North Bay police are warning families in the area about a daycare scam circulating on social media.
There is an online link for a fake company called ‘Happy Hearts Child Care’ that is ‘offering’ affordable child care.
“Once the individual clicks on the link, the scammers engage in conversation through private messaging,” police said in a news release Wednesday.
“During the conversation, detailed child information, as well as a deposit are required to move forward with the application to get onto a waitlist. The post is then removed and appears in another city. In one case, $250 was paid as a deposit.”
Police are reminding the public to be extremely careful before sharing any private information with anyone online.
“Personal information, credit card information or banking or financial information should never be given out unless the source is known and trusted,” police said.
“Personal information, credit card information or banking or financial information should never be given out unless the source is known and trusted.”
— North Bay Police Service
Look for red flags, such as offers that appear too good to be true, the use of high-pressure tactics, time-limited offers that must be accepted immediately and a request to pay with a gift card.
“Always remember to ‘take five, tell two,‘” police said.
“Take five minutes to yourself to think through whether or not the offer seems legitimate and tell two people you know and trust about the offer to get their thoughts.”
Other tips include not being afraid to hang up when someone is pressuring you to make a decision and never giving out personal data such as banking information or personal addresses.
“If a scammer is claiming they are from a legitimate business or organization, call that organization through their publicly listed phone number to confirm the information you received on the call,” police said.
“Do not feel ashamed if you have been victimized by a scammer. Scammers are very talented at using new technology and methods to defraud victims. If you have been victimized by a scammer, report the incident to police.”
To report fraud, call police at 705-497-5555 and press 5 to speak with an officer. You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report fraud online.
