The fraud involving QR codes and crypto wallet addresses.
The West Region Headquarters of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning businesses throughout southwestern Ontario after a recent fraud investigation conducted by the Oxford OPP.
Recently, an Ingersoll business reported falling victim to a spear phishing scam, losing nearly $2,000.
Police say the suspect posed as a safety and fire inspector and demanded upfront payment for alleged inspection-related materials.
According to investigators, the fraudster contacted an employee directly and claimed the payment was urgently required.
The employee was also instructed not to inform their manager about the request.
The suspect then provided QR codes linked to cryptocurrency wallet addresses and directed the employee to use a cryptocurrency ATM at a local business to complete the transaction.
Believing the request was legitimate, the employee deposited the funds before realizing it was a scam.
Police are reminding businesses to verify all payment requests independently, especially those involving urgency, secrecy, or cryptocurrency transactions.
