Scammers spoof RCMP number

Have you received a call claiming to be from RCMP in London? It's likely scammers, not police, were on the other end of the line.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Friday released a warning that the London detachment's phone number was spoofed and used by scammers to coerce victims into providing personal information.

Scammers are also telling victims that they are under investigation by the RCMP and that they will be arrested unless they transfer large amounts of money within hours.

Spoofing occurs when call displays or caller ID systems are manipulated to show trusted phone numbers, when in reality the calls are coming from somewhere else.

“This tricks people into answering the call and believing they are speaking with a trusted source,” the RCMP statement said. “Do not use call display as a way to authenticate who is calling.”

RCMP urge residents not to panic, and to hang up if they receive unsolicited calls that “are coercive or threatening and claiming to be police or any other government department.”

Anyone who has received a similar phone call or knows someone who has is asked to contact police and the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.