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(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

Keremeos RCMP are reporting several instances of a social media scam related to impersonator accounts in the past month.

The scam works in a way similar to a recent incident where the victim was contacted by someone on Facebook, claiming to be their relative, according to an RCMP media release.

The suspect created a fake profile in the name of the victim’s relative. They used photos and other public data to replicate the relative’s account. The perpetrator then claimed they could help the victim obtain grant money from the government.

At one point, the fraudster claimed the grant could be upwards of $50,000.

The scammer then convinces the victim into releasing personal information to help apply for the fake grant.

In other recent cases, RCMP said, the scammer was successful in convincing the victim to send them money to process a grant application.

The scammer then continues asking for more funds, using excuses such as the need to pay for fees and other expenses incurred while applying for the money.

“RCMP in many jurisdictions are experiencing similar kinds of social media fraud complaints,” Const. James Grandy said in a press release issued this morning, March 9.

“It’s important for the public to understand that no government agency will ever contact them via social media to complete applications, or to verify private information. If one is contacted by someone on social media claiming to be a close friend or relative, they should use other means to confirm the authenticity.”

For more information about these kinds of scams, please visit the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security website here.

: https://cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/social-media-account-impersonation.

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