Mounties issue warning for STARS lottery scam

Mounties have issued a warning after officers in the Crowsnest Pass received multiple complaints about a scam involving people claiming to be with the STARS lottery. RCMP say the phone scam is asking people to send money to an address in Kamloops, B.C.

“The Crowsnest Pass RCMP is asking the public to please exercise caution about answering any suspicious phone calls and to avoid providing any personal or banking information over the phone,” Mounties said in a news release.

STARS is looking into the phone scam, said spokesman Chad Saxon. “Unfortunately, we often see an increase of these types of calls whenever our Alberta Lottery’s taking place,” he said. Saxon said STARS lottery will never ask anyone to send money to claim a prize.

“If someone is ever asked to send a cheque, money order, any type of payment to claim their lottery prize, that’s a surefire way to tell that it’s a scam,” he said.

Anyone who receives this kind of call is advised to hang up the phone immediately. Members of the public who are unsure about a communication they have received can contact STARS lottery directly at 1-888-880-0992 or by email at info@stars.ca.

All the STARS lottery winners are posted online at starslotteryalberta.ca following the draw, Saxon said.

Any phone numbers associated with a scam can be reported to the Government of Canada Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501.