Grande Prairie RCMP warn residents about telephone scam
Grande Prairie RCMP are warning the public of fraudulent telephone calls claiming to originate from Service Canada to callers in the Grande Prairie area.
Grande Prairie RCMP detachment has recently seen an increase in reports from Grande Prairie and area residents who have received phone calls from individuals claiming to be from Service Canada advising them that their social insurance number or account has been compromised and suspended as a result. The caller is then given the option of legal action or paying for the release of their information.
These phone calls are high pressure in nature and the likely goal for the suspects is to obtain personal and banking information from the victims that are being targeted.
Here are a few safety tips to assist:
· If you receive a call from someone claiming your personal information has been compromised, take note of the information from them and disconnect the call.
· Do not share any personal information with the caller, such as name, social insurance number, address, etc…
· Spoofing occurs when a caller identification (caller ID) or call display are manipulated to show trusted phone numbers. This tricks people into answering the call and believing they are speaking with a trusted source. Do not use call display as a way to authenticate who is calling. Fraudsters may use a variety of other telephone scam tactics to create anxiety so that victims respond by sending money quickly in order to fix the problem.
· If you have legitimate concerns regarding your personal information being compromised, find the government agencies phone number through a trusted source (official website) and contact the government agency directly.
· The best protection from scammers is to learn how to resist being pushed into a decision regardless of how persuasive or aggressive the scammer may be.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by this scam or who has given out personal or financial information in error, is advised to contact their local police service and their financial institution.
Learn how to recognize and protect yourself from fraud at Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre. www. antifraudcentre.ca
If you have any information about these fraudulent activities, please contact Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5701 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.