The Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning residents of a new scam that has been seen by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). The CAFC has titled this most recent scam as the “Grant” scam. Grant scams are offers of guaranteed free money. Yet, fraudsters will collect personal and financial information, upfront fees, and leave consumers with empty promises. The most common and current variations of grant scams are Government Grants where a consumer will come across an ad stating that they may qualify for free money that they can spend on anything. The weight loss grant where consumers will find ads for free weight loss grant programs. These programs promise to reimburse qualified candidates the larger part of their fees. Also small and medium sized business grants where business owners may be tempted by look alike websites claiming to offer government grants for businesses. To learn about ways to protect yourself from scams and frauds, the OPP encourages community members to consult the Competition Bureau Canada, The Little Black Book of Scams, which can be found online at web – https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03074.html.
