Phone scam targeting the Trail area
By Trail Champion
Trail police have been innunddated with phone fraud complaints this week, according to RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich.
“The Trail and Greater District Detachment RCMP has received 20-30 calls this week about the most recent telephone fraud to hit the area,” he said in a press release Wednesday. “The RCMP are issuing this warning to the public as a result.
“The fraudster are contacting the victim via telephone and claim that his/her Social Insurance Number (SIN) has been compromised. The fraudster will ask the victim to confirm their SIN over the phone, often saying they work in government departments, and using a device to make their phone numbers display as legitimate.
“The callers can be aggressive and use threats of legal action if the victim does not agree to provide personal and financial information or pay a fictitious debt. The RCMP remind the public that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and other government departments do not operate in this manner and do not request payment by electronic money transfer or gift cards (eg. Google Play cards).
“Please report all incidents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. The public can contact the Trail and Greater District Detachment RCMP if they are a victim of this fraud or need additional information. The Trail and Greater District Detachment RCMP can be contacted through their main phone number at 250-364-2566.
“This scam has been previously reported on through the media in other jurisdiction.”
