Highest reported scam in 2021
Police warn the public to be wary of fraudsters impersonating government or law enforcement officials to prey on unsuspecting victims.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), these types of scams were the highest documented in 2021, with 14,202 reported.
The centre says impersonation tactics are used through phone calls, texts and emails to access personal information, such as a social insurance number, date of birth, name, address and account balances.
Fraudsters have been reported posing as police officers, government agents, bank employees, hydro company officials, and during tax time, CRA agents, among others.
The CAFC says scammers have also been known to impersonate a Canadian border agent.
"They try to make you believe that a package addressed to you was intercepted by Canada Post containing illegal substances. After asking you to dial one on the automated phone call, the fraudsters will ask for personal information and will request that you withdraw money and deposit it into a 'safe account.'"
The centre says that no government agency would contact an individual asking for a money transfer or withdrawal.
Additionally, it says a government agency would never call to notify that a SIN was blocked.
The CAFC offers some advice to protect against becoming a victim of an extortion fraud, including:
- Never provide personal information over the phone, text or email to an unknown contact.
- Never assume phone numbers are legit that appear on call display.
- Be wary of automated calls asking you to dial 1 to speak with an officer.
The centre says fraudsters use technology that is easily available to use phone numbers with the same area code as their intended victim.
March is Fraud Prevention month, and police are using this time to warn the public about the many scams out there.
Complete information and prevention tips are available on the CAFC's website.
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