Mounties release sketch of Caronport antivirus scam suspect

Police have released a sketch of a man who allegedly scammed a “large amount” of money from a victim in Caronport by pretending to work for an antivirus company.

According to the RCMP, officers were alerted to the fraud case in the community just west of Moose Jaw on June 10. Police said the victim purchased “a fraudulent antivirus subscription on their computer,” and was later contacted by a man who misrepresented himself as an employee of the company and demanded money.

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“The victim was instructed to deliver the money in person in Caronport to another individual who went by the name ‘Sam,’” the Saskatchewan RCMP explained in a statement.

“‘Sam’ was also misrepresented as an employee from a popular antivirus company.”

The RCMP confirmed that the victim made the payment, but did not provide the exact amount.

This week, the RCMP released a sketch of “Sam,” and asked anyone who recognizes him to get in touch with police or Crime Stoppers.

The alleged scammer was described as approximately five-foot-six in height, with a medium build.

The RCMP advised the public to be wary of potential scams.

“Scammers can spoof telephone numbers and make it appear as though they’re calling from a trusted source,” the RCMP noted.

“Scammers create a sense of urgency when they contact you. If you are unsure if a phone call or email is a scam, hang up the phone or don’t respond to the email. Instead, reach out to the agency or person using a familiar, credible contact to confirm the information you were told is accurate.”

The Mounties said it’s important to never agree to meet with someone who has called you asking for money, and to avoid giving out personal information over unsolicited calls or emails.

Fraudsters can be very convincing, the RCMP added, and often use high-pressure tactics to try to convince their victims to send money immediately.

“Fraudsters can be very convincing, they are relentless in achieving their goal, and they target people’s emotions and kindness,” the RCMP added.

Anyone who believes they have been contacted by a fraudster was asked to report the interaction to police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.