Trail police are giving locals the heads up on a scam burning up the telephone lines in the area this week.
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Sgt. Mike Wicentowich says the detachment has received up to 30 calls over the past few days about this most recent fraud to hit the region.
“The RCMP is issuing this warning to the public as a result,” Wicentowich said. “The fraudster is contacting the victim via telephone and claiming that his/her Social Insurance Number (SIN) has been compromised.”
The caller will ask the victim to confirm their SIN over the phone.
Of note, is that these scammers claim they work in government departments, and they are using a device to make their phone numbers display as legitimate.
More so, the fraudsters aren’t taking “no” for an answer.
“The callers can be aggressive,” Wicentowich said. “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 CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) and other government departments do not operate in this manner.
Furthermore, neither the CRA nor government agencies request payment by electronic money transfer or gift cards.
Wicentowich asks that all incidents be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1.888.495.8501.
As well, locals can contact the Trail and Greater District detachment if they are a victim of this fraud or need additional information.
The phone number for the Trail RCMP office, located on Laburnum Drive, is 250.364.2566.
This scam has been previously reported through the media in other jurisdictions.
newsroom@trailtimes.ca
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