The East Algoma Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) issued a statement today warning residents of a new phone scam.
Fraudsters are contacting potential victims stating that their Social Insurance Numbers have been compromised. The automated calls threaten victims with legal action and arrest if action is not taken.
The release indicates callers are using caller ID spoofing, a practice the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says disguises telephone numbers so they appear to be local numbers in an attempt to trick would-be victims into answering the calls.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim, please contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 and the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
OPP offers the following tips to protect yourself against fraud:
• Don't trust your call display. It may say 'Police' or 'ABC', but in reality, it is actually a scammer. It does not matter what the caller ID says, you cannot trust it.
• If you get a call from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book or on the company or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request.
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, social insurance number (SIN), mother's maiden name, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls.