RCMP warns of spoof call scam that appear to come from police

Aug 20, 2021 | 1:28 PM Liam Verster

The RCMP is warning the public of a scam involving spoof calls that appear to be coming from local police detachments that has been circulating in North Okanagan communities recently.

The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP report that fraudsters impersonating police officers are attempting to lure unsuspecting callers into providing personal, confidential information over the phone, and, in some cases, are also asking for large sums of money.

The RCMP notes that what is particularly concerning is that these incidents appear convincing because the phone number is being ‘spoofed’ to alter the display and make it seem like the call is coming from the RCMP’s non-emergency line.

“The RCMP will never request monetary payments, or ask for personal information such as Social Insurance Numbers, bank or credit card information, garage door codes, or alarm codes,” states Constable Chris Terleski, Media Relations Officer for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.

“Thankfully the individuals who made these reports recognized what was happening and made the right decision to hang up and called us back on our non-emergency line.”

The RCMP has a number of tips on how to recognize, reject and report fraud:

Never assume the caller is who they say they are simply because they have some basic info such as your address or your birth date.
If you didn’t initiate the call, you don’t know who you are talking to.
Never give out any personal information over the phone to unsolicited callers.
Never pay a debt by crypto-currencies such as bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others.

Anyone who receives a call, whether it be from police, government offices, or a business, and suspects the person to be a fraudster is asked to hang up and call back using publicly accessible numbers.

The RCMP adds these incidents should only be reported to local police if personal information or money was given out. All other cases should be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre either online or by calling 1-888-495-8501.