The HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit is issuing a warning about a fraud targeting Asian university students.
The HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit recently received a complaint from an Asian university student about a scam involving promises of better educational opportunities. The complainant was approached by an Asian man in Halifax offering his help to get into an Ontario university. The complainant was asked to provide a hefty administration fee along with an upfront fee to start the process and take English language training. The suspect then asked the student for tens of thousands of dollars to cover her first year of tuition upfront and the complainant complied. The suspect kept the money he received and did not apply to any Ontario universities on behalf of the complainant.
HRM Partners in Policing encourage citizens to be suspicious of any individual asking for money upfront for a service. Don’t give personal information to anyone, whether solicitation occurs by telephone, in person or by email, unless you have initiated the contact and you are certain of the identification of the individual and the legitimacy of the organization they claim to represent. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Anyone who has been a victim of such a scam is encouraged to file a report with the HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit at 490-1985 or online at https://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch/index.html
Source: Release