Public Safety Alert Telephone Fraud/Scam 53 Division

Public Safety Alert Telephone Fraud/Scam 53 Division

Thursday, November 14, 2019 - 2:40 PM
53 Division:  416-808-5300

The Toronto Police Service would like to warn the public about an ongoing telephone scam.

It is reported:

- the telephone call starts with someone claiming they work for the government or a police agency. The caller claims that your Social Insurance Number (SIN) was used to fraudulently open bank accounts, and other illegal transactions.

The caller will provide a false name, ID number and/or badge number, and will give the following instructions:

- the caller will ask you to send money via Bitcoin to a fake government account

- the caller will make false threats that failure to comply will result in an arrest warrant issued, or they will send local police to their home and arrest them immediately

- the caller may also insist the money be paid by gift cards or other crypto-currencies, credit card, or through Western Union

- In some cases the fraudsters use a program to display the telephone number of either the revenue agency or local police on the victim's caller ID display.

Numerous residents have continued to receive telephone calls from these scammers. The public should be aware that police do not collect money for the Canada Revenue Agency. Although everyone is at risk of falling victim to these scams, elderly people are among the most vulnerable.

The CRA will not do the following:

- send emails with a link and ask you to divulge personal or financial information

- ask for personal information of any kind by email or text message

- request payments by prepaid credit cards, gift cards or through Bitcoin or any form of crypto-currency

- give taxpayer information to another person, unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer

- leave personal information on an answering machine

- or send the police after you

Anyone who receives these types of calls should hang up the phone immediately.

Don't ever give out any personal information, including identification numbers, passwords or financial information.

If you or a family member has fallen victim to this fraud, please report it to your local police service, as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).

There are two ways to make a report to the CAFC; either by phone at 1-888-495-8501 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern Time) or through their online reporting tool at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/

Anyone who thinks they have fallen victim to this scam can contact their local police service.

If you would like to learn more about the CRA scam please click on the following link: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/on/scams-fraude/index-eng.htm.

Constable Alex Li, Corporate Communications, for Detective Constable Rajendra Persaud, 53 Division