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WINDSOR, Ont. – The Mounties in Windsor, Ont., are warning of a new twist on a long-running “letter scam” in which a fraudster pretends to be a member of the RCMP in order to gain the victim’s trust.

They say an Essex County resident was recently defrauded of about $500,000 after getting a letter from someone posing as a lawyer in Spain, who claimed a distant relative had died, leaving behind a sizable unclaimed estate.

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Police say the victim, although unaware of any distant relative in Spain, contacted the author of the letter and began negotiations for the release of the funds.

It’s alleged the victim was told to send small amounts of money to pay back taxes and other fees blocking release of the estate, and later sent substantial funds to an overseas bank account as the scheme progressed.

Police say someone claiming to be an RCMP officer also called the victim to say the situation was legitimate, and that the victim’s call display showed the RCMP’s general inquiries phone number in Ottawa.

The Mounties say an investigation has shown the call to the victim was not made by the RCMP but likely by someone using a technique known as “spoofing” in order to display that particular number.

Windsor RCMP are asking anyone who has received a similar letter to contact them.