LOTTO SCAM TARGETTING PUNJABI, HINDI SPEAKERS
Nanaimo RCMP are advising the South Asian community to be aware of a telephone lotto scam that surfaced this past weekend in Nanaimo.
On Saturday July 21st at approximately 10:00 am, a female received a phone call from a male who introduced himself speaking only Punjabi and Hindi. The caller told the recipient they had won $50,000 in a lotto that was recently advertised on Channel 531 on the Shaw Network. This channel is watched primarily by people whose first language is either Punjabi or Hindi, and is very popular in the East Indian community on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
The caller stated that before the female could receive her
winnings, she was required to pay an administrative fee of $625.00. She
was then advised to go to the TD Bank within the next thirty minutes and
withdraw the money. “In this particular case, the person targeted knew it
was a scam. After telling the individual that she would not be going to
the bank, the caller hung up,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
The female then called Shaw TV to report the incident.
The Nanaimo RCMP have not received any complaints of this nature to date, but
are aware of this scam circulating throughout the Lower Mainland.
If you receive a call similar to this, where you are
required to pay money up front, it is bogus. The best advice is to simply
hang up then share your experience with friends and family. It is also
essential that any persons who are recent to Canada or speak only Punjabi or
Hindi, are made aware of this scam so they do not fall prey.
