Follow us on TwitterCharlottetown Police Services wish to warn the public of a significant amount of scam phone calls occurring today.
Some commonalities are:
- Call display shows a local 902 phone number
- Scams involve a call from CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) and the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) warning that there is an arrest warrant and you must send money
- Calls claiming that a family member was in a car accident and need money
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