Friday, December 16, 2016 11 Brooklin Town Crier Police Warn about Vehicle Wrap Scam The DRPS is warning the public about a new fraud scheme being reported by residents of Durham. Residents are contacted by a company that offers the opportunity to earn money by wrapping their vehicles with advertisements. Once they agree, a cheque is sent to the victim with instructions to deposit the money in their personal account and keep a portion for themselves as payment. The remaining funds are to be deposited into another bank account, that of the company that is contracted to wrap the vehicle. The cheque is later determined to be counterfeit, the victim's bank rejects it, leaving the victim on the hook for the money. The money transferred to the fictitious vehicle wrap company is profit for the scammer. To date, six residents of Durham Region have fallen victim to this scam. The cheques received by the victims range in value from $2,000 to $4,500. For more information or to report a scam attempt, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at: www.antifraudcentre-cen- treantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501. Anyone wishing to report a fraud in Durham Region is asked to contact Durham Regional Police at 1-888-579-1520. Reminder to Always Secure Medications Police and the family of a young, accidental overdose victim are reminding members of the public to always secure their medications. On November 19, 2016, police and paramedics responded to the Pickering Town Centre for a 13-month-old boy who was not breathing. The parents had visited family members prior to their shopping trip and although the family took proper measures to secure her medications, a bedroom door was left open. It's believed that the boy ingested a single pill that was in the unlocked room. The 13-month-old boy from Whitby died in hospital two days later. His organs were donated to three recipients. The family encouraged the police to issue a public statement so no other family has to endure a similar, preventable tragedy. As we enter the holiday season, with family visits and children running around unfamiliar homes, those unaccustomed to having children in their homes should take extra care to lock up any medication. For more information on protecting your home and securing medication, please visit: http://upandaway.org/ The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time and is not yet prepared to speak publicly about their tragedy.