Warning to the public about gold investment scams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 23, 2025  3:05 p.m.

(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) continues to warn the public about gold investment scams after an elderly Ottawa couple lost $460,000.

In gold investment scams, criminals use pop-up messages that look like they are from trusted sources on the victims’ computers, convincing them that their online financial information has been stolen. Once the suspects have gained the victims’ trust, they convince them to buy gold and then arrange to pick it up, leading to significant financial loss. The victims are told not to tell their family or bank.

The public is encouraged to use these tips to reduce their risk of being scammed:

• Do not buy gold or gift cards if you get unexpected pop-up messages, emails, or phone calls.
• If someone asks you to buy gold or gift cards to protect your money, talk to a trusted family member or friend before doing anything.
• If you think you’ve been targeted or already lost money, call 211 or your local police right away.

If you have been a victim of fraud, please report it online.

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Through the Community Safety Data portal data.ottawapolice.ca, members of the public can view, download, and interact with data released by the Ottawa Police Service.

Help make your community safer: register your information and security camera location at CAMSafe.ca to support investigations.

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