Kingston Police warn of internet rebate scams

Internet-based criminals posing as trustworthy sources has prompted Kingston Police to warn the public of a new scam where fraudsters trick people into thinking that they have earned a reimbursement or a rebate.

According to Kingston Police, the scam aims to collect banking or credit card information. The scammer will pretend to be from the government, a bank, or another trusted organization, and then ask for a small, initial “administration fee” in order to claim the rebate or reimbursement.

“If you provide your banking or credit card information, not only will you not receive the rebate, you’ll also lose a lot more money than the initial ‘administration fee,’” Kingston Police said in a press release on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019.

Kingston Police suggests that members of the public contact regarding a reimbursement or rebate reach out to the organization directly to verify that they are giving out said rebate or reimbursement – and remember to never use the contact information found in the message that was sent to you. “Look up the organizations contact information yourself to be sure it is legitimate,” police said. “Please stay safe out there!”