FRAUD FRIDAY: Repayment scams

July 18, 2025

The Thunder Bay Police Service is continuing to advise the public of financial scams that target local residents.


A common scheme is the repayment scam.


Scammers will send an email advising the recipient that they are due a refund or reimbursement after an overpayment for an account on a platform like Amazon or Paypal. The email will likely ask the recipients to provide banking information and may either provide a "refund form" or a request to send money by e-transfer to validate the account.


Recipients may also be asked to download an app, such as AnyDesk, which will provide external control of the device, allowing scammers to have access to personal information.


This is a scam. The scammers will use that information to compromise a bank account and any money sent by e-transfer will be lost.



People who receive these messages are urged to ignore or delete them. If in doubt, check your account status directly on the platform in question.


If you are concerned about potential scams and want to learn more, please visit https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/safety/fraud-prevention or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/)


To make a fraud/cyber crime online report to the Thunder Bay Police Service, please visit: https://www.services.tryrubicon.com/thunder-bay-police-service/online-reports/report/fraud-cybercrime

October 2026

October 9, 2026
Above: In September, the Thunder Bay Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that joint marine patrols are underway in the Thunder Bay area.

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