Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Liam Verster-Vernon Matters

SCAM ALERT

Shuswap woman falls victim to Taylor Swift ticket scam

Dec 21, 2023 | 7:00 AM

SALMON ARM, B.C. — RCMP are reminding the public to never send online money transfers to anyone you don’t know.

One woman learned that lesson the hard way after she tried to buy Taylor Swift tickets through a Facebook post.

Salmon Arm RCMP say the seller requested the funds be e-transferred, and the woman complied, sending $1,350, and never got the tickets.

“Salmon Arm RCMP do not recommend sending e-transfers to anyone you don’t know. Once an e-transfer is accepted by the recipient, it cannot be reversed,” Cst. Andrew Hodges, media relations officer, said.

The incident was reported to police on Dec. 4.

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Meantime, on Dec. 1, a woman told police she had received a phone call the previous day from someone pretending to be her son, claiming he had lost his cellphone, had a new number, and needed $3,000 in assistance.

The woman e-transferred the money to the man who was posing as her son.

“The next day the woman realized she had been scammed and had notified her bank which was investigating,” Hodges said.

Another fraud-related incident was reported to Salmon Arm Mounties on Nov. 30.

A 45-year-old man said he received texts from an unknown number demanding $1,500, and threatened death if he didn’t comply. The unknown number then sent pictures of a dismembered body.

“The man believed it may be linked to previous sex workers he had seen. Police viewed the text messages and photos, which did not appear to be from anywhere in Canada, but likely Mexico,” Const. Hodges said.

Police attempted to call the number numerous times, but it went to a voicemail.

Mounties believe the texts were made using phone spoofing, which allows fraudsters to manipulate caller ID and/or number to appear to be a local number.