TORONTO -- An Ontario teenager may have lost a lot more than money in an unsuccessful attempt to acquire fake identification.
Provincial police say the Norfolk County resident contacted them Tuesday to say that they had sent money to a stranger after seeing an ad for fake identification on social media, but never received the promised ID.
While the financial loss is one concern, even more troubling for the teenager is the uncertainty over what the stranger will do with the legitimate personal information they were given as part of the fake ID application.
Police are now investigating the incident as a possible case of fraud. They issued a warning to the public, reminding online shoppers to be careful about giving out personal information.
"The OPP are urging all residents to protect their personal information," Const. Ed Sanchuk said in a statement.
"Sending your personal and identifying information to an unknown individual or fake ID business opens the door to someone stealing your identity."
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recommends that those looking to make purchases over the internet be careful when dealing with sellers who are based overseas, have few or no reviews, or offer items for suspiciously low prices.
