Fraudsters have devised a bold new way to try to scam people out of their hard-earned money.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are warning the public that scammers are impersonating the policing agencies. The fraudsters are spoofing the OPP's non-emergency telephone number and that of the RCMP in an effort to look legitimate. They then mislead victims into believing they must help catch a dishonest bank employee or resolve suspicious transactions by providing personal information or transferring funds.
"The OPP has seen an increase in the spoofing of business, government and law enforcement telephone numbers, email addresses and websites," OPP said. "Individuals engaged in these fraudulent activities often impersonate financial institutions, claiming that unauthorized transactions have occurred on your account or that your account has been compromised. They pressure victims to provide personal information, transfer funds or assist in a fake investigation."
Police advise not to trust your caller ID as the spoofed phone numbers look legitimate. Instead, anyone who receives a call like this should hang up and verify the claims by contacting their bank or the organization directly. People should avoid clicking on links in unsolicited messages, never share authentication codes, and not allow anyone remote access to their computer, police said.
Legitimate organizations will never request you to transfer funds for "security" reasons or ask for your bank card or visit your home to collect it," police stressed.
The warning also noted that the OPP's non-emergency number is for incoming calls only and that the police service will never contact the public to demand cryptocurrency or funds in connection with money laundering or major criminal investigations.
Anyone who receives a suspected fraudulent call or email is advised to call their local police service, OPP at 1-888-310-1122, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre through its online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.