friends were scammed out of money.
Betsy Ramsay’s email account was targeted by scammers, who managed to obtain her contact list. They then sent emails stating Ramsay was in a Guelph hospital with a friend and requested a “favour” — a $200 Google Play gift card. The victims were then asked to scratch the area of the card to reveal the personal identification number (PIN), take a picture of the PIN and send the photo back in another email.
Ramsay first noticed the scam Friday. As of Monday afternoon, those on her contact list had been taken for a total of $1,850.
“I’m just heartbroken and I’m embarrassed,” Ramsay said. “If I get scammed, I get scammed, but they’re using my friends’ and my colleagues’ sympathy. I’m so upset.”
She learned of the scam when she got home Friday and a friend was there waiting for her and asked about the email. She then began hearing of other friends who fell for it, including one who was emailed twice and purchased $400 worth of gift cards.
“The sad thing is kind, compassionate people got stung,” said Ramsay.
The 80-year-old said there are “a few red flags” to watch for — for instance, the email asks for a “favour” and includes gift cards in large denominations — but other than one spelling mistake in the email sent out, it seemed legitimate enough at first glance.
However, the email sent by the scammers was from a Gmail address, while Ramsay has a Rogers email address.
Ramsay has attended information sessions about scams that often target seniors, but she hadn’t heard anything about this one.
“So many people go through this and they leave it because they’re embarrassed. I’m embarrassed, but you’ve got to look out for other people,” she said of her reason for speaking out.
She has spoken with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which is “taking it seriously,” she said.
For tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Network website.
