City Police warn of possible scams

CITY POLICE

NEWS RELEASE

************************* Mail fraud and suspicious telemarketing calls

During the past week, police have received information regarding two possible scams involving mail fraud and telemarketing calls.

On the 10th of February an elderly male attended at the police station with a letter and a cheque that he had received in the mail.

The cheque was made out to him in the amount of $942 with the name of Hudson Bay Company and also the Royal Bank of Canada.

The letter was from a company called Global Test Market stating that they had selected him to participate in a survey by posing as a customer for Western Union and sending money to a friend or family member, a name that they would provide him to use from their company.

For doing this deed he would receive $110 from the $942 cheque that he received.

These types of scams frequently target the elderly.

On the 16th of February a citizen received two suspicious phone calls.

The first was from a male identifying himself as Derek from an unknown business working with Commercial Investigations asking him to call a 1-800 number to discuss a financial account.

The citizen hung up.

A second call was made by a female identifying herself as Jen working with the same company and asking him to call that same number.

Once again the citizen hung up providing no information to the caller.

Telemarketing scams and mail fraud /identity theft

Criminals will hide behind the anonymity of the telephone to try and defraud thousands of Canadians each year.

Criminals tend to use the same selling strategies as legitimate companies to lure people.

If you get a phone call or an e-mail that sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Common telemarketing scams

- You’ve won a prize in a contest you don’t recall entering.

- You’re offered an investment with huge returns.

- You can buy a ticket into a pool that cannot lose.

- You’ve won something, but you must send payment for shipping, taxes, duties, etc.

- You must give confidential bank or credit card information.

- You are told to send cash or a money order, only.

- The caller is very excited about your opportunity or wants to be your best friend.

- You are pressured to act immediately on a large purchase.

Prevention tips and reporting scams and frauds

- It is not rude to hang up on a caller if you have doubts or suspicions. Criminal telemarketers are persistent and relentless – hanging up on them is your best defence.

- You have the right to request written information, to check references and to think over an offer. If the caller won’t oblige you, hang up. Remember that legitimate telemarketers have nothing to hide. They would be happy to fulfill your requests for information.

- Never provide personal or financial information over the phone.

- Contact the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service at 705-949-6300 or their fraud unit at 705-949-6300 Extension 388. - Call Phone Busters at 1-888-495-8501. A call centre operated by the Ontario Provincial Police and RCMP to report criminal telemarketing activity.

- Contact the Competition Bureau of Industry Canada at 1-800-348-5358.

*************************