Greater Sudbury Police Service are warning the public about the numerous phone scams active in the city.
In fact, there are so many, police say that it's “practically impossible to address them all individually."
“Everyone must remain vigilant to protect themselves from fraud — no one is immune,” a news release said. “Anyone caring for a senior citizen or other vulnerable adults is encouraged to make them aware of the consequences of being targeted.”
Recently, calls to the Sudbury Police Communications Centre report one active scam, in which the caller claims to be from the RCMP working on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency.
Sudbury.com managed to record one such call that was received by one of our staff members. You can listen to that call by clicking the red play button below to get an idea what to expect should you receive a call.
“The caller indicates that the resident has committed a crime and provides a call-back number where the resident is supposed to report to for more information,” the release said.
“When the call back number is used, the individual answering the phone identifies themselves as a fictitious RCMP officer.”
Police offer several guidelines for resident to use when someone calls them claiming to be the CRA. Canada's taxation agency:
- Never requests prepaid credit cards or money transfers;
- Never asks for information about your passport, health card, or driver's license;
- Never leaves personal information on your answering machine or asks you to leave a message containing your personal information on an answering machine.
If you do receive a scam call, the RCMP advises residents:
- If you have call display, note the number and where the call came from;
- Hang up;
- Look up the real number for the government agency;
- Call that number to see if the situation is legitimate;
- Report the call to police.
Preventative tips:
- Do not hesitate to tell someone over the phone that you will follow up by calling the agency / company yourself to confirm what you are being told. If they try to keep you on the line, you should quickly hang up.
- Legitimate service providers and government agencies do not threaten their customers into sending money by way of money transfers.
- Do not provide personal information unless you are the one that initiated the call – no exceptions.
“If you have been victimized or someone has made you feel intimidated, contact the police service at 705-675-9171,” the release said.
For more information, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website at www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
