Follow us on TwitterCharlottetown Police Services continue to receive complaints of phone scams and would like to remind the public to be vigilant and recognize these scams before you share private information and/or provide the scammers with money.
Over the weekend, 3 separate frauds were reported to police – one victim was defrauded $700.00, the second victim sent $2100.00 and the third victim sent $5000.00.
The forms of scams vary and evolve over time. One consistent theme is that they use fear tactics and threats to pressure the victim into providing personal/banking information and/or pressure them into sending payments that usually consist of a bitcoin transaction, wire transfer or prepaid gift cards.
Don’t be a victim:
- Simply hang up and if you feel the need to verify if the organization was actually trying to reach you, then call that organization directly to inquire why they were calling you. Never provide personal information on inbound calls.
What to do after the call:
- If you’ve provided personal information such as your SIN and/or sent any money if form of bitcoin, pre-paid gift cards – Report the fraud to your local Police
- If you did not disclose any personal information or sent money – Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre via their website or by calling 1888-495-8501.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is a good resource to get more information on various frauds and preventative tips. https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm