The RCMP are reporting another phone scam, this one involving requests for social insurance numbers.
A few days after advising the public about a scam in which people reportedly were asked to press “1” if they didn’t want to be arrested, Cpl. Jennifer Clarke of the RCMP said a scam was being reported on the south shore.
“It appears that they are getting calls in Shelburne, also Lunenburg County, today,” Cpl. Clarke said in a Jan. 21 email.
Asked to compare these latest scam calls to the ones reported last week, she said both appeared to take the same sort of approach.
“It’s really similar,” she said. “with the whole ‘press 1 for this option, press 2 for that option,’” she said. “We don’t know if it’s the same people behind it.”
At first the call is automated and advises you that if you don't provide your social insurance number you could be arrested by your local police department due to a fraud that has been committed. Then if you need to speak with someone about the issue you have to press “2,” at which time you get to speak with "an officer.”
“I have been told these people or person is very convincing, at which time he continues to advise you that you must provide your SIN or you will be arrested due to fraud,” Cpl. Clarke said. “The ‘officer’ then gets to the point where he threatens the individual further until you either hang up or provide your SIN.”
The RCMP said numbers coming in for the fraud had been: 780-522-0662, 780-522-8238, 780-522-7354 and 780-522-4271.
A release issued Jan. 17 said RCMP detachments across the province were being made aware of a phone scam where a person receives a call and during the call they are instructed to press "1" if they do not want to be arrested.
A woman in her eighties was contacted Jan. 16, was told the caller was from the Department of Justice and was advised that she had committed a federal criminal offence and was going to be arrested. She was then instructed to press "1" if she did not want to be arrested. She did not make a selection, hung up the phone and contacted police.
The RCMP said it was providing this information to the public to help protect people from becoming victims of fraud.
"Legitimate organizations will never ask you for personal financial information over the phone,” Cpl. Clarke said. “If you are not sure about it, request a call-back number, verify the organization and make an informed decision about whether it is someone you can trust.
Members of the public are encouraged to contact their nearest detachment to report potential fraud by calling 800-803-RCMP (7267). Fraud can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 888-495-8501, orhttp://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
