The Ontario Provincial Police is investigating a report of fraud in the Town of Kingsville, with total losses reported at over $200,000 in Canadian funds.
On Sept. 19, Essex County OPP was contacted by a Kingsville couple who reported losing over $200,000 in an internet investment scam between July and September of this year. The victims responded to an online investment ad they viewed on a popular communications application, believing their money was being invested in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.
The victims were promised a high return on their investments and became suspicious when the online suspect demanded more money from them. In mid-September, the victims suspected they had been scammed and contacted police.
In 2025, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, fraud reports totalled $351 million in Canadian victim losses. It is estimated that only five to 10 per cent of victims report scams and fraud to the centre or law enforcement.
Police are reminding residents not to give out personal information, including their name, address, date of birth, social insurance number or banking credentials, and not to accept friend requests from people they do not know or invest money in platforms offered by strangers. Residents are also urged never to send money to someone they haven’t met and to be cautious about sharing images, as suspects will often use explicit pictures to extort victims into sending more money.
Anyone who falls victim to fraud, or knows someone who has, is asked to contact their local police service and to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online through the Fraud Reporting System.
